A Writer's Review of “The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

I primary reason read The Hunger Games was because I saw the movie and wanted to know more.

It’s not my normal choice of genre, but I was drawn in right away. I liked the fact that it was written in first person POV, although the present tense was something to get used to. But after reading a few chapters I realized that the present tense is one of the things that makes it work.

As a writer, I immediately recognized that this was one of those books that broke all the rules but was published regardless of the fact. It’s very plainly written without going into a lot of details much of the time. There is a lot of telling and a whole lot of “_____ says” instead of striving to show the reader what might be going on besides the words being said. But it works.

Katniss Everdeen is so cut and dry. And I think it’s the hope of seeing her transformed through the happenings in the books that makes them so popular. I have to admit, as a writer, I was extremely happy with how the author formed the twists in her plot. The fact that Katniss volunteered for her sister and then Peeta Mellark, the boy she felt so indebted to, was chosen as the boy tribute... and was secretly in love with her for years? Perfection. And as a writer of first person POV (in past tense) I was more than thrilled to see how she formed the strength of character in Peeta Mellark by seeing it solely through Katniss’s perspective.

I should probably also say I was ready to hate these books before I started the first one. They sounded barbaric and like a depressing waste of time. But so many of my friends insisted that I read them—and since one of them handed her copies over to me all at once—I thought I might as well try. If I hate a book, I have no qualms about quitting it at any time. But I didn’t quit. I was sucked in—liking it against my will. Liking it so much, that I had to retract every statement I’d made to my husband about how stupid I’d expected them to be.

I know I mostly went into detail about the plot and the characters here—but you must forgive me. I’m a writer. Well-formed characters and awesome plot-twists are two of my favorite things in the world.

I give The Hunger Games 5 stars.

I also must add that the winner of the last book giveaway was Sheri Salatin.

Leave a comment here and have a chance to win either this book or any other book on my Book Giveaway List (at the top of my blog).