Publisher: Scholistic 2008.
Paperback. 454 Pages.
Source: Borrowed then Purchased by myself.
Rating: 4.8 out of 5.
Synopsis/Blurb: Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see. Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
I have never been one to follow fashion and when everyone went mad on this series I wasn't interested, the same as 50 shades of grey I am yet to read that series, as I'm not into erotic novels or the fact everyone else loved it so much must mean I have to read it and love it too. A family friend actually lent the series of these books to my mother and as she isn't such a quick reader like I am, I asked is I could read them first. I got into the first few chapters of The Hunger Games book so much, I went and purchased the series for myself as I knew I would love this series.
Katniss and her family live in a place called Panem which is split into different districts 1 - 12, each district has a job to do, district 12's being mining. Katniss' father was a miner and unfortunately died in a mine accident which leaves Katniss, her mother and sister. Panem is ran by the capitol, which is a highly rich and corrupt place a bit like our own world today yet they all live as in olden times. They have to grow/catch food and live in little homes that barely make a shelter.
From page one you learn that Katniss is the bread winner of the family and is the family rock, so you start to understand how hard this will be for Katniss and her family for her to enter the hunger games and to kill or be killed. When Katniss' sister is pulled to be a tribute, Katniss volunteers herself to be tribute to save her sister, yet she has to save herself too. When she is saying goodbye she is saying goodbye for good, but you sense it won't be the last time they all see each other. Even though each year everyone gets to watch the hunger games, which is the only time the telly's work in Panem, no one really knows what to expect, as the capitol won't do the same things as they did last year, they have to keep it exciting for the viewers. Katniss meets many wonderful people and gains and looses some friends but this makes her even stronger. Katniss and Peeta hate how the capitol controls everyone and wants to play the hunger games by their own rules.
I enjoyed the hunting/nature side of the book as it made it so much real, as to how they have to get by to live in district 12. Katniss and Peeta are both from district 12 and are thrown together as a couple to gain peoples trust and money/sponsors, yet I never really understood Katniss' real feelings towards Peeta because of this. Just as you think they are in love it's all an act, but then there are times you actually think it's not an act at all and their real feelings towards each other come out, yet they don't act upon them.
Two things that stopped me saying 5 out of 5 was *Spoiler alert* when they changed the rules to having both tributes from the same district be the winners, to then changing it back was a bit of a nasty twist, but at the same time it showed how much courage both Katniss and Peeta actually have and it opened up to give us a second book. Also not knowing what the other tributes skills were would have been a good chapter or two, I think that could of made the story a little bit more exciting, but at the same time, not knowing their skills keeps you and Katniss on edge and leaves you wanting to read more and more.
I haven't said this on my blog before but I thought the ending was brilliant, no blunt ending nothing ended to fast and it left it open for book number two Catching Fire, which I will review soon.
I can happily say this is a great book and yes I was a bit late on reading this book but I think I got to enjoy all the more as I got have my own views on this book, I highly recommend this book as it's a great read, was written in 1st person which makes it all the more exciting as it was looking in from Katniss' point of view.
I have also bought the film and I would like to say the film is everything it should be, it's great and like other films it does miss out parts but only the little parts that make the book but are not lost within the films. I thought the casting was fantastic and I will be buying Catching Fire when it comes out too.
Have you watched/read The Hunger Games? If so let me know in the comments below what you views are.
Laura xx
Image was taken from here.
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