Hokie dokie, as I said before, I'll be reading weekly and talking about books as I complete them. However, seeing as this isn't the first week I've ever read a book, I'm going to also talk about books I have read, because some of the books I have read should also be read by you guys. ;P
Today I'm going to recommend a series that has actually been completed. Many of you have probably already read it. For those of you who haven't... say hello to:
The Hunger Games trilogy is a dystopian series written by the very gutsy writer Suzanne Collins. The easiest way to sum up the series? Gladiator meets the 31st Century.
Starting out, the story follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl living in the poorest district of the country Panem. Due to prior government revolt, the leaders of Panem (which used to be the U.S., as the reader later infers) ensure their power by, each year, showing just what they can do to the country's children. Each year, the government owned districts are expected to choose one boy and one girl, age 12 to 18, to compete in Panem's Hunger Games, and though they're called "games," they are far from it. The games, in reality, are a competition between the boys and girls of each district, a competition that, ultimately, is a battle to the death. When Katniss' sister, Prim, is chosen to be a competitor in the annual Hunger Games at only 12, Katniss, being the caring sister that she is, volunteers herself instead. Venturing off to face death, be it hers or one the 23 contesting others, Katniss must fight to survive. She must watch out for who she trusts. She must watch out for those she cares for. Most of all, however, she must watch out for herself.
This movie trailer wraps up the summary pretty nicely...
Thaaaat's right! There WILL be a movie. Now you HAVE to read it. After all, when it comes out, you don't want to be the only friend who doesn't know exactly what's going on. :)
This series, to me, deals with SOOOOO much. There's love, there's hate, there's war, there's anarchy, there's everything. BTW, the summary I gave? That's only like the first 80 pages of the first book. If I gave anything else away, well... it just wouldn't be fair. Let's just say, there's a lot of gore, there's a lot of death, but there's also a very well-thought-out triangle. ;P
When it comes to literary skill, triangles aside, Collins does an amazing job writing this story in a present tense first person, which I think is very bold. So many books out there are written in the past. The present makes everything fast-paced and immediate, doing the thrilling story wonders.
Death and oppression and revolt and mistrust are things that are prominent throughout the series. Though they seem heavy and at some times overwhelming, these themes are what really make Collins' story note-worthy. You want to cry for her characters. Sometimes, you want to throw the book across the room. Not only is the plot always twisting and moving and keeping the reader on the tip of their seat, the writing itself is top-notch.
So... getting down to the nitty gritty... what's the rating?
Fiction or literature?
25% Fiction, 75% Literature
Good or bad?
100% Good
This is a series that leaves you thinking months after the books are put down. Go out and buy it!
Till next time readers,
Alex
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