Sunday, March 4, 2012

I'm Really Glad I Don't Live on Panem

That being, as all of you Hunger Games fans know, the fictional, futuristic world where the novel takes place. It is the land which North America will become, and consists of a thriving "Capitol" surrounded by 12 Districts. There were 13, but the Capitol destroyed the 13th to remind the inhabitants of Panem not to rebel lest the same fate befall their homes. The story is told by a teenage girl from District 12, Katniss, a strong female lead who, after her father's death, takes responsibility for her sister and her mother by hunting for food in the forbidden forest which lies outside of District 12's borders. She seems hardened by her clearly difficult life, and unable to relate and connect with anyone else save her hunting partner, a teenage boy named Gale.

The authority figures of this futuristic world do some pretty messed up stuff to keep the residents of the districts in their place and remind them not to rebel. The most messed up thing which also happens to be the plot for this book, is called the Hunger Games. This is a televised event where a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are chosen at random in a ceremony called the reaping and are then placed in an outdoor arena and forced to fight to the death. Hm, interesting storyine for a young adult series. Of course, our dear narrator Katniss is the girl representative for her district. The rest of the novel is about her experience in the arena, and the relationship which she forms with the male representative, Peeta (which only makes me think of Greek pita chips whenever I read his name).

I cannot even tell you how many people told me that I "have to read this book" and that once I start, I would finish it within a few days tops. Maybe the fact that people told me that is the reason that I did, indeed, read it from cover to cover in three days. I do not know how to describe it- this book is addicting. I spent hours in the dead of night when I really could have used sleep poring over this book. Suzanne Collins, the author, is a master at storytelling, and the words flow so easily- probably why people tend to finish it quickly. That, and it is extremely enthralling and addictive- it is the heroin of young adult novels.

I was conflicted about a few things in this book, one being Katniss, the main character. I like that she is a strong female lead- teenage girls need that especially if they have read the Twilight series in which the main girl whose name I cannot even remember is as passive as they come. I am not sure if it is a good idea or not that the novel is told from her perspective. This fact along with there being three novels in the series pretty much ensure the audience that Katniss is never really in danger while she is in the Hunger Games. I also am extremely peeved about the way she treats Peeta. I don't want to give anything away, so if anyone has read it we can discuss my thoughts on this later. Despite these small irritants, I really do recommend this book. I am moving on to the second one today.

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