I've been reading this trilogy sent to me by Mei in pdf format called Hunger Games. Please PM me if you want the full series.
I read the synopsis before starting and I would say that this is not my usual kind of book. My first impression of it through Wiki was this is going to be violent. And I don't like violent tales.
But it turned out that the amount of violence it actually portrayed is merely at the Harry Potter series level. But the emotions within run high. There are issues and feelings people can actually identify with. They are currently making a movie out of it too. But I do not think I will watch it. The movie will contain bloodshed which the book manages to acceptably conceal.
I shall try and share the background with minimal spoilers.
This futuristic science fiction is set in North America, then called Panem, years ahead of time, under the control of a central government Capitol. The country is divided into 12 different Districts, in which Hunger Games is an annual event. During that event, each district, will 'reap' two children aged between 12 - 20 (a male and a female), to participate in the Hunger Games, at which all 24 participants from 12 districts fight to their death for days or weeks in an unknown arena (equipped with weapons and natural/unnatural catastrophes), with only one surviving victor. The victor would be elevated in status and showered with money and gifts, which means a lot to the impoverished districts.
The story is narrated from the point of view of Katniss Everdeen, a Hunger Games participant. I love the details the author Suzanne Collins puts in the construction of the Games: Katniss' different costumes (particularly enjoyed this), special trainings and performances, how the character and design of the game affect Katniss. My favorite character across the trilogy however is Peeta. I love how this plain baker's boy evolved with such character and determination, displaying unexpected talents along the way. Some critics remark that Peeta was 'thinly imagined'. I think he's alright, but it would be great if we knew as much about Peeta, his thoughts and feelings, as we do Katniss.
Suzanne Collins tells a story as well as (or maybe better) than J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter. There are a lot of touching quotes throughout too. I was drawn mainly by her full construction in the mechanics of the game, how the system operates, how the people in the Capitol differ from those in the Districts. Then the interplay if Katniss emotions plus her relationship with Peeta holds me on. It's really worth a read.
Both this trilogy and Harry Potter draw me toward the same conclusion: how much we need God. Both series portray a battle between good and evil, in different ways; in how society struggles to get a 'good' dominating power in place. The Harry Potter series ends on a positive note, Hunger Games in a more realistic tone. What I feel is man can never be able to construct a truly good life/community for themselves. The struggle, the pain, the losses, and the incomplete victories easily overturned within a very short time - these are very real, because man is never perfect and never will be.
For a perfect world we need a perfect God. And this world is not our perfect world. However because of the imperfectness of this world, we get to hope on the next world, in fact the whole universe yearns for this perfect world so much that it has birth pangs of pain. Only God can put things right. Men can never stop this bleeding gnash inflicted by sin. They can only depend on God and if they do, they will not be disappointed.
