Amazing Reads: The Hunger Games Trilogy – Suzanne Collins

Well, this trilogy has to be one of my all-time favourites! These books are absolutely amazing. So I thought I’d write a quick post about why you should read them (and also why you should go and see the Hunger Games movie!)

So, the Hunger Games trilogy consists of three books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. And they’re all written by the incredibly talented Suzanne Collins.

 Five Reasons Why I Love The Hunger Games Books:

1) Katniss is a very cool protagonist. She’s strong-minded, surprises the readers (or at least she did surprise me in the last book with one particular choice ), and is easy to identify with.

2) The love triangle. Every good stroy has to have a love story of some sort, right? And what’s beautiful about this one is that the romance has been woven perfectly into the plot. And I loved the way that Suzanne Collins made the romance in the first book, vital to the characters’ survial (Katniss and Peeta, that is!). Katniss and Peeta or Katniss and Gale? For me, I always wanted her to end up with Gale. At times I did find Peeta a little annoying, (my friends’ views differ substantially).

3) Believable characters. You have to be able to identify and understand at least all of the main characters in any book, for it to really fit with you. And these main characters in the Hunger Games trilogy are very life-like. My favourite, after Katniss, is Gale, even though he’s not in a lot of the first book – but that scene in the woods with him and Katniss at the beginning are amazing.

4) The plot is incredible. Totally different to the other science-fiction and fantasy YA books on the market. And I love action!

5) I really like Katniss’ narration style. Suzanne Collins has written the books in the present tense, employing a first-person narrative from Katniss’ point of view. Normally, I’m hesitant about reading anything written in the present tense (I so prefer the past tense – and I write in the past tense too), but this style really worked for me. It made me feel as though I were there experiencing everything and that I was in the arena right now.

The Hunger Games Film

Now, just over a week ago, I was lucky enough to go and see the Hunger Games movie. And it was brilliant. Suzanne Collins, the author, was hugely involved in the making of the film so it kept to the book really well. (Actually, there were a few little changes made, but oh well…). Jennifer Lawrence was cast as Katniss (she dyed her blond hair brown for the part), Liam Hemsworth was Gale and Peeta was played by Josh Hutcherson. And I absolutely loved the actors and actresses chosen for Effie (Elizabeth Banks), Rue (Amandla Stenberg), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson).  I think it’s brilliant how they’ve used only a few already-famous actors and actresses, giving others the chance. I even hear that Josh Hutcherson has been nominated for some kind of ‘upcoming star’ award.