Breathtaking action! I was transported into a world that may have once been mine… and I found myself anticipating what would happen next! ~ Sheila
Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.
In My Opinion:
I just finished Hunger games minutes ago and I feel like I have just been let in to a secret club. Seriously. I have read reviews on Hunger Games for months now and wondering what all the hype was. I entered a few contests to win it, and did not. I did however win a copy of Catching Fire and I knew I had to read Hunger Games first so I bought it last weekend and started it yesterday.
This is a book that by cover alone I would never have picked up. The title? Nope. Reading what it was about? Still a no, I couldn’t imagine myself reading on a topic of young kids fighting to the death. Even after I picked the book up and opened up to the first page I still am having doubt. What if I am that one person that just cant get into this book? And then I started reading…. and in no time, I love Katniss and her strength and her love for her family. I love Prim in all her youthfulness and sweetness… still mostly untouched by all the harshness of all this world that I have just entered. I could hardly put it down. You know the type. The book that you can hardly stop to eat dinner for. It traveled with me everywhere the past 48 hours. In any spare moments I had, I read.
I don’t know what I can say other than I loved this book! It is so well written that I have a list of people who I feel must read it. I have to tell my book club about it. I am not sure who to pass this book on to next because the selfish book lover in me is thinking, what if they damage it? What if I don’t get it back? I seriously am treating this book like a piece of gold I just discovered…. a book of much worth.
What am I reading next? As I type, I have Catching Fire sitting next to me. It has to be next. I have to know what happens next.
I purchased my copy of this book from Barnes & Noble, St. Cloud, MN
Book Journey 
I totally agree— the cover, the name, the genre…..not my usual thing. But the Time magazine article was describing it in such glowing terms, I at least had to try.
Waiting to read “Catching Fire” for about a month (I won a copy off a website) was torture. I hope you like it, too!
Laura Hartness
CalicoCritic.blogspot.com
Oh, just wait until you read the next one! I thought it was even better than the first one. Now I can’t wait until the third one is released.
I was actually lucky enough to have The Hunger Games passed on to me by my local bookstore owners. They loved it, and let me read their galley before it came out. I probably never would have read it if I had seen just the cover art, but I loved it! I had to know what happened to the characters. Hope you enjoy Catching Fire
That is lucky Lizzy! I wouldnt have read it either if not for all the hype everywhere on the blogs!
I got the book the same way, because I won Catching Fire, so I had to buy The Hunger Games. Now I actually wish I had been able to wait until the 3rd one comes out, so I could just whiz from one to the next without a year or whatever we have to wait for the 3rd one!
LOL rhapsodyinbooks – that is exactly what happened to me! i won Catching Fire and couldnt read it until I had Hunger Games so I bought it. 🙂
I’m going to be reading both of these during Christmas break…can’t wait to get to it!
I just have to say I love your spoiler button!
I plan on reading this this weekend after my sister lends it to me at thanksgiving. =)
Thanks Jenny! I like it too 🙂
Love the Hunger Games,can’t wait for book three!
LOL… Your review started just as mine did. I was very skeptical of liking this book as well. I did not want to pay for a book with a subject I really did not want to support. Thanks to the help of a few friends I was convinced into this book and… I was soo glad I was. This book along with Catching Fire were AMAZING!!!
I totally agree with you on not wanting to read the book, thinking the subject was not some thing I wanted to read about. Then when I finally got to the book I was afraid that I would be let down. I thought that the hype was leaving my expectations to high and the book would not live up to them. Wow, I was wrong when I got into the book. My expectations weren’t high enough, especially for it being a YA book.
Great review!
I keep telling myself that I’m going to get to these book eventually. One of these days.
I have an award for you:
http://wordsmithonia.blogspot.com/2009/11/award-time.html
Have to agree with you that I would never even consider this book based on the cover, title or book blurb alone. Like Ryan, I’ll get to this book eventually. The fact that you loved it so much means I’ll definitely buy this series, so thanks for your review! 🙂
I just finished it too and loved it. While I’m into dystopic fiction, I too was put off by the title and the idea of reading a book about a reality television show. But as more and more rave reviews started to filter in my curiousity got the better of me, and I’m glad it did. I can’t wait to get my hands on Catching Fire now!
This is not something I would have picked up, either, if I had not been lured in by the hype on the interwebs. 🙂 Love your blog — I’m adding you to my feed reader.
Thanks Stephanie!
Excellent review! This one is going to the top of my wish-list!
Good! Let me know when you have read it Jody! Id love to hear your thoughts on this book.
I am adding this to my list now!
Oh good Holly! I think you will love this book!