The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins | Teen Ink

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

January 14, 2009
By Anonymous

Before I bought "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, I was already anticipating its greatness. I had heard it described as "awesome" by my English teacher and my school librarian, and now that I've finished, I can say that it met all my expectations.

This book, the first in the series, tells the story of a post-apocalypse America, which has become a country called "Panem" after a huge war. Panem is the capital city, surrounded by 12 districts, each one poorer than the next.

The hero of the story, Katniss Everdeen, lives in the poorest of the districts, District 12. She spends most of her first 18 years taking care of her little sister, hunting game in the woods behind their house, and sweating out the annual choosing of the "tributes" for the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games is a competition invented by the leaders of the capital, designed to keep the districts in check after an uprising many years ago. Each district must send two children (between the ages of 12 and 18) to fight in a battle to the death for the "enjoyment" of the people, sort of like a modern gladiator game. The 24 contestants are thrown into an arena, where they must maneuver through terrain such as forests and fields. In the end there must be a victor, so the contestants must use any method they choose to kill their opponents, and emerge the winner of the games.

In this year's Hunger Games, Katniss' younger sister is chosen as one of the tributes. Katniss must make a decision: does she take the place of her sister, and risk almost certain doom in the arena? Or does she take the safe route, but essentially give her sister a death sentence? In the end, Katniss decides to volunteer to take the place of her sister, and is whisked off to the capital to prepare for the games. Along the way, she meets the male tribute, Peeta, with whom she forms a strong bond and then romantic relationship. Throughout their ordeals, they must use all their strength and wits to make sure that they do not get killed.

I was worried that the book wouldn't live up to its hype. However, Collins delivered a great read. She mixes high-octane action with nail-biting suspense, creating a fast and furious story that pulls readers in from page one. The people in the book each have distinct characteristics. Katniss is tough, calculating, and a little impulsive. Peeta is the more open one, with a cheery disposition and a sense of humor even in times of peril. These characters keep the book sharp and exciting, and almost leap off the page in their detail.

I found myself hooked and engaged from the start. The only complaint I had while reading was that in some parts of the story, the romance seemed to detract from the general storyline. But it was minor, and did not do much to decrease my enjoyment of the book.

I give "The Hunger Games" a 9.5 out of 10. It had me entranced, excited and hungry for more. This is one highly hyped story that you would not want to miss. But as a warning: I recommend this book for readers 12 and up, because there is blood and violence.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 8 comments.


HugiOlafsson said...
on Sep. 25 2013 at 10:14 am
HugiOlafsson, Reykjavík, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.&quot;<br /> -Albert Einstein

Hi there Harry W.             I think you did a great job writing this article and I liked the way you described how you experienced the book. I really agree that  in some parts of the story, the romance seemed to detract from the general storyline. I really like your article and I think you shoud write about the other two books as well. Good job.

alex222 said...
on Nov. 22 2011 at 12:27 pm

can  you write down a line or 2 please

 


alex222 said...
on Nov. 22 2011 at 12:25 pm

this book is epic and I wish peeta would have died in the end :)

 


wolf said...
on Nov. 14 2011 at 2:49 pm
hunger games is a really really awesome book :P

on Nov. 8 2011 at 1:08 pm
RayBaytheDinosaur GOLD, Hampton, South Carolina
18 articles 17 photos 159 comments

Favorite Quote:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Im a little OCD too and Katniss is 17 in this book xD but yeah anyways it was an AMAZING book i loved it and the whole series and I even wrote a poem about the first book called I Am The Hunger Games and I'd love some feedback if you have time =)

aj182 said...
on Oct. 27 2011 at 1:38 pm
I have read the hunger game series and i think you did a good job describing how intense-good the book was. I really like your quote "it left me hungry for more" i also like how you put your opinion into your review.

on Nov. 1 2010 at 9:16 am
Vanendra BRONZE, Blasdell, New York
1 article 76 photos 311 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I just sneezed and it hurt my pelvis.&quot;~Jasmine Omg<br /> &quot;A wise girl kisses but doesn&#039;t love&quot;~Marylin Monroe<br /> &quot;I didn&#039;t tell him nowhere where you live&quot; ~me ^-^<br /> &quot;I like the wolves on this textbook, they have very legs&quot; ~Jasmine Omg

definately a great book sereis

on Oct. 4 2010 at 12:13 pm
WillHug4Money GOLD, Florien, Louisiana
18 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nothing is stronger than gentleness, and nothing is so gentle as real strength.

the hunger games is awesome for me so far!! i just have one thing...you spelled capital wrong. in the book, it's spelled as CAPITOL. i'm just that ocd =P otherwise, great!!