Recommended 14+
Although this book has been available for some time, it was such a good story that it deserved a review regardless. If you have been living under a rock, you may not have heard of the novel or the feature film. Though the book is written for primarily a YA audience, it still appealed to the middle aged me. Not only was it well written, but the premise of the novel was interesting and relevant to today. Though we have no programs relating to death games, we do enjoy our reality tv. (I'm not pointing the finger, trust me. I've been known to watch Hoarder's merely for shock value and as a pick me up. Let's face it, we all feel like Miss Clean afterwards.) Not only is the story socially relevant, but the hero is a heroine in the best sense of the word. Katniss Everdeen is intelligent, clever, brave, selfless, resilient, stubborn, and resourceful. So Ms. Collins get and A+ from me as a mother of daughters.
Let's get to it shall we. As with all dystopian books, the world as we have known it is no longer. Old governments have collapsed giving birth to corrupt politicians. Sectors have been establish where nearly all the population has been enslaved in a structure similar to concentrations camps, minus those who live in the Capital. Obsessed with their fashion, food, and lavish lifestyles, they are self obsessed, growing bored and desensitized. The Capital holds games once a year, where the young enslaved in the district must enter themselves in a lottery, entering their names to gain access to food, where they can be chosen to participate in the televised games. Games where there is only one winner, and the only way you win is by killing every other contestants.
Okay, so I won't say anymore and ruin it those few who are out of the loop. What I will say, is if you are a sensitive reader, warning, you will find violence in this book, but it also contains a strong moral message. I found characters were well developed and written. I though I should mention the book is in first person narration for those who dislike this style of literature. Overall I would give this a 5 star review. (Fellow frugal book junkies, great local library and second-hand book shop find.)
This is the first novel in a series of three. Direct links are listed below.
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