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The sudden spark of popularity that's struck The Hunger Games isn't unexpected. With the
approach of the movie on the horizon, a good number of people are flocking to their local
bookstores to send copies of The Hunger Games flying off the shelves, whether for a desire to
know what to expect when they see the movie, or to be caught up on their best seller reads. Either
way, those who are picking up The Hunger Games before seeing the film may want to prepare
themselves for a plunge into a darker world than say, the magical grounds of Hogwarts or the
pensive, cloudy world of Forks, Washington. The Hunger Games is a surprisingly pessimistic read
given its intended audience; though that isn't to say readers won't be taken for a thrill ride through
a world teemed with violence that's needed all around just to survive.
We are taken to a disastrous future scenario where North America has been eroded into what is
now known as the nation of Panem; a country constructed of twelve poor districts and their
flourishing Capitol. Every year, the districts are forced by the government to send in a pair of kids
to compete in the Hunger Games, a competition that forces all their young competitors to turn on
and kill one another until only one victor remains standing. Katniss Everdeen, at sixteen years old,
steps up to replace her twelve year old sister when she's selected to take part in the games.
From there, the narrative is wrought with twists and turns that wrench Katniss from her coal mining
district where starvation is commonplace to a world of voyeuristic onlookers, who expect nothing
more than entertainment as they watch her die alongside her fellow tributes. She has next to no
one to turn to, save for the drunken past victor of the games, Haymitch Abernathy. It also doesn't
help that for sponsors, she's being forced to uphold the act of a tragic romance alongside a
kindhearted boy by the name of Peeta Mellark. And it's an act that seems to become more and
more compelling even for her, as she's forced to weigh human emotions against a need to survive,
and layers of the heart against a controlled, cruel reality.
The Hunger Games is quite an unfeasible story, most would think. But then some of the things that
we act upon in society today are unthinkable. The book makes a blunt statement on the
voyeuristic inclinations of human nature; we see it all the time, people want to see violence, people
want to see other people on reality shows be miserable, people want to see other people fail as a
whole. Humans are wrought with nasty competitive streaks that are, oftentimes, only fulfilled by
dehumanizing others to any extent to feel complete.
Given this, and the fact that we once relied on violence for entertainment (as history will tell you),
somewhere in the back of my mind is the cynical thought that The Hunger Games could possibly
happen at some point in the future. It's a depressing notion, but as ridiculous as most people think
it is, as an extensive metaphor it fits right in with the perverse way of human thought. That's the
surprisingly dark part about this book that drew me in and kept me reading. While a good number
of people will be roped in by the weapon slinging violence, the sci-fi concepts, maybe even the
romance, not many of us are willing to admit that metaphorically, the Capitol is us. Maybe not
literally, but in some ways, to a very real extent we are capable of being just as sadistic as the
onlookers within these pages.
I think that's what makes The Hunger Games stand out, even despite a few of its logical flaws as
well as instances of vague worldbuilding that leave the world of Panem, at best, to the imagination
of the readers. This kind of foggy writing works well enough for the intended demographic
however, and its fast pace that makes it hard to put down renders these things mostly forgivable.
The character of Katniss Everdeen, who has already been forced into survival situations someone
so young shouldn't have to face, has to develop a line between her emotional reserves and the
cruel fact that she was sent into an arena to die. She's a likable heroine for her situation and flaws.
Suzanne Collins brings us a dreary world that cries for death and blood in the first book of a
promising trilogy. An action packed read built of suspense and substantial thought on what it is to
see right and wrong in human nature, one that I couldn't put down until I hit the last page. Sure, it
may not be perfect, but this is definitely a book you'll want to pick up before the movie comes out.
The action and effects may play out well enough on a silver screen, it won't quite put you in the
center of the action as the actual book itself.
About the Author
Zri Kolsen is an up and coming writer who has tried all assortments of writing in her practice from
movie reviews to fictional stories, from specified editing to argumentative articles, and she invites
you to come contact her at http://zrikolsen.wordpress.com/. Questions, comments and contact
about what she can do for you are always welcome!
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