The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  Everyone was talking about this series and how great it is, and telling me how much I'd love it.  I was dying to read this book, and when I received it as a birthday gift I dove right in.

In the first chapter, I was already preparing for disappointment.  It bore striking resemblance to The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, which was one of the most incredible and terrifying pieces of short fiction I've ever read.  If the premise of The Hunger Games was based on this story, I already knew it could never live up to the original.  I didn't want to quit reading so soon, though, so I continued.  As it turns out, the similarities dissipated and there was never a feeling of horror and dread like that which comes from reading The Lottery.  I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed about that.

The story morphed into a combination of the TV show "Survivor" and any number of so-called reality shows that are constantly filming every move of their actors.  Nothing new here.  Nothing original.  The plot moved along by unrealistic coincidences and contrivances from the author.  Things the Capitol would NEVER do during the games were suddenly - conveniently - being done.  I couldn't help but wonder what Suzanne Collins would have done had the games gone as normal.  More specifically (SPOILER ALERT), if Suzanne Collins had to write Katniss killing Peeta.  Because, if Katniss was the true winner of this thing, Peeta would be dead, and then things would have become really interesting.  Peeta's a pussy anyway.  It would have been a better ending if she ended up doing him in, so by then I was definitely disappointed.

Despite all that, though, I think the worst part was the inconsistency in Katniss' character.  In the beginning, she's made out to be this tough, brave, proud, fighting girl.  She takes care of her family after her dad dies, and she does whatever she must do to be sure they have enough food and supplies.  She takes a bullet for her sister by stepping up and taking her place in the games.  But then, once she's at the games, her whole attitude is "Oh, what's the difference, I'm going to die anyway.  I'm just a pig being prepared for slaughter.  Whatever."  I don't buy it.  If she's such a survivor, she would have done anything and everything she could do to be on top.  To win.  She would have strategized all along and plotted the deaths of the other tributes.  She had a bow and arrows, for crying out loud.  All she had to do was shoot them... Peeta too.

After I was done reading it (and, incidentally, deciding for sure that I wasn't going to waste my time reading the other two books in the series), I did a google search for interviews with Suzanne Collins regarding the similarities between the premise of this book and The Lottery.  I couldn't find anything.  There were plenty of discussions out there on the topic, but only between readers; none of them involved Ms. Collins.  I was disappointed yet again, because the author did not credit or acknowledge the fact that she was inspired by what is generally regarded as one of the greatest and possibly most controversial short story in history.  I suppose I don't blame her, though, since her books target the tween audience - and I'm guessing most of them haven't read The Lottery.

So, I guess the moral of this book review is this:  Skip The Hunger Games.  Read The Lottery instead!