Don't let the categorization "young-adult novel" scare you! While teen novels within the Harry Potter and/or Twilight series' may not have appealed to you, consider giving Suzanne Collins' young-adult series The Hunger Games a chance.
When describing the series (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire & Mockingjay), I often draw comparisons to the futuristic classic 1984 by George Orwell, William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, and ancient Roman gladiator games. The novels tell the story of Katniss Everdeen who lives in a post-apocalyptic future where North America is divided into 12 districts, all of which are ruled by a tyrannous government: The Capitol. The Capitol showcases its all-encompassing power by holding an annual event called "The Hunger Games". The games consist of competitors called "tributes" (one boy and one girl from each district) fighting each other to the death while enduring a barrage of assaults created by the makers of the games. The Capitol televises the gruesome games in real-time in an effort to keep the residents' rebellious urges in check. Little does the Capitol know that this year's tributes have agendas of their own!
I really enjoyed this series, and not just for the love-connection, though its PG-nature appealed to me from an educators viewpoint. I especially enjoy the character development within the first novel, specifically. I recommend this series to young and old readers alike and think it would be a great for a book club.
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I give this series a rating of 10/10 and here’s why:
Text: Impeccable writing kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the series.
Dialogue: The dialogue is simple, sometimes witty, and appropriate.
Plot: The story-line flows with ease. The characters constantly face seemingly insurmountable challenges to which they always rise.
Characters: Right from the get-go, I felt compelled to root for the protagonist, Katniss and soon after, was able to connect to the other prevalent characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed the series too. I am on the fence about seeing the movie, as I am not sure it could live up to the pictures I saw in my mind's eye while reading.
ReplyDeleteLaura A. (but you knew me as Laura C.)
I didn't know you had read these Jen! I absolutely LOVED them! Learned about them from my nephew in Virginia, and he got me hooked. It also seems to be the new novel to teach in junior high school - tons of teacher tools on line nowadays. I'll go to see the movie with you!
ReplyDeleteCarolynne