Well I’ve managed to get a lot of reading in again, and in the last four days I have been able to saunter through all three books of the Hunger Games series. America’s answer to Battle Royale, the Hunger Games are set in a future in which the world pretty much obliterated itself with nuclear weapons, but in which a remnant survived and have built a society in what was North America (surprise, surprise :-P). This society, 13 Districts and a governing Capitol, wound up warring amongst themselves, with the Capitol regaining control (including destroying the 13th District) and going on to rule with an iron fist. Part of their rule, as both a punishment for the uprising and a deterrent for future thoughts of the same, the Capitol run yearly ‘Hunger Games’ in which two ‘tributes’ aged between 11 and 18 are chosen by chance from each of the 12 remaining Districts, a boy and a girl, and are pitted against each other in a large arena to fight to the death – there can be only one victor. The series follows 16 year old Katniss Everdeen, as she winds up (as I’m sure you can guess, so this isn’t really much of a spoiler) as one of the tributes for her district.
The premise may sound gruesome but I can tell you it is a really compelling read, full of twists and intrigue. It’s one of those books in which at least every other chapter ends with a sentence that means you find yourself having to carry on into the next chapter (hence getting through all three books in a number of days I can count on one hand). As with many trilogies the first book could stand alone but there’ll be a part of you expecting more, and then of course the second leaves you needing to read the third. The series has become a favourite amongst a number on our squad and despite saying that I would read it last month (when I was with a large number who love the series), it’s been this month that I’ve gotten round to it. (This month I’ve said I want to be taught how to use Photoshop, so I’m wondering if I’ll end up figuring that out next month instead :-P)
The series has a vast setting, merging picturesque-sounding scenery with the use of futuristic buildings & technology and the characters are relatable – you come to long to know what has happened or is happening to them. Asides the fact that this is set in an alternate future in a hopefully-never-to-happen situation, the choices characters make and the outcomes to their decisions is largely believable – this is not an everything-is-going-to-end-up-perfect kind of story. I won’t say more than that other than to suggest you read them if you have some free time.
I’ve read a number of books on spirituality that I have recommended on this blog, but I can say that this is a good series you should pick up if you’re looking for something to read – at the least go and see the film when it comes out in March, a whole bunch of us will be 🙂
