“The Hunger Games” is one of my all time favorite books and, after a recent readthrough, I have the difficult job of summarizing it for you. “The Hunger Games” is a tale of danger, confusion, and violence, so much violence. This book is not for the weak of stomach. This book is however an amazing portrayal of human resilience, as well as an unnerving picture of human cruelty. So I’m now going to describe why you should read the story, and talk a bit about the basic plot.
In “The Hunger Games”, Katniss Everdeen has to participate in the sadistic Hunger Games. All of Panem will be forced to watch as Katniss and 23 other random children are all thrown into an arena, and tasked with killing the other tributes. Katniss is forced to fight for her very survival against the other children, hoping that she’ll be able to make it out alive, but knowing she may not be able to live with herself if she does.
“The Hunger Games” is an amazing book, not only because of the action and the drama, but because of the way you get to see it. The story is seen through the eyes of one Katniss Everdeen, and as a reader you get to learn just how complicated a person she is. Suzane Collins does a wonderful job giving the reader a glimpse into Katniss’ thoughts and emotions, and as you read, you get to see not only what happens to her, but how it affects her as well.
Not only did Suzane Collins make Katniss a well developed character, she made the others complicated as well. In the story, some people can’t be trusted, some have ulterior motives, and others are simply too emotionally weak to handle the horror that is “The Hunger Games”. The depth of these characters, and that of their relationships with Katniss and each other, adds even more flavor to an already wonderful story.
Now there are a couple of prevailing themes in this book, but the one I’m going to talk about is the one that’s mentioned a small, about the author section of the book. It says that Suzanne Collins “continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age.” This is a very prevalent idea in the book. Throughout the story, Katniss’ experiences seem to grow worse and worse, until you begin to wonder what more she can take. Katniss’ composure during these events is generally quite admirable, but every once in a while, she cracks, showing that she is still just a child.
So in my opinion, “The Hunger Games” is one of the best books ever written. Especially at the end where Katniss wins the Hunger Games with Peeta, and then they all get to go back home. Then, they get in trouble and soon a lot of other unsettling things begin to happen as it leads into the next book. “The Hunger Games” is definitely a classic that should be on everyone’s reading list, and it’s a book that I would highly recommend.