The Hunger Games 
Suzanne Collins

My rating:      

The movie comes out later this month, so my curiosity got the better of me, and I jumped on the bandwagon to read the novel. Often, my views are in the minority, but I found Hunger Games to be horrific. Despite my complete disdain, I gave this two stars solely because Collins kept me wondering how the story would unfold.  


I enjoy dystopian novels. A good novel has the ability to reflect and connect with a cautionary tale for our current society. Collins is certainly no Kafka, Golding or Bradbury. I find the complete lack of humanity in this book appalling.


In a nutshell: 24 youths (2 per district), ages 12-18 are randomly selected as tributes in the annual Hunger Games. The idea is that this pageantry will remind the citizens of Panem (ruins of N America) about their vicious past and how they are powerless. After a few days of pointless coaching and strategies, the youth will be released into a wilderness arena and fight to the death while the citizens of Panem watch at home.


Collins establishes the stark contract where the citizens of the Capitol live in opulence, while the people of the 12 districts regularly starve to death. Katniss is everything we want from a heroine. She offers herself as tribute in place of her sister, she is self reliant and strong willed.


What troubles me most about this novel is the absolute acceptance of this horrific world. The 74th annual Hunger Games are done with such pageantry, literally there's even a beauty pageant/fashion runway involved as the citizens of Panem are introduced to their contestants. Everyone watches with delight to see how the contestants will hunt each other and savagely kill until only one remains. There is zero value placed on human life. Yes it is a kill or be killed world, and Katniss knows that to stay alive 23 others must die.


The morality of this world is never called into question. With the exception of two people, Katniss dehumanizes the contestants. She creates names for them like "Foxface" or just refers to them by gender and or district. She acknowledges the cruel nature of the game and wants to "show the Capitol they don't own me." I really wanted Katniss to make a larger condemnation on society. She tells herself that it's okay that she can't save others. Even her big social statement is self centered.


While orchestrating the deaths of fellow tributes, Katniss muses about two boys and their possible affections for her. One is her dreamy hunting partner back home, while the other is the fellow tribute from her district. The fellow tribute from District 12 may be genuinely in love with her, or it might just be a ratings ploy to gain sympathy and support from potential sponsors. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that gem.  There is corporate sponsorship for the killfest, which is very dystopian and I didn't mind this fact . The boy crazed aspect of Katniss is painful to read, which makes me angry at Suzanne Collins. How dare you take this dystopian world and turn the heroine into a trite 16 year old who dreams about the feelings of boys while battling to live another day.


This world is so sick and twisted that I'm disgusted. I don't know if I can handle two more books. I hope that there is some type of redemption, because the lack of humanity is deplorable. I find the popularity of these novels confusing, and just makes me sad.