Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 374
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
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The Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and younger sister, Prim. Every year, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games—a televised survival competition where only one person can survive and win, securing wealth and status for life. When Prim’s name is drawn, Katniss doesn’t hesitate for a second—she volunteers to take her sister’s place.
Review
Back in 2008, I was at a train station on my way to shoot a music video. While waiting, I wandered into a bookstore—one of those you often find at train stations in the Netherlands—and picked up the first book in The Hunger Games series. Funny enough, I never actually read it, though it’s still sitting on my shelf.
A week ago, I read about the new Hunger Games sequel coming out, and that’s when I decided it was finally time to read all the books.
Of course, I’ve watched all the movies (except The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and I love them. I already knew a lot about the story, but books often have more details than their adaptations. This was the first time I felt a movie stayed so true to the book. Naturally, the book offers more insight—like deeper explanations about mockingjays and tracker jackers—which I really enjoyed.
My feelings about the story haven’t changed. I still love Katniss and most of the characters. Rue’s death was just as heartbreaking as ever—it gets me every single time. She was one of my favorites in both the book and the movie. And yes, I’m still shipping Katniss and Peeta.
When I first bought The Hunger Games, I remember reading a few pages in Dutch but not liking the writing style, so I stopped. This time, I read the English version, and I actually enjoyed Suzanne Collins’ writing. That’s why I prefer reading in English—translations are fine, but nothing beats the original.
The story never gets boring for a single second. It’s packed with action, and the writing style makes it impossible to put down. I’ve always been a fan of stories like this. At one point, I was obsessed with Divergent, The Maze Runner, The 5th Wave, and of course, The Hunger Games. Even years later, these books are still just as exciting.
I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the newest book, The Sunrise on the Reaping.