Bibliographic Citation: Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.
Plot Summary:
In the “The Hunger Games” you meet a sixteen year old girl named Katniss, who lives in a futuristic dystopian society. Katniss and her family live in District 12 and she is the bread winner of her family. District 12 is part of Panem, and each year two children, a boy and a girl, are chosen to be a part of the Hunger Games. After Katniss’ little sister, Prim, is chosen as one of the participants in the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers herself instead. Katniss and and a boy named Peeta, then have to compete in the Hunger Games against 22 other participants from the other districts. The objective of the game is to be the last person alive, no matter what it takes. The game makers make sure to create different obstacles for each person, coming up with wild ideas of how people can kill each other off, such as by placing all the materials for the participants in the middle of a cornucopia, where participants must fight and kill for food, weapons, and other items needed to survive in the Hunger Games. Somehow, Katniss and Peeta manage to be the last two participants in the games, and Katniss comes up with a genius idea, they will both kill themselves because they are “in love” and can’t live without each other. When the producers of the games see this, they stop the games and declare both of them winners or tributes as they are called. So, for the first time ever there are two tributes in the Hunger Games.
My Impressions of the Book:
One of the best books I have read this semester! I could not put this book down, I just had to continue reading to see what would happen next. I can't imagine how Collins came up with such a horrid novel, I mean a game of survival, killing people off, that is pretty gruesome. Yet, it was a good read and I loved the twist at the end of the novel, with Katniss and Peeta planning to kill themselves, genious! This book was a different read than the rest of the YA literature and I think that is why the book is so popular, it is not your typical YA literatgure read. I loved this book so much, that I had to squeeze in time to read the 2nd book in my leisure time.
Review(s) About the Book:
Amazon.com
From Booklist
*Starred Review* This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12. --Francisca Goldsmith --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Barnes & Nobles Editorials Review
The New York Times - John Green
brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced…a futuristic novel every bit as good and as allegorically rich as Scott Westerfeld's Uglies books…the considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins's convincingly detailed world-building and her memorably complex and fascinating heroine. In fact, by not calling attention to itself, the text disappears in the way a good font does: nothing stands between Katniss and the reader, between Panem and America. This makes for an exhilarating narrative and a future we can fear and believe in, but it also allows us to see the similarities between Katniss's world and ours.Use in Library Setting:
This book could be displayed in a Most Popular books display. I would display it with the other 2 books that come after it. This book would also be great for a teens book club, because great discussion could arise from reading this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment