The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

[ComicChick]

The Hunger Games (2008) is a young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published in hardcover on September 14, 2008 by Scholastic.

It is the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy. It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once stood. This is where a powerful government working in a central city called the Capitol holds power. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl from each district to fight to the death. The Hunger Games exist to demonstrate not even children are above the Capitol's power.

The Hunger Games takes place in an unidentified future time period after the destruction of North America, in a nation known as Panem. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. It is stated that District 12 is located in the coal-rich region "Appalachia", referring to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States and Canada.

The books are:
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay

[ComicChick]

Amazon currently has the hardcover boxset on sale for $27.92, regular price 53.97

http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Trilogy...=12YDEMYW0VAQO

[Hush]

That's a ****ing great deal. I absolutely love these books and feel that Katniss is a great well thought out character. This series is very much adult in tone but you can really relate with the characters on a younger more basic level as far as emotions and what decisions the characters make.

[ComicChick]

totally agree. i can't even chime into all the casting choices and rumors cuz i can't decide who i want to portray her.

[Hush]

Unknown is the way to go. What did you think of the ending? I was kinda mad that certain characters passed and such, the pseudo epilogue kinda had me go huh? Really?

[ComicChick]

Originally Posted by Hush

Unknown is the way to go. What did you think of the ending? I was kinda mad that certain characters passed and such, the pseudo epilogue kinda had me go huh? Really?

the ending wasn't my favorite, but then again i kinda never wanted it to end. the epilogue wasn't my favorite

i really didn't want

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

finnick to die

[Hush]

Me too and the thing is as I read the book his death felt cheap. I hope the adpation changes that. Are me and you really the only two people who have read these on Hype? haha.

[ComicChick]

no, just the only ones who have posted haha

[Hush]

Well I guess that makes sense. Favorite character of the series? Katniss withheld.

[Crockett]

I've only read the first one, right now I got other books to read but I'm going to finish the series one day.

[Hush]

What did you think of the first one Crockett?

[Crockett]

It was ok, it's not often you'll find a good girl protagonist in a book so kudos to Suzanne. The pacing seems off toward the end since the romance seems to drag a bit but overall I like it enough that I'll finish the series one day but right now I'm in no hurry.

[ComicChick]

Originally Posted by Hush

Well I guess that makes sense. Favorite character of the series? Katniss withheld.

Cinna is definitely up there

[Hush]

Originally Posted by ComicChick

Cinna is definitely up there

Tim Gunn for Cinna or is it Portia, have a hard time seperating those two. I like Finnick the most.

[flash13]

Finnick is pretty awesome. It's hard to top him

[ComicChick]

but i think if he's cast as good looking as he is written a lot of gals will want to

[ComicChick]

with the movies in the works, and so many reading the series now, bumping this for those who want to discuss the books separately from the movie

[Silvermoon]

I know I'm bumping kind of an old post... but I just finished reading Catching Fire... Katniss is going to end up with Peeta by the end of Mockingjay, isn't she?

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Normally I'm good with what the author opts to go with, Harry & Ginny/Ron & Hermione, Bella & Edward, etc...) - but if she ends up with Peeta... well, I think I may finally know how Team Jacob feels. Granted, I haven't read Mockingjay yet, but Gale has been there for her pretty much since the beginning. Peeta it took being forced into a death match and then dropped the bomb for her on a national broadcast without having the guts to talk to her about it beforehand. And okay, maybe I'm also letting the casting of one of the Hemsworth men as Gale influence me as well...but, I don't know, I just like Gale more than Peeta (even though we haven't seen as much of Gale). If she does end up with Peeta, I won't say the author got it 'wrong' - because it's her story, she can write it how she wants - but I personally won't care for it and I think it might be the difference for me between loving the series and just 'liking' the series.

Okay, rambling done... as soon as I get home from work, I'll start Mockingjay.

[flash13]

If you still like Gale after Mockingjay I'll be surprised.

[KevanG]

So read these to see what all the fuss was about. It had a vaguely interesting (and familiar) premise. Read the series. Don't see what the big deal is. When I read the series my impression was Running man (Stephen King version, not the Arnie movie) meets The Lottery by Shirley Jackson.

My opinion (might be spoilers, read it awhile ago so some details might be muddled)

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

The government is a dick to everyone and murders the children because... they can. That's it? They have tech far beyond our own, able to regrow skin and body parts without too much effort and are able to do genetic modifications like party tricks. They have enough power to run the capital with all it's extravagances for decades without a drop off and other districts use coal? It's not even an issue of distribution as they have that electric fence around the district (It's normally off but the point stands).

The government literally makes every effort to piss off it's people and force them to rebel. It just irritates me that the reasons behind the main conflict are poor. The ending in the third book was unexpected though, I'll give it that and was well done.

All in all Rating: Meh. Not crazy about it but decent anyway.

[ComicChick]

the districts are poor because the capital runs them dry. they live in squalor while the capital is all about abundance and extravagance.

[Silvermoon]

Originally Posted by flash13

If you still like Gale after Mockingjay I'll be surprised.

Finished Mockingjay. News flash: I still like Gale.

No idea if this is going to make sense... apologies if it doesn't

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

While I am still bummed that she didn't chose Gale, if SC had simply written it all better, I might be able to live with it, and be okay with her being with Peeta. It's the fact that the way she wrote it felt so contrived like she suddenly remembered she has this love triangle that she needs to close off and so she kills off Prim by what appears to be a bomb that Gale designed and figures "oh good, the fans will now hate Gale. Katniss can go off and be happy with Peeta!". It felt like a cop out way to do it, IMO, and the actions prior to that just don't seem to gel with it, for me. Gale constantly had her back, he refused to try anything romantic w/her in D13 because she was still so messed up and he didn't want to take advantage of her, he's the first person to volunteer to rescue Peeta. When Gale confronts Katniss about going after Snow, he doesn't turn her in, but says that he's going with her - no discussion.

The third book in general felt like a mess, it's like SC couldn't decide what she wanted until the end where she clearly wanted Katniss with Peeta - and the way she did it, Katniss didn't really make the decision herself. She kind of ended up with Peeta by default.

It just...ugh... I liked the first book, second was okay... severely disappointed by the third (again, it's not JUST because she didn't end up with Gale, it's how it was done and how Gale was kind of just written off... if she really didn't want Katniss to be with him, I think I'd be happier if she had just killed him off rather than have this contrived wedge)

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Silvermoon

Finished Mockingjay. News flash: I still like Gale.

No idea if this is going to make sense... apologies if it doesn't

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

While I am still bummed that she didn't chose Gale, if SC had simply written it all better, I might be able to live with it, and be okay with her being with Peeta. It's the fact that the way she wrote it felt so contrived like she suddenly remembered she has this love triangle that she needs to close off and so she kills off Prim by what appears to be a bomb that Gale designed and figures "oh good, the fans will now hate Gale. Katniss can go off and be happy with Peeta!". It felt like a cop out way to do it, IMO, and the actions prior to that just don't seem to gel with it, for me. Gale constantly had her back, he refused to try anything romantic w/her in D13 because she was still so messed up and he didn't want to take advantage of her, he's the first person to volunteer to rescue Peeta. When Gale confronts Katniss about going after Snow, he doesn't turn her in, but says that he's going with her - no discussion.

The third book in general felt like a mess, it's like SC couldn't decide what she wanted until the end where she clearly wanted Katniss with Peeta - and the way she did it, Katniss didn't really make the decision herself. She kind of ended up with Peeta by default.

It just...ugh... I liked the first book, second was okay... severely disappointed by the third (again, it's not JUST because she didn't end up with Gale, it's how it was done and how Gale was kind of just written off... if she really didn't want Katniss to be with him, I think I'd be happier if she had just killed him off rather than have this contrived wedge)

I actually just read these on the recommendation of a friend. Being as they were quick and easy reads, I was able to get through the trilogy in a day. I have some thoughts on this:

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

I honestly feel like the best ending would have been Katniss ending up alone and broken like Haymitch. It is exactly what she deserved.

That being said, I feel like Peeta was the better man. He deserved Katniss more than Gale. Gale was her friend and a good friend. That much is true and I don't really hate Gale (even after book 3), but like Katniss, Gale always put himself and his rage toward the Capitol first. His inability to let go of his hatred, to keep it from morphing him into the type of person whom he was fighting, ultimately cost him any future that he could have with Katniss. Plus, like Katniss, he was too stubborn. He never owned what he did, he never attempted to make amends. Instead he just left. He was just too stubborn to let go of his rage and admit that use of such tactics is inherently wrong.

With Peeta, it was always about Katniss. Everything he did was for Katniss. No matter how badly she treated him, he still put her first. Katniss needed someone like Peeta. Katniss is bleak and pessimistic.....she needs someone calm and optimistic, someone who can get her to let go of her anger, rather than encourage it as Gale would (which is exactly what Peeta did when he attempted to soothe her nightmares).

Plus I like that they wound up together because it kind of plays against type. Peeta is the exact type of literary character who should have died to save Katniss, opening the door for her and Gale. I was waiting for it. Instead she winds up with him.

That being said, I don't like how it happened. There was no realization of love for Peeta. There was no determination that he was perfect for her. Instead, she did exactly what Gale predicted that she would do. She went for the guy who she could not survive without. Katniss had isolated herself from the outside world, she suffered from extreme PTSD. She likely would've wound up like Haymitch (or perhaps worse)....until Peeta shows up. He basically becomes her nurse at which point she just kind of accepts being with him. Peeta loves her so much that it doesn't matter, but in the end, their relationship equates to her continuing to use him.

Instead, I feel like Katniss should've been left to herself. She needed to learn to deal with the trauma that she suffered and continue on rather than simply rely on Peeta or Gale to make it all better.

That being said, in essence, I really like where it all ended, Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch, together again, in District 12. Three broken people who are always the survivors....they have lost everyone else but each other and through that they have essentially become one another's families. I just don't like how Collins reached that point. With the build up that Collins gave, Katniss should've been alone rather than just being dependent on Peeta. I would've preferred a different build up that allowed Katniss to reach the point where the story ended in a more suitable manner. I would've preferred an ending where Katniss learns to survive and cope with what she has experienced and finally realizes her love for Peeta as equals (rather than the boy whom she depends upon or must protect) instead of simply continuing her cycle of using him.

I do feel like Mockingjay shows Collins continued weakness as a writer....she is terrible at doing the falling action. Once the climax hits, it just kinda ends. Katniss kills Coin, accepts responsibility for her role in the suffering and tries to make the world better....five pages later it is over. Same in Catching Fire, Katniss blows up the forcefield....five pages later it is over. There are so many loose ends. What about Plutarch's role in Prim's death? What about Johanna? Why did Gale never say goodbye (and how did that affect Katniss)? What became of Effie? What was the new government like? Did life improve for those in the Districts? These are questions that all should've been answered.

Even her handling of the war seemed far too abrupt. The Capitol was supposed to be an all powerful and all oppressive regime. But basically, Katniss agrees to be the Mockingjay, the Capitol retaliates once with some ineffective bombs that ultimately do nothing, then they fall. Everything just felt too easy. I would've liked more hardship and struggling....a proper war if you will. In Collins' writing, everything always just....falls together it seems.

That said, I really did enjoy the books. But I feel like they do have some weaknesses. Overall, I would rate the series 7/10.