A review by roryroams
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Even if I hadn't read this before, I always knew I would love it. I mean, if I were to describe my dream book, you'd get something pretty close to this.

WRITING STYLE

Most of my complaints about The Hunger Games are about the writing style. I'm not a fan of the 1st person perspective, and there was a bit of a problem with telling and not showing. It bothered me more in the beginning, but I don't think it hindered the experience.

PLOT

The plot of The Hunger Games is literally made for me. I love books set in a forest with high stakes and a need to survive against the elements and other people. I can't stress enough how perfect this was for me as a reader. I found myself enjoying all three sections of the book, and each one was engaging in it's own right.

I'm not someone who usually enjoys a romance subplot, but for some reason I really latched onto it this time. Watching the romance grow during the games was the most engaging part of the story for me.

CHARACTERS

Katniss: I really enjoyed how competent Katniss was throughout the story, and I especially liked how she was competent for a reason, not just because she was the main character. The skills she excelled in were skills that she reasonably would have thanks to her upbringing.

Peeta: Something I wasn't expecting upon rereading was how much I love Peeta. I really enjoyed seeing him grow. Most of my problems with love interests aren't present in him, and I respect that a lot. I'd honestly love to have dinner with him, he's a good guy.

EMOTIONS

I'm not a cryer when I read, but I got very close. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, and I'm really here for it. It didn't fail to make me feel things I didn't know I could feel.

"See, like this. I'm smiling at you even though you're aggravating me."
- Effie Trinket, The Hunger Games.