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The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

(718)

| Hardcover | 9780439023481

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Book Description

Katniss has been providing for her family since her father died, but is she strong enough to win the Hunger Games, a deadly competition that can have only one winner?

Critics

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Share

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian novel written for young adults (YA). Even though the main audience targeted, the book has struck chords with parents as well and has been a best seller since it came out. I can certainly understand h ... (read full critics)

blogcritics published on Mon, 26 Mar 2012

The Hunger Games Trilogy (2008)

The Hunger Games Trilogy (2008) If you’ve entered a bookstore in the past three years, you’ll probably know about the Hunger Games; it is quite possibly the biggest young adult publishing phenom since Harry Potter. After finally reading the dystopian ... (read full critics)

likesbooks published on Sat, 7 Jan 2012

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48 Reviews

5 people find this helpful

Book 1 of Hunger Games leaves you hungry for more

I'm so full of praise for this book that I've to criticize it first, before I get lost in my adoration for it, as you'll see soon enough.
My criticism: The concept is not original. It's like a cross between 1984 and Battle Royale (大逃殺), especially of the latter. (But hey, whatever i ... (continue)

I'm so full of praise for this book that I've to criticize it first, before I get lost in my adoration for it, as you'll see soon enough.
My criticism: The concept is not original. It's like a cross between 1984 and Battle Royale (大逃殺), especially of the latter. (But hey, whatever is original? Especially if you like to read thrillers, you'll realize 90% of them are of the same mold)
With criticism out of the way, I'm going to pour forth all my insights after reading the book. Here we go!
The world in The Hunger Games is a dystopian world which is frighteningly similar to our world right now. The parallels are unmistakable: our preoccupation with entertainment, our lack of patience, our demand that something has to happen every minute or else we'll be bored to death. And for that to happen, things must remain controllable, rules must be flexible (to the authority) in order for contingencies to be applied. So the playing field is never even for the players. This is probably Suzanne Collins's satire on the popularity of reality TV.
With seventy-three Hunger Games already held, our heroine Katniss knows only too well that her victory not only depends on her survival skills but also on her understanding of the Gamemakers' mentality. This is what impacts me most: how children are forced to be manipulative and deceitful in order to outsmart the authority. In that scary world, technology has advanced to a new high while humanity has devolved to a new low. The ills of society have become even more intense and twisted, and we are frightened to realize that we're quite familiar with all these ills after all.
But humans are not just intelligent robots. No matter how tightly controlled they are, their rebellious souls are never entirely lost. This is what makes this book so readable: we are watching Katniss (and some others) quietly defying authority using whatever puny resources she has. Aren't we all doing the same thing in real life, one way or another?
The ending is very satisfying, not because it is complete, but because it so logically leads to Book 2, in which the games will be replaced by battles. I can't wait!

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Holmes said on Jun 18, 2011 about the Others edition | 3 feedbacks

2 people find this helpful

Fantastic Read

I picked this book up because, at the time, I was a bit (or alot) obsessed with Twilight and Stephanie Meyer. My version of HG had a recommendation from Stephanie Meyer on the front. I have to say WOW - this book is a great read. While it is teen/young adult fiction, I have lent it to a number of ad ... (continue)

I picked this book up because, at the time, I was a bit (or alot) obsessed with Twilight and Stephanie Meyer. My version of HG had a recommendation from Stephanie Meyer on the front. I have to say WOW - this book is a great read. While it is teen/young adult fiction, I have lent it to a number of adults who are now annoyed with me as they have to wait for the final instalment to come out!

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JB said on Apr 13, 2010 | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

Twilight incontra Battle Royale. Terribile.

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red said on Mar 7, 2012 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

I have no words... Even if I saw the movie before... I loved it. I like Katniss and her bravery, I like Peeta and his sweetness, I like Cinna and his great advices...
The hunger games have started.. "may the odds be ever in your favor"

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*Honey* said on May 23, 2012 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

Hunger Games is really really making me nervous. This novel showed us such a great and thrilling adventure.
I was too nervous to keep on reading. The development of the story has kept me on the edge of my seat. I am so happy that the girl stayed alive every time I turned the pages.
I think I will ... (continue)

Hunger Games is really really making me nervous. This novel showed us such a great and thrilling adventure.
I was too nervous to keep on reading. The development of the story has kept me on the edge of my seat. I am so happy that the girl stayed alive every time I turned the pages.
I think I will wait a while to start another one. Just to prevent heart attack. LOL

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Miss Clauclau said on May 21, 2012 | Add your feedback

amazing

I didn't expect too much of this book, I found it in the teenager's section but as everybody talked about "the hunger games" as one of the most amazing books they have ever read, i decided to give it a try and IT AMAZED ME!!! It is not the kind of literature you can find in books like twilight (bori ... (continue)

I didn't expect too much of this book, I found it in the teenager's section but as everybody talked about "the hunger games" as one of the most amazing books they have ever read, i decided to give it a try and IT AMAZED ME!!! It is not the kind of literature you can find in books like twilight (boring, boring and boring)-just my point of view. "The hunger games" made me think a lot about our society.

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Lebasi Rotenqui said on Apr 25, 2012 about the Others edition | Add your feedback