Turn of the Page: 'The Hunger Games'

by Natalie Kirton, Elizabeth Ostrem and Kayla Werner

In anticipation of the upcoming movie rendition hitting theaters on March 23, people are hungrily reading “The Hunger Games” written by Suzanne Collins.  It is the first book in a triology that continues with “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay.”

This book is set in the future, in the ruins of what was America. The land is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. The Capitol is the government of Panem, the country that replaced America. 

In punishment for a past war, every year the Capitol forces tributes to perform in the Hunger Games. The tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district, are sent to an arena to fight to the death while on live television. “The Hunger Games” follows Katniss Everdeen, through her shock of being chosen as tribute and her trials in the arena. 

Liz:

The first time I read “The Hunger Games,” I was more than a bit under-whelmed. Part of that was due to Katniss, the main character and narrator of the book, being, to put it bluntly, hard to like or feel any connection to. She was always suspicious of everything and, though that sometimes served to help her in the arena, it got on my nerves at times. 

The second time through, for whatever reason, left a better impression on me, though I still can’t say I feel any affinity toward Katniss.

The characters in the book aren’t as memorable to me as those in other novels, but the plot was definitely appealing. The arena reminded me of the great Roman Colesseum: different environments would be fabricated to recreate scenes, and even animals were brought in for the audience’s amusement. Sparring gladiators, along with the occasional execution, were also popular entertainment.

Although it wasn’t my favorite, “The Hunger Games” is a good book to check out if you have some spare time. Unless you plan on seeing the movie first, of course.

Kayla:

From the beginning, I couldn’t put this book down. The intensity doesn’t start up right away, but when it does, you don’t want to stop reading it. All of the attention to little details and describing the personalities of each character so vividly makes it a very interesting read. 

Once the games begin, the story picks up the intensity. Everyone had a plan. Whether it was fighting off everyone to get to the supplies they needed or running to find a good place to hide before the stronger tributes began their hunting, everyone knew what they were going to do. The action continued throughout the book but had some really touching moments in the mix.

This is one book that I really enjoyed reading. I couldn’t wait to finish and start the second book, “Catching Fire”. I could definitely read the book multiple times and still enjoy it.