The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I sort of liked The Hunger Games – the effortless read; the way I knew the definition of every word in the book; the lack of thinking involved. Although the book was written for teens, it is enjoying universal popularity, not unlike the Harry Potter books/movies. I’m not sure what that says about us as a society – we love adventure at any age, or we dumb-down to relax. Just the fact that millions of teens are reading is a good thing.

For the three people out there who haven’t read The Hunger Games (yet), it’s about a future dystopic society in which the evil rulers hold an annual game pitting teens chosen by lottery from each geographic district, against teens from other districts for a fight to the death. The winner gets food for their family and to, well, you know, not be dead.

The main character is 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, whose name I love.  I found it refreshing that Collins  (pictured right) had a female heroine with two boyfriends, unlike the typical theme of a male hero with two women cat fighting over him.

Collins’ writing was, hmmm, I want to say, “good enough.” It didn’t make me want to recite passages, but it told the story well, and in some parts of the book was brilliantly descriptive, like her narrative about the costumes the contestants wore.

Of course the end is pretty predictable, but most of the story is interesting, exciting and compelling. I do recommend that you read The Hunger Games, just for fun; and if you need the relaxing benefits of more mindless entertainment, the trilogy, which includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Not that I’ve read them. I haven’t, and probably won’t.

I will, however, watch the movie, but only because the girl that plays the part of Katniss, Jennifer Lawrance (pictured left), was so wonderful in the Indy film, “Winter’s Bone.” I am always reticent to watch movies made from books I’ve read because they seem to disappoint me and not do the books justice. I somehow doubt that will be an issue with The Hunger Games.