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EmilyTharp
StaceyDearing
ENGL106
17,February2015
TheHungerGamesBookReview

The
HungerGames
,bySuzanneCollinsisacaptivatingandjarringnoveldescribinga
dystopianworld.SuzanneCollinshashadmuchsuccesswithheradventurefictiontrilogyofthe
HungerGamessomuch,thatherfirstnovelturnedintoascreenplay.Thoughtherearemany
significanteventsthattakeplace,thenovelflowsandiseasytoread.AlthoughIamaperson
whodoesntspendtheirfreetimereadingnovels,thisstorykeptmeinvolvedandentertained
witheverypageIturned.IfeltasthoughIwasinsideofthestory,experiencingthehunger
gamesformyself.Ihighlyrecommendthisnoveltopeopleofmatureagesbecauseitincludes
manysubliminalmessagesthatarenteasilyunderstood,isathrillerthatkeepsthereader
intrigued,wantingmore,andnotabletoputthisbookdown.
Thestorybeginsinadystopiansocietywithacompleteseparationbetweenthegoverning
bodyandthecommonpeople.Thepeoplearedividedintotwelvedistricts,whichareawaiting
theannouncementsoftheirtributesfortheannualHungerGames.
TheHungerGamesserveas
entertainmentfortheCapitoltonegativelyremindtheotherdistrictsthattheyaresubordinate
anddonthavepower.Asthedistrictspreparethemselvesforthedrawingofthetributes,
anticipationandfearfillstheirbodies.Thefocusismostlyindistrict12,thelowestandmost
uselesslevelinsociety.KatnissEverdeen,themaincharacterofthisnovel,preparesheryounger
sister,PrimfortheGames.Shegrantsheramockingjaypintoprotectherfromhavinghername
drawnastribute.Unfortunately,Primsnamewasdrawn,eventhoughonlybeingplacedinthe

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jaronce,tofightfordistrict12.Katniss,a16yearold,astronghunter,andabraveyoung
womanvolunteerstoreplacehersisterinthegames.Shewasthefirsttoevervolunteerastribute
fortheGames.NexttoherstandsPeeta,whowasselectedasthemaletributeofDistrict12.
Together,theymaketheirwaytotheCapitolwheretheywillfightagainsttwentytwoother
tributes.TheywerepresentedwelltothepeopleoftheCapitol,astheyportrayedthemselvesas
strong,competitive,andworthyofwinningtheyseemedpowerful.Allofthetributesareputin
mysteriousandunrecognizablearenawheretheywillfightfortheirlives.Theymustovercome
starvation,dehydration,sleepdeprivation,andusetheirfightingskillstotheiradvantageinorder
tostayalive.Itiseverymanforthemselvessurvivalofthefittest.Thecompetitionwasstrong,it
wasinKatnisshandstocomeoutvictorandalive.
EverybodyintheCapitolalwaysbelievethattheoddsarealwaysinthetributesfavor.As
KatnissandPeetawerebeingtransportedtotheCapitol,theyweretakenthroughdifferent
districts,oneofwhichKatniss,verybriefly,noticesaspraypaintedsubliminalmessage:the
oddsareNEVERinourfavor.(page).Thismessagewrittenonthewallissubliminalbecauseit
goesdirectlyagainstwhattheCapitolpromotes.ThisconcernedandpuzzledKatniss,butshe
didntletthisinfluencehermindassheapproachedthegames.Throughthissubliminalmessage,
thereaderisabletounderstandthemagnitudeoftheseparationbetweentheCapitolandthe
commonpeople.
Thisnovelisnotonlysubliminalinitsmessages,butisalsointriguingandcaptivatesits
readers.Therearemanyeventsinthenovelthatintriguethereader,oneofthembeingwhen
KatnissandPeetawerefirstbeingpresentedtothepeopleoftheCapitolandthepublic.
AlthoughtheywerepartofDistrict12,theyenteredtheCapitolonfire,showingthattheir

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societallevelhasnoimpactontheirpowerandstrength.Remember,headshigh,Smiles.
Thereregoingtoloveyou!IhearCinnasvoiceinmyhead.Iliftmychinabithigher,puton
mymostwinningssmiles,andwavewithmyfreehand.ImgladnowIhavePeetatoclutchfor
balance,heisasosteady,solidasarock.AsIgainconfidence,Iblowafewkissestothecrowd.
ThepeopleoftheCapitolaregoingnuts,showeringuswithflowers,shoutingournames,our
firstnames,whichtheyhavebotheredtofindontheprogram.(Collins,78).Katnissisunderthe
controloftheCapitol,eventhoughsheisagainsttheHungerGames.Shehasnointentof
wantingtokillpeopletosurvive.Shebelievesitisentirelyunjusttobetreatedthewaythe
twelvedistrictsaretreatedbytheCapitol.TheCapitolcompletelychangedherperspective.Now
thatKatnissisapartoftheHungerGames,shehastolikeit,shehastopresentherselfwellthere
isnoturningback.Itisimportantforhertoacceptthissituation,beconfident,andcarryonwith
themindsetofwinning.
TheHungerGamesnoveldeliversseveralsubliminalandintriguingmessages.In
addition,theeventsinthenovelaresothrillingmakingithardtoputthebookdown.Oneevent
sticksoutandportraysamainthemeinthenovel:overcomingweaknesswithstrength.Going
intothegames,Katnisshaddoubtsaboutheroutcome.Sheknewthatherdistrictwasthe
weakestofthemall.District12didnothavemoneytotrainalltheirlivesfortheHungerGames
likeothersdid.Theywerentasstrongandwellbredastheothers.Whenshefirstsawthe
tributesfromDistricts1,2,3,and4train,shefeltshewasatalargedisadvantage,whichshe
was.

InDistrict12,wecallthemtheCareerTributes,orjusttheCareers.Andlikeasnot,the
winnerwillbeoneofthem.(Page).Itiscloselyconsideredtobeadeathsentencewhenbeing
selectedastributewhileinDistrict12.Katnissunderstoodhowdifficultitwouldbetocompete

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againstthesetributes.Atfirst,shewasmostdefinitelyworried,scared,andhadnofaithinher
abilities.WhenshefirstshowedofftotheCapitolinthepracticeround,shewasmadefunofand
lookeddownuponbecauseshemissedthepracticetargetbyanextremeamount.Atthis
moment,Katnisswasweakandwantedtogiveup.Shewasangryandupsetbecauseshewas
tiredofbeingtreatedunfairlyduetothelabelherDistrictgivesher.Shetookherangerouton
theCapitolbyshootingabowandarrowrightthroughtheirheads,hittinganappleontheback
wallperfectly.Stunned,theCapitolgaveheralittlemorerespectandawardedherwithahigh
scoreof11.Obviously,thisgaveKatnissreliefandconfidence.Sheknewshehadtheabilityto
competeandpotentiallywin.NowthatshehasshowntheCapitolthis,shemustshowtheother
twentythreetributesthesame.Herperformanceduringherpracticeroundgaveheralotof
strengthandconfidencetocontinueonandbesuccessfulintheHungerGames.
AfterreadingtheHungerGames,Iwasintriguedtoreadmore.Irealizedhowimportant
readingcanbeinyourlife.Youhavetoknowhowtoreadtolearnnewthings.Justlike
FrederickDouglassdidintheDouglassstory.(quote).Youhavetoknowhowtoreadtobe
successfulinyoureverydaylife,whetherthatbeinyourprofessionorinclass.Readingisall
arounduswereadeachday.Inthisgeneration,wereadwhenwetext,scrollthroughsocial
media,etc.Ifeelasthoughourgenerationstechnologyhascoveredupandtakenawaythe
importanceofsittingdownwithagoodbook.TheHungerGamesnovelprovedthistome.
Overall,TheHungerGamesisafantasticreadthatisstronglyrecommendedto
individualsofmatureage.Thethrillofthecaptivatingeventsleadyoutoneverwantingtoput
thisnoveldown.IamthoroughlyimpressedwiththeworkofSuzanneCollins.Thesuspenseof
thisnovelmakeswewanttocontinueontoreadtherestofhertrilogy.Ifyoueverhavespare

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timeorwanttobeabsorbedcompletelyinanentertainingandemotionalstory,pickupthisquick
fulfillingread.

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WorksCited
Collins,Suzanne.
TheHungerGames
.NewYork:Scholastic,2008.Print.