Book Thoughts: The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

HOW have I only just started reading this trilogy? I bought The Hunger Games months ago, but as usual it was put on the end of my 'to-read' list and I was forgotten about. But I saw it on my shelf last week and decided it was time to find out what all the fuss was about. I started reading this on Wednesday afternoon during my lunch hour at work, and was finished by Saturday morning. It's so fast-paced and gripping, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to get around to reading it.

For anyone (if there is anyone) who hasn't read it; the novel is written from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year old girl sent to fight for her life in The Hunger Games, a brutal battle between the twelve 'districts' of Panem.  Thrown into the arena with no idea of what they'll face, the tributes are forced to question everything and everyone they encounter, and abandon every principle and moral they hold dear in favour of survival.  Katniss knows that winning the Games will secure the financial security of not only herself, but her mother and young sister - but how will she fare when the familiarity of District Twelve is replaced by a constant threat of attack, and even death? 

There's a romantic sub-narrative running parallel to the main story, in that Katniss knows that her survival within the arena depends to a certain extent on fellow District Twelve tribute, Peeta Mellark - could faking a romance encourage the Gamemakers to spare them both? How will Katniss distinguish between her genuine feelings and those she's faking for the camera? And what does this mean for her friendship with Gale back home?

I loved this book. So full of suspense and every chapter ending is a cliffhanger. Impossible to put down. Another thing I thought was significant was that while the love story element is interesting and adds another dimension to the story, it's not the main plot line. Katniss' initiative, quick-thinking and bravery are her most distinct characteristics, and after years of hunting for her family, survival is second nature; she has learned to rely on nobody but herself.  Because of this, her confusion around her feelings for Gale and Peeta add a different aspect to her character; she admits that her kiss with Peeta was her first, and it just gave a sense of how a girl as young as she is, who's been the sole provider for her family for years, has missed out on other aspects of teenage life.

I'm currently reading the second book in the series, Catching Fire.  I'm not far enough in yet to say how I'm feeling about it, but so far so good.  Can't wait to get stuck in!

Steph x

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