Review: The Hunger Games

Aaron and I had both been hearing a lot about the series The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, but found that there was a huge wait list for the books at the library. Before we took our little getaway last month, we perused the library looking for some good reading and listening in the car. We were excited to find the audio CDs for The Hunger Games in the young adult section. We snatched them up and promptly devoured them.

Yes, devoured is the correct word! We were immediately enthralled in the characters and plot. The story is told from the perspective of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen who suddenly is fighting for her survival in an arena pitted against 23 other teenagers. It is a brutal and terrifying place to be. Collins manages to keep the horrific images in check though despite the gruesome premise.


We found these books to be very exciting and very well-written. My only complaint is with the third and final book, Mockingjay. It didn't quite live up to the previous two. I couldn't help but wonder if Collins rushed to churn this one out in the heat of the previous book's popularity. It was also more graphic and violent then the other two.

Despite my criticism of the final book I still heartily recommend this series. It is well worth the read. You should definitely check them out!