The Hunger Games - Book and Movie Review

The Hunger Games (THG) by Suzanne Collins 

{May contain spoilers}

I was on a camping holiday and didn’t realise how addictive The Hunger Games would be and how fast I’d get through it, so because I only brought one book to read, I read it twice in three days.

I was unsure when I started, how I was going to enjoy a book that had kids killing kids and how the author would handle that. I was pleasantly surprised at how the world Collins created wasn’t as awful as I’d imagined and I found myself imagining what it would be like to live in such a place feeling a huge amount of pity for the fictional characters.

The main character Katniss is really likeable even though she has got quite an abrasive personality. And immediately you wonder what’s going to happen with her and Gale. Sadly that part of the book is a bit disappointing to me. I do prefer books with more romance.

The actual Hunger Games don’t start til well over half the book, but you don’t notice as it’s such an interesting read, finding out about this new world that you have stepped into. Once Katniss is in the games, the book is unputdownable (is that a word?) I just had to keep going until it was finished.

Personally I was disappointed in the climax. It seemed a little rushed or convenient or something, which did detract from the book a bit for me.

Overall I would give the Hunger Games a 4 out of 5 stars.

The Hunger Games THE MOVIE

I saw the movie, after reading the book, TWICE, so I completely understood the story, therefore I didn’t have to make sense of anything, like a complete HG virgin would.

I thought the movie interpreted the book beautifully and kept in all the important bits. There are always storylines that get left out of a movie, but none of the missing ones disappointed me.

What I found interesting was seeing life from the gamekeepers point of view and how the people running the games made the rules and messed with the arena. It makes me appreciate the free world I live in, because the Hunger Games is scarily what used to happen in arena’s in Rome in front of an audience. People killing each other for the audience’s enjoyment; it seems so sick to me, but it used to be normal.

I’d give the movie 4 out of 5.

[I’m not sure how easy to understand this movie is for a person who has not read the book. My husband might add his input from that point of view later today.]

Thanks for stopping by, let me know what you thought of the movie and/or book, the Hunger Games! 
Zealous Girl