The Hunger Game's Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games - Book 1

Rating: 4 Stars

Length: 2 Days to Read

Okay, I liked this book. I did not love it. I think the hype of the movie and everything else drowned out exactly how good the book was. It starts off with young Katniss Everdeen who is part of District 12 – the coal mining district. There are many districts circling around the Capitol. In order for her family to survive the hard times they are facing, Katniss has to go out of the barrier of their District and hunt in the woods. She knows she will be executed if found, but risks it anyway. She is the only one who can keep her family alive. She would do whatever it takes to protect them. She does not hunt alone though. Her friend Gale accompanies her the entire time. 

Many years ago a rebellion picked up and all the Districts went against the Capitol. No one was happy with the poor living conditions they had while the Capitol was flourishing. The Capitol surpassed them and since the Districts decided the uproar the Capitol punished them by enforcing the Hunger Games. Every year two names, male and female, get picked out of a big ball and those two lucky contestants get to enter the Hunger Games. Every other district has to do the same. Only, they aren't really the lucky ones who get picked. These individuals have to compete in an unknown arena and battle it out for their lives. The one survivor is the winner and their prize is, well, basically their life. Their District also gets supplies to last them a year.

I think the one main reason I didn't really like this book was because it was predictable. I knew everything that was going to happen. There is no real surprise. I felt tears forming at the part where Katniss was singing to Rue. That was the part that brought out the most emotion from me. Other than that, nothing really stayed with me. The book was fast paced which I like, but there is just something about scenery that I love in books and to have basically the majority of a book in a forest just didn't cut it for me. 

I will go watch the movie, but I already heard the book is better. So I don’t know what to expect now. We will see. Off to the next book now!

I watched the movie for this book and it was everything that I expected. I literally loved every scene that they showed. It was exactly how I pictured it in the book. Even though it made me a bit dizzy with all the fighting scenes, it was definitely worth it. I would see it again and again. I can't wait for the other two to come out. This movie is a HUGE recommendation even though you haven't read the book!

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Catching Fire - Book 2

Rating: 5 Stars

Length: 2 Days to Read

Now this is what I am talking about! This book was a hundred times better than the first one. The first one was so predictable where this one I just didn't know what to expect. The Hunger Games are over and Katniss and Peeta are the victors. They have a few more weeks until their fame and the cameras will leave them. They cannot wait for that moment. They are in need of time to themselves out of the view of everyone in the Capitol. 

A year passes and it is the 75th Anniversary of the Hunger Games - which they call The Quarter Quell. Every 25 years there is a special twist to the Hunger Games. All victors of the games have immunity from ever going back in the draw to be a contestant but for the Quarter Quell, President Snow makes an announcement that the pool of names will be drawn from the victors list in each District. This means that Katniss, Haymitch (their mentor) and Peeta are back in the Hunger Games... again! Haymitch's name is drawn but Peeta acts as tribute to save Katniss' life since she saved his in the previous game. But Katniss promised herself to do whatever it takes to keep Peeta alive.

This book is so unpredictable, to the rebels and the acts of hatred and punishment, to the love that was portrayed and has to be followed through with Peeta and Katniss that this book will have you hanging on to every word. I yelled at the book a few times, not gonna lie. It was just that good. I can’t wait to read the next one!

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Mocking Jay - Book 3

Rating: 5 Stars

Length: 2 Days to Read

I don’t know where to begin with this book. It felt like it took me forever to read it but it really only took me two days. I want to say that this book had a lot of filler in it, but that is just being mean and not being accurate because I absolutely loved it. It was a lot of the same stuff over and over again about killing President Snow and choosing between Peeta and Gail. But not only that! The author had to make this a long book to show how Katniss was slowly losing faith in herself and how everything was slowly spiraling downhill. Those sorts of things do not happen in a few days. The author did an amazing job in showing the struggles Katniss went through, physically and internally.

This book begins with Katniss in the hospital after the end of her second time in the Hunger Games. Haymitch, her mentor, saved her life and got her out of there right on time before the Capitol could get her. Finnick was lucky to be taken with her as well but president Snow got a hold of Peeta before the people from District 13 could save him. Katniss was being treated in District 13 since nowhere else was safe anymore. She suffered some injuries while in the arena and District 13 was doing a good job at bringing her back to her previous self. She and her family now had to live there as well. Her home, District 12, was blown to bits with nothing left but the three victors’ homes. Half of the District's residents were killed on site including all of Peeta’s family. Throughout Katniss’ entire life she thought that District 13 was a bunch of rubble, but it really it is an underground District determined to take over the Capitol.

Katniss is and will forever be the Mockingjay. Her face and actions are the only things that are keeping the rebels alive and determined to win over the poverty and unfair laws of President Snow. Other districts have rebelled against the Capitol and it is only a matter of time before they succeed. Katniss is hell bent of getting Peeta back because President Snow is brainwashing him to hate Katniss. The war must go on and Katniss agrees to be their Mockingjay on a few conditions. The two main ones were to rescue Peeta and that she gets to personally kill President Snow.

The entire book shows how Katniss slowly loses her mind and she has to keep reminding herself who she is. All of her exterior battle scars have been healed but the mental scars keep adding up until there is no more of the real Katniss anymore. She is no longer the seventeen year-old that volunteered as tribute for her little sister in her first Hunger Games. This is not a happy book, nor do I think that was the author’s intentions. The author is trying to portray that once someone goes through hardships like Katniss did with the war… they never return as the same person. They are forever changed.

There were a few confusing parts that I had to re-read, but other than that, I was hooked on every word. This book didn’t bring out that many emotions as Catching Fire did, but the tears kept flowing at the end (I’m not ruining anything) when Butercup returns home. I have no idea why I cried so much. I loved the ending and I totally agree with how the author chose to finish it off. It was definitely worth the read and I highly recommend the series to people looking for a book to get lost in. My thoughts cannot get over this book yet. It might take me some time. Now, all I have to do is watch the movie!