This week I'd like to welcome Nicole, from Books and Bards, as this week's Guest Reviewer! Check out her original review here!
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In the not-too-distant future, the continent of North America has become Panem, a totalitarian country divided into twelve territories. Every year, each district is required to send a tribute of a young boy and girl, chosen by lottery, to fight to the death like gladiators while the nation watches on live television. Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives with her mother and sister in the most impoverished section one of the poorest districts, where she must illegally hunt in the forbidden woods to stay ahead of starvation. When her younger sister, Prim, is drawn for the Hunger Games, Kat steps in and volunteers in her place. And just like that, she is shipped off to the Capitol, along with Peeta, the baker’s son, to fight for her life. I love novels that disturb or unsettle me. Needless to say, I gobbled this one in a single sitting, completely transfixed and desperate to find out how it ends.
The writer in me admires Suzanne Collins to pieces, and I couldn't help geeking out over her command of language and her spareness of words. One thing that turns me off to a lot of sci-fi is authors who get bogged down in conveying every minute detail of the brilliant world they've created. Collins conveys just enough necessary detail to serve the story and lets the rest take care of itself. Her sci-fi world, filled with brutality and speckled with genetically engineered creatures, is merely a backdrop for the struggles of a cast of complex and believable characters.
Katniss, an ace with a bow and arrow, is a fascinating heroine--sort of Annie meets Huck Finn. I have to confess I found myself girl-crushing on her a bit while hanging out in her head and seeing this twisted version of the world through her eyes. One of the things I love about this book is the way Collins draws upon both classical literature and pop culture, blending them seamlessly together to tap into certain universal fears of the human psyche. The story has its roots in the Greek myth of King Minos, whose son died on a state visit to Athens. Furious, Minos captured Athens and imposed a harsh punishment: Every nine years, Athens must send him seven of its young men and seven maidens, whom he then fed to his Minotaur.
On the sci-fi end of the spectrum, Collins weaves in an element of reality television gone wrong, with a bloodthirsty nation devouring the brutal spectacle on TV, placing bets on who will win, and demanding more excitement when the games become stagnant. Beforehand, the tributes are trussed like turkeys, interviewed, and sized up on camera. Once inside the arena, they form alliances, calculate strategies, and receive unexpected boons (or hindrances) from the hidden but omnipresent gamemakers. It’s Survivor meets Lord of the Flies.
At the core of this novel is the question of humanity, and what it means to be human. As Kat forms alliances of her own, she grapples with the realization that she will have to slaughter people she has come to care about and confronts the question of whether survival is worth the loss of her humanity, especially knowing her beloved sister may starve back at home without her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, carried along by Kat's determination to survive and to not be subdued by the atrocities she witnesses. I was frequently horrified, occasionally touched, and always on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next twist. Find out what other people think about this book! Alea — Pop Culture Junkie ******************* Thank you so much Nicole for an awesome review — I've been meaning to read this forever! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer. Please share some book love and check out Nicole's blog, Books and Bards. Thanks again, Nicole!