The Hunger Games

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press (2008). ISBN 978-0-4390-2348-1

Plot Summary

                Every year the residents of Panem put forth one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts to compete in a fight to the death – The Hunger Games.  This serves as a reminder of what rebellion causes and keeps the people from rising up against the Capitol.  Katniss Everdeen lives in the poorest district of all.  She has a younger sister who just turned old enough to be put into the raffle for The Games.  Of course, her name is chosen and Katniss won’t let her sister be sent, basically, to the slaughter so she volunteers to go in her place.  This takes Katniss, along with the male tribute Peeta, to the Capital to prepare for battle.  After a series of interviews (in which Peeta admits that he has feelings for Katniss) and tests that help them find sponsors, Peeta and Katniss are thrust into the arena.

                Once there, tributes start dying quickly and Katniss goes off by herself.  Eventually circumstances change and Katniss finds Peeta wounded and they hide out in a cave.  This is where Katniss saves Peeta’s life and they kiss for the first time.  An announcement is made that there may be two winners if they are from the same district.  After a terrifying attack by dogs that look the dead tributes and various other calamities, only Katniss and Peeta remain.  This is when the creators of The Games renege on their rules and say there may only be one winner – forcing one to kill the other.  Katniss comes up with a plan to eat deadly berries at the same time as Peeta, thus destroying their Games and making her own rules.   Peeta and Katniss are both crowned winners but the problems are only just starting.

Critical Evaluation

                The Hunger Games are expertly written.  The book is face paced with in your face action and descriptions all along the way.  The Capitol is presented as being a terribly lavish place where frivolity is celebrated and money is no object.  This, in contrast with Katniss’ District 12, is astonishing.  They live in basic squalor.  They are able to get food to live only if they add their name over and over to the tribute bowl.  This is a disturbing commentary on the distribution, or lack thereof, of wealth in Panem. 

                But besides that underlying theme, it is hard to say that I love this book.  The basic idea of forcing teenagers to kill each other every year (meaning 23 young people die each year) produces such a visceral reaction in me.  It’s not only that they sequester them in an arena, but they create forest fires to burn them, there are killer animals and insects everywhere, some of the food provided is poisonous.  The torture is never ending.  The joy that the creators of The Games get out of it doesn’t sit well with this reader.  But if one is going to write a story on this topic, this is how you write it.  No matter the subject matter, Collins writes well and has created an amazing world for readers to visit.

Reader’s Annotation

This is the story of a girl who was on fire, of a girl who becomes the face of a rebellion, of a girl that changes the world.

Author’s Information

Suzanne Collins was a TV writer before she began to write books.  She was the daughter of an Air Force Officer and his experiences in the war gave her the general idea for The Hunger Games.  See her and her books here: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/.

Genre

Sci-Fi

Book Talking Ideas

An arena filled with 24 teenagers and only one will come out is enough to get any teenagers attention.  Katniss is a strong main character, one that girls can look up.  The love story is understated, so that keeps this book interesting to boys too. 

Reading Level/Interest

12/15

Challenge Issues

The challenge list of this book will be a mile long, I would think.  While I don’t think it should be banned, I do think that only those who are age appropriate should be reading it.  Perhaps my hesitant stance on the book will help challengers to relate to me and give me a chance to explain why it needs to remain on the shelf in the YA section.

Why Include This Title?

The Hunger Games started the new craze towards dystopian novels.  I think it is important to mark where these trends start and with what books.  This book is extremely controversial and popular so it is included here.