First of all, if you haven't read them, do yourself a favor and go get yourself a copy of The Hunger Games. Go ahead. My blog will still be here when you get back, and it will make a lot more sense after you've read the first book. Do it.
I was very resistant to this series. I've been burned by recommendations before. It didn't matter how many people said "this series is AMAZING," I was hesitant. I didn't want to read these books and be like yeah, sure those were great, really. I resisted until the first book was in my hands, and I had few other options for entertainment.
I was hooked by the first chapter. Those of you who know me well might find this surprising. One of the first things our main character talks about is how she wishes to kill a cat. I, meanwhile, have a facebook for one cat, and recently rescued a tiny kitten. If there's anything that's likely to turn me against a character, it's cruelty to animals. I'm not alone in this, if the online reaction to Game of Thrones is any indication.
But the thing about these books, and one of the things that truly endears me to them, is that Collins isn't afraid to go dark. People die. Good people. Characters you grow to love will not survive the series, and many who do survive are not the same as they were when you started.
In a lot of books, I feel cheated. I feel that while the stakes are high, they never reach their full potential.
The Hunger Games trilogy manages to surpass that potential, and gives readers a tragic, and oddly beautiful story.
The characters are true to themselves, sometimes painfully so. There are times when I wasn't sure if I wanted to slap Katniss, or give her a hug. But her decisions all made sense within her personality, and as a character she never strayed for the sake of plot. Collins wasn't afraid to make her lead character unlikeable, something I admire in an author.
Have you read the first book yet?
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