From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. SignatureReviewed by
Megan Whalen TurnerIf there really are only seven original plots in the
world, it's odd that boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society
goes bad and attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000,
hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a
replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its
territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight
to the death.Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the
place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate
sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her
teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's
humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill
at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold,
calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner,
where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser.It's no accident that these
games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear:
runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now,
reality TV. The State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries
subdued and its citizens complacent—may have created the Games, but
mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society
pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its
connection to reality TV, ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but
for now, it makes this the right book at the right time. What happens
if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be
obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end
with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be
made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of
them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no more
self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking
around my feet, she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are
sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the
contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who
watch.Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent
contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a
series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the
central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has
given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers
will wait eagerly to learn more.Megan Whalen Turner is the author of the Newbery Honor book The Thief and its sequels, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. The next book in the series will be published by Greenwillow in 2010.
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
Reviewers were happy to report that the Hunger Games trilogy is alive and well, and all looked forward to the third book in the series after this one's stunning conclusion. But they disagreed over whether Catching Fire was as good as the original book Hunger Games or should be viewed as somewhat of a "sophomore slump." Several critics who remained unconvinced by Katniss's romantic dilemma made unfavorable comparisons to the human-vampire-werewolf love triangle in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. But most reviewers felt that Catching Fire was still a thrill because Collins replicated her initial success at balancing action, violence, and heroism in a way that will enthrall young readers without giving them (too many) nightmares.
Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)
Review
Praise for the Hunger Games series: "Whereas
Katniss kills with finesse, Collins writes with raw power." -Time
Magazine "Collins has joined J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer as a
writer of children's books that adults are eager to read."
-Bloomberg.com "Perfect pacing and electrifying world building."
-Booklist, starred review "A humdinger of a cliffhanger will leave
readers clamoring for volume three." -Kirkus reviews, starred review
"Forget Edward or Jacob... readers will be picking sides- Peeta or
Gale?" -Publishers Weekly, starred review "Leaves enough questions
tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next
installment." -School Library Journal, starred review
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