Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I reviewed The Hunger Games recently in the Utica Observer-Dispatch:

“Suzanne Collins, known for her series The Underland Chronicles, stuns with her first work written for teens.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives in the 12th District of Panem, a harsh dystopian nation which rose from the ashes of North America. Voluntarily taking the place of her younger sister, Katniss must take part in the Hunger Games, an annual televised competition among twenty-four teen representatives of the Districts of Panem. The winner gains food, wealth and supplies for their District; the losers die.

Combining social commentary, a strong heroine, fantastic writing, and a sci-fi action movie plot, Collins has created one of the most compulsively readable novels of the year. Gripping and fast-paced, The Hunger Games will have you eagerly awaiting September 2009 when Catching Fire, the next installment in what is a planned trilogy, is published.”

I was blown away by this book.  My only regret was that I read it when I did, without the sequels in hand to continue the story. It is with some trepidation, however, that I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.  The plot could easily delve into the familiar, the “teens fight against dystopian society,” seen elsewhere in Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies trilogy.  My gut feeling, though, is that Collins has some great things planned, what with the surprising twists and turns found in the first novel.

As I read, I completely envisioned the book as a movie, and lo and behold, Lionsgate has acquired the rights for distribution and Collins is working on the screenplay. Fantastic!  Now, if they really work on some cool cinematography, working the “reality TV” angle and the idea of cameras everywhere, recording everything, this will be awesome.  I see it as not only an action-packed scifi movie, but also potentially experimetal visually.  Let’s hope.  Check out the Scholastic site for the novel. I like what they are doing visually and conceptually to promote the book.

Read the book, and I know you will be looking forward to seeing Katniss and The Hunger Games on the big screen as much as I am.