The Hunger Games

Paperback copy of The Hunger Games

    They say a book is always better then the movie. In this case I wouldn't know. I've never seen this movie. I'm not one that really goes for the trendy movie crazes but I do keep up enough to know sort of what's popular. I may know the name of a book or movie but little else unless the movie makes it to TV or a friend has a movie night or a copy of the book somehow lands in my hands. That is what happened with this one....

    I design handmade jewelry and was showing it in my Grandfather's home town of Bayou La Batre, (think Forest Gump, yeah, that Bayou La Batre.) The booth beside me have a rack of "Free Books" Free Books? I have to ask if they really mean they are free! If so, some are coming home with me! I saw a copy of The Hunger Games sitting there. I thought about it a moment... I've heard it mentioned by my friends, I know there is a movie, I even saw a women reading it on a subway... free... why not?! I may get around to reading it one day. I grabbed it. That was about 6 months ago.

   I was packing for a long trip. I've hit a road block in my Star Wars EU adventure. I uncover my unread copy of The Hunger Games. Ok, that might be interesting to read so I take it.

    I start reading it on the road. It caught me from the very beginning. It didn't take long until I'm like, Hey, this IS a really good book! Now I understand why it was a big hit!

    The author created a very clever scenario of a future when "Reality TV" becomes too real. Where people are blood thirsty and find it entertaining. While this is set in the future in a place once call the USA, it's a very real past in World history. Violent blood thirsty entertainment. Think of the Gladiators of Rome... there is also the Inca and Aztec who sacrificed their children. As horrible as it sounds humans are capable of such Barbarism.

    Another thing that caught me with this book. Role reversal of gender stereotypes. (Wow... that sound very scholarly doesn't it?) But Katniss is written as what more stereotypically would be the male hero. Peeta is the one needing rescue. Think about what this book would look like if the genders had been reversed. (Thank you Suzanne Collins, Girl Power!)


   Collins also wonderful at creating very deep character. This above all makes the book. It's written in first person as it happens. I'm not crazy about the simplistic phrasing but the book is so good I just try and ignore it.

    At this point I'm experiencing book hangover! I know it's good when I finish then open it and read it over again... and again till my favorite scenes are burned to memory!