The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is classified as a "young adult" novel, and it is written in the style that young adults, kids from about twelve to sixteen, appreciate most. But it's become popular with adults, too, proving that a good story transcends generations.

The story is a familiar one to anyone who's seen the Japanese film Battle Royale. In a dystopian future, teenagers are put into a vast arena and forced to battle to the death until there's only one left. I've read that Collins was inspired by flipping between reality TV shows and footage from the Iraq war, but the similarities with the film seem hard to dismiss.

But The Hunger Games is better than Battle Royale, in that the rules and background of the contest have been better thought out. In fact, the first third or so of the book is consumed with the lead up to the games. We are told that the nation of Panem rose from the ashes of what was North America. It is carved into twelve districts, and to show that the government will tolerate no dissent, each district must present two teens to participate in the games. District 12, located in Appalachia, is coal-mining and hunting territory. Katniss Everdeen, our 16-year-old heroine, who is an expert with a bow and arrow, ends up as the female "tribute" from there, while Peeta, a baker's son, is the male tribute.

The preparation chapters start to get a little too detailed, but Collins slyly equates the barbarity of the contest with the frivolity of reality TV--the contestants are handed over to stylists, and interviewed for TV. The entire games will be televised, and the winner will be feted for the rest of their lives.

Once the games start, the book gets really good. Katniss narrates, so there isn't a ton of suspense about who will win, but instead in how it happens. Also, as with Battle Royale, a romance between Katniss and Peeta will complicate things. I liked that Collins is not so much obsessed with the savagery, and that it's mostly implied. Many deaths are accomplished by out-thinking the opponent, rather than simple brute strength. A sequence involving killer wasps is particularly clever.

This is the first book of a trilogy, and I'll be sure to read the next two books. I'm also looking forward to the movie. Since I knew that Jennifer Lawrence was playing Katniss, I couldn't help but picture her while reading the book, but I refrained from seeing who was playing the other characters until I finished. Woody Harrelson as Haymitch?