How is 'The Hunger Games'?

i've heard quite a bit about this book and i really want to know how it is. anybody read it? can you give me your reviews so that i can decide whether to buy it or not?

 

Old thread I know, but in case you were still curious, I really enjoyed reading all three Hunger Games books.

They aren't really fantasy though. More like Science Fiction. It takes place on Earth somewhere in the midwest of the US I think but sometime in the future after a big war so the US government doesn't exist anymore and has been replaced by a totalitarian one.

Main character is a young girl who gets thrust into various life threatening and sometimes politically motivated events. They are well written and I actually like them quite a bit more than the Harry Potter books though those were fun too.

 

Really good book! anyone I've asked about it ether didnt know what it was or if they have read it absolutely loved them. Should be a movie of it coming out this year. ^^

 

I thought the book was pretty intense(haven't read the whole series). I had some problems with it and it has some problems in general and there are times where you simply want to throw something at Katniss.

Overall, don't expect it to be Twilight or Harry Potter. Don't assume it rides the same wave.

It's in present tense, first person, which is weird for a genre fiction. So you have a pretty unreliable narrator with Katniss. She doesn't know everything so occasionally you get hit with a curveball or pleasant twist.

Overall, 6/10.

-BlkBks

 

I really enjoyed the entire trilogy. The best way I can describe the first one is as a cross between Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" crossed with Death Race 2000 with a bit of Dreadnought thrown in. It is definitely not "Twilight."

 

I thought the books were amazing, however, I didn't like the movie.. but that's just me. A lot of people seemed to like the movie. I just hate reading the book then seeing the movie. I should see the movie then read the book lol

 

Well, I read the whole trilogy, then watched the movie... of course, one major appeal of "The Hunger Games" to male fans, is the kick-ass aspect of Katniss... I mean:





OK, but the movie is abridged in several ways, so, indeed, the better sequence is movie first, books later.

Wiggling bare toes,

~*Ganesha*~

 

You're right, not fantasy or scifi. Sounds more like an accurate prediction...

 

Theyre GREAT. awesome voice of the main character and it doesnt have annoying, cliche "teen" characters. i was relieved

 

why? you apparently reference an image, but it's not visible.

I'm frankly very sick of the whole "warrior princess" cliche. I don't find violent or aggressive females, or ones trying to dominate appealing. Is that what you mean by her "kick-ass aspect"?

imho, it's only submissive men who are into that. you're welcome to like what you like, but I don't like it when it is insinuated that this is what all or most men find appealing.

btw, I haven't read the books or seen the movie

I like the concept of a film offering criticism of america's predatory social values, but I think I'll pass if it's couched in yet another female power/ego trip film

 

I got all 3 books for Christmas.

Read the 1st one in a week (extremely good going for me)
I'm over halfway thru the 2nd now.

Haven't seen the film yet, and I'm already expecting the film to fall short of expectations... doesn't every film not reach the expected standards of a book you've read and loved???

1st book was bang on the money... 2nd book not as good as the 1st... but overall so far I'd thoroughly recommend it.

In England you can buy all 3 books for under 8quid easy

 

I found it quite disturbing...a book about children trying to kill each other...but it was still a good read.

 

I have not gotten around to reading the books yet. If the movie is any indication, the books should be good.

 

I know what you mean... as i was reading the first book I kept thinking - na, something will happen just before they enter the arena so we won't get to read about kids murdering other kids but noooo.....

when you think about it, it's a very depressing and disturbing vision of the future.

 

I loved all 3 books. I read them all within a couple weeks. I saw the movie, and was highly dissappointed. They skipped out on a lot of things from the book. The thing that dissappointed me most about the movie was they didn't show the relationship between Katniss and Cinna. I loved their friendship in the books, but the movie didn't really cover it at all. I will see the other 2 movies when they come out, but I know I will always like the books better.

 

Jeez, this kinda thing is the reason why reading the book is always better than watching the film. Like you, I also enjoyed the relationship between Katniss & Cinna and I'm disappointed it's not being shown in the movie (which I'm watching for the first time this Friday )

 

I read it and it totally seemed like a rip off of The Battle Royal. I never read the other two books after that.

 

I ended up reading the trilogy in 5 days. I enjoyed all three books but I feel that the author was rushed and wanted to try something new for the third book. It was my least favorite.

The series has the "magic"(like Harry potter&twilight) that only comes from an extremely complex and detailed world that makes it come alive in front of you while you are reading, but it has a flaw (at least for me). The books are such quick reads that I was left feeling disapointed that the author didn't decide the write another book or 8 after developing such an interesting fictional world. For goodness sakes write a few books about some of the more notable past games!

Lucky for you, there is no "warrior princess" cliche. Also, Katniss never has an ego trip or takes on the role of dominant female character.

 

Other than the kids killing kids bit and the totalitarian society stuff I don't see, or understand, the Battle Royale comparisons.

The feel is entirely different and the stories themselves are just very different in terms of the world and the way it observes, (or doesn't) the main occurrences in the novels.

You could say one was inspired by the other. But to say they are the same thing or one stole from the other is kind of silly.

 

bullshit