The Hunger Games

Webber reviewed this book several months ago, and until he did so I had never heard about it. But within the same week I saw my mother, a middle school assistant principal, reading her own copy. When I asked her how she liked it, she said she didn't at all; apparently, the concept of teenagers killing one another hit a little too close to home for her as she dealt with pedantic middle school things like hit lists and bomb threats on an almost monthly basis. So she gave me her copy and I spent the last few days reading it. And I liked it. I liked it a lot. This may be a story about teens, with a teenage reading level, but never once did I feel embarrassed or immature for reading it. I'd go so far as to say it compares to the Harry Potter books in terms of its ability to resonate with all age groups in a timeless way. Here's just a little bit of background information about the story. It's set in a futuristic dictatorship in which all of North America is ruled by "the Capitol," a group or organization of people who rule and oppress the people with totalitarian authority. Details are scarce - what caused this situation? what has happened to the rest of the world? - but the important thing is that the Capitol holds an event called the "Hunger Games" every year in which a teenage boy and girl from each of the twelve districts the continent has been divided into must meet up for a nationally televised death match. I won't spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that the plot twists and turns in a predictable but still intriguing way. The ending seemed a bit weak, but that's fine; the book is the first in a trilogy. The second book, Catching Fire, awaits me on my bookshelf as my most recent purchase, and the third, titled Mockingjay, comes out in a few weeks. I definitely stand with Webber and agree that the series (so far) has been enjoyable and worth reading. You can probably expect to see both sequels turn up right here on Back-Blogged before the month is over.