Hello Fellow Journeyers,
I've decided to go back and review my favorite (and only) book series from high school, The Hunger Games. I watched the first movie my junior year and was completely hooked, so I quickly read the first and second book immediately, then chose to wait some time for Mockingjay for the movies to catch up. I hadn't read anything in an obsessive manner since junior high, it was shocking and was a precursor for my reading resurgence years later. But how do the books actually stack up? Let's find out!
What's the story about: The Hunger Games trilogy follows a single protagonist (in first person POV), Katniss Everdeen, as she unwillingly gets chosen to compete in a deathmatch and becomes a symbol for a growing rebellion and revolution to overthrow the tyrannical regime that oppresses so many.
The Hunger Games - ★★★★ 4 Stars
The first entry in this series does a great job introducing us to Katniss, her surly demeanor, and her simple yet profoundly relatable mission to protect her sister and survive. The main thing that this first book does so well is world-build and have an utterly compelling plot and sequence of events. There are thrills, surprises, heart wrenching emotion, and tension until the end. While there is a lot to love, the writing is a little underdeveloped and doesn't stand up as well upon reread. Not everything is perfectly fleshed out, but there is much more to appreciate than have issue with. Overall, an extremely well-done introduction that leaves a lot for the future that is also equally compelling for what it is.
Catching Fire - ★★★★★ 5 Stars
The second book is everything that it should have been in a sequel. Much like Golden Son in the Red Rising series, this was the perfect sequel: it expands the world, gives depth to the characters we know, grows in the writing department by being much smoother, and above all, tells a tense and more compelling and interesting sequel story. Things really get moving in the overall story and stakes feel much higher this time around. Upon rereading this one, I found no issues whatsoever. I thought this was exactly where the story should go and everything felt natural, organic, and as good as it could be.
Mockingjay - ★★★ 3 Stars
An end, but a less satisfying one than promised. I'm not quite sure what it was about this one that got to me, but it mostly didn't work in the right ways. For this finale, the tension from the first two books fell flat. While the exploration of trauma, grief, and relational pain is really worth reading, it never feels like it ever gets to the greatness category. The final mission of experiencing one last "games" was an interesting variation from the first two books, but it also felt like a lot of retreading, as if the series couldn't stand on its feet unless it took place in an arena of some sort. While the end is emotionally difficult, it did feel real and uncharacteristically raw. Some of the story beats felt more for the purpose of a twist than natural progression, but overall the story ends with more elegance than inadequacy.