The Hunge Games (Review)

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive to read this. At the back of my

mind, another young adult? And plus, there was always that huge poster in the "Bestsellers' section in the bookstore with Stephenie Meyer's comments about the book that plays in my head saying there's no doubt we should read it with as much enthusiasm as her books. Gahd, I dunno why they even have to do that? As if being on the bestseller's list wasn't enough publicity as it already is.

Anyway, The Hunger Games was first and foremost very original, plot, character names and settings-wise. That, I fully found interesting. It takes little for me to get bored with a book and I found myself turning page after page, anticipating what will happen next.

The love angle wasn't exaggerated and I found myself get kilig-ed at just the right amounts. And this is a good thing because when I picture my 7th grade cousin reading this, I'm comforted at the thought that she won't be reading something she cannot fully handle just yet. (Ahem book four of another author who disguises as a young adult novel!)

It was a bit more graphic than I think a young adult novel should be. Imagine Survivor meets Lost. Gore factor, check, but nothing that's more than necessary to develop the story.

And then there's the Rue side of things. Okay so I cried a little. I'm a big sister so that got me. I just wish it lasted a few more days for them y'know?

So all in all I give The Hunger Games four and a half stars. I loved the originality as every other young adult novel that I come across with these days would borderline trite (case in point: vampires). Love story was there but was not rubbed in your face. I found myself on the lookout for the main characters while they traipsed along the arena and worried when one of them got hurt.

Guess that's what a good book does to you, for a few fleeting moments you leave your world and find yourself within their realm --fingers crossed, that even in a twist of fate your main characters will end up heroes and that the love story will have a happy ending even if the real you knows it's least likely.