Several months ago my friend, KT, told me about the plot of The Hunger Games and I decided it was not a book I wanted to read. After that discussion KT told me in an email that she’d read the book. A couple of weeks ago another friend, LL, sent me a list of books she’d recently read and included The Hunger Games. LL told me she was interested in my opinion of it. Several of the other books on her list went on my library hold list but not The Hunger Games. Then one day while walking by the book section at Wal-Mart I noticed the book was on sale for $6.29. “Oh why not,” I said to myself and tossed it into the cart.
Earlier this week I read The Hunger Games in the marvelous setting of The Clearing. It was a quick easy read as it is written for teenagers but that is the only good thing I have to say about it.
The plot revolves around children being picked at random from each district in the country to be thrown together in an arena. The one who lives wins money and food for life. Each contestant is injected with a chip so that television cameras can follow all the action and listen in on all conversations.
I first thought about the Shirley Jackson short story called “The Lottery.” But, the Jackson story has literary merit. This book seems to have been written only to glorify killing and to promote a sappy love story. While I strongly believe in freedom of the press, it is my hope that people will quietly quit buying this book and its successors so that they will just disappear. My copy is going in the trash.
The Chronicle Cat 
Comments on: "The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins" (3)
Your reaction to the book doesn’t surprise me. Angie had told me to read the book(s) as she had liked them. So I did. I can’t say that I liked them…..I thought the author’s style of writing was dfficult to read. While the first book kept my interest, the next 2 did not, however, I felt compelled to read them since they had cliff hanger endings (so…..I’m a sucker). I am now reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy and liking them. I read the first one and just about done with the second. I REALLY liked the first one and am a little disappointed in the second one as it’s not quite as intense as the first, however, I’m still anxious to see how it’s all tied up at the end. I have the 3rd one to read at home once I’m done so I can keep moving along. Also glad to hear that you made it up to the Clearing again, I hope the weather was good and that you enjoyed your stay up there.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. I listened to the trilogy this summer while I knitted and really enjoyed them. Not great literature but entertaining.
Sharon, don’t throw away your copy! Send it to me, I’ll pay you back the postage. What’d you write last week? Wish I’d been there.
@Karen Todd, unhappily the author of the Dragon Tattoo trilogy meant to write 10 novels and died suddenly before the first was even published. I loved those books and wish he’d have had a chance to complete his series.