Jumped on "The Hunger Games" Bandwagon

Jumped on "The Hunger Games" Bandwagon

I did it. I jumped on the Hunger Games bandwagon.  Many people have raved about the books and enjoyed the first movie.  But it was written for teenagers, and I am an adult.  The Harry Potter series I read with my girls when they were younger. The Twilight series was really just a romance novel that happened to have vampires and werewolves.  But this series of books, was clearly written for teenagers and I couldn't really come up with a viable reason to read them.  I was having a hard time jumping on the bandwagon.

To be honest, after seeing the The Hunger Games movie previews, I was fairly certain I had read the books, probably a long time ago.  My younger daughter really wanted to see the movie, so we went to see it sometime in April.  I found myself enjoying the movie, but I was confused.  I didn’t remember many of the parts and yet other parts seemed so familiar.

I thought from the previews that I had read the book, but after seeing the movie I was pretty sure I hadn’t read them or at the very least that I had forgotten a lot about them.  Throughout April and May, I finally found the time to read the trilogy of Hunger Games books and it turns out that I had NOT read the Hunger Games books. 

I had, however, read many books and short stories that were very similar in premise.  For instance, I have read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, The Running Man by Stephen King, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.  I definitely saw the influence from each of us these books and stories throughout the Hunger Games series of books, but I do believe the Hunger Games book series addresses a different spectrum of issues with incredibly well developed characters.

The Hunger Games trilogy of books was written for teenagers and it is actually a pretty easy read for adults who read regularly, but the subject matter was intense and thought provoking.  I was stunned by how much I actually enjoyed the books and the feelings that were invoked as I read them.  I was filled with laughter, tears, fear, triumph, horror, disgust and more as I progressed through the books.

Below is a short summary of each of the books:

Book #1: The Hunger Games

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Book #2: Catching Fire

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol-- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

 In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn

Book #3: Mockingjay

The Hunger Games are over and the real revolution begins.  Katniss has grown from the girl who caught fire to the Mockingjay, symbol of the revolution and inspiration for those who have lost hope. Katniss has survived, but her home has been destroyed, Peeta has been captured by the Capitol, and District 13 exists.

In this book, Katniss must face herself and her choices and decide what is most important to her.  The success of the rebellion plotted by the leaders of District 13 hinges upon Katniss allowing herself to be used as a pawn in shaping the future of the innocent people in all of the districts.

In Mockingjay, the third novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins forces Katniss to decide who she loves and what matters in life.Like the two previous books, this book is a page turner, but this one is more intellectual emotional conflict as the Districts unite to try to overthrough the Capital.

Conclusion:

I consider reading to be an incredible inspiration. I definitely found the Hunger Games trilogy to be inspirational, albeit in a slightly dark and depressing way.  I think people should read these books, just to make sure we learn from them and don't allow our future to be too similar to the one depicted in the books.  I think one of the most disturbing things about the books to me was how easy it was to make parallel connections between our society today and the post apocalyptic world described in the books.  

I certainly recommend The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins for adults to read as well as teenagers.  I actually recommend buying or borrowing all three at the same time, they are genuine page turners and the conclusions of the first two books certainly left me wanting more.  

For parents who are cautious about what they allow their teenagers to read, you should be aware that these books are very graphic, but they also address the roles of government and the effects of severe poverty, oppression, and war on a society that has been rebuilt after an apocalypse.