The Hunger Games Book Review

Major Spoilers are included in this book review. Please read with caution.

I hadn’t read this novel since high school (years 2009 through 2013). During those days, my reading friend suggested this novel because I loved Twilight and thought I would be into The Hunger Games—by Suzanne Collins—too. He definitely wasn’t wrong.

I remembered we would talk about the series before, during, and after English class for weeks in addition to the latest Bleach and Naruto manga chapters. We would go into the Dystopian society and how it was built on the oppression of the twelve Districts, the inhumane nature of The Hunger Games, and the government’s use of fashion trends to keep the rich people complacent. If you’re reading this, old friend, I have missed our talks. With great love in my heart for my world and reading, I’m still keeping them going.

Synopsis: Published in September 14, 2008, the novel centers around Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl from District Twelve. Katniss volunteers for the annual Hunger Games to keep her younger sister Prim from participating when her name was somehow drawn on Reaping Day. Katniss’ surreal experiences—broken into three parts—preparing, engaging, and surviving the Games are what drove the main story.

Originally, I picked up the trilogy again to reminisce and prepare myself for the prequel—The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—that had come out on May 19, 2020. I had no idea at the time it was going to be an important reread for days to come.

Now that I’ve finished this novel for a second time on June 7, 2020, I realized this novel does a good job on opening interesting conversations about our world—especially with the Black Lives Matter 2020 Movement currently ongoing—and how threats of war, oppression, violence, and poverty from the government influence us as a society into being submissive. In my opinion, they should teach this Dystopian novel to students in high schools.

While the target audience are likely teenagers and young adults, I believe younger children—like middle school or maybe elementary school—could read this novel and comprehend the messages too.

Regardless, The Hunger Games was a compelling read from start to finish. Katniss is a very strong character with good morals that are compromised throughout this book. She has genuine romantic feelings for two different boys, must kill others in order to keep herself alive, but she still found ways to honor the other tributes—like Rue and Thresh from District 11—who didn’t deserve their fate. Black Lives Matter.

While I used the word “honor” to define Katniss’ actions for Rue and District 11, the government used the word “rebellion”. This was the most emotional aspect of the novel.

In the movie version of The Hunger Games, District 11 followed Katniss’ example and rioted as a result of Rue’s needless death. This riot scene couldn’t have been in the book version obviously since the book was written in first-person POV, and Katniss couldn’t know her actions would lead to a riot. I just wanted to mention it. It seemed important to do so.

Overall, if you hadn’t read the book or seen the movie, I would highly recommend you do so right now. The writing was excellent and the pacing of the novel was well-balanced. I will write a movie review too once I rewatch it at some point.