A Series in Summation - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Since Catching Fire released this past year, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my thoughts of the Hunger Games Trilogy. I'm going to be straightforward- I was not a fan of this book series. I did read them and read them back to back because I was interested in them, and later heard that the movies were being made. The books never really grabbed me, though. Katniss was a character that I couldn't connect to. But, we'll look at that as we get into the individual books. For the film, I will say Catching Fire is fantastic-very accurate and incredibly well done. Anyways, on to the reviews!

The Hunger Games (Book No. 1) 

The debut of the series was interesting, but had a few fatal flaws to me. The premise was something fresh on the market (keeping in mind this series was basically the harbinger of the dystopian craze that has created numerous new worlds) and Katniss was immediately thrown into the action. However, her character annoyed me. She didn't interact well with Peeta at all, and while there were good moments between the two, the rest was her stubborn narration overriding the events in the novel. The book was alright, a good enough start to the series to convince me to pick up Catching Fire. I gave it three and a half stars.

Catching Fire (Book No. 2)

This was my favorite book in the series. It was action packed and included some character development for Katniss. She began to have a spine, dealing with characters and her view on her life. I was interested in the unique and changing scenery of the book, but I won't go into specifics to prevent spoilers for anyone who wants to read. There were more characters focused on in this book, and there were plot twists that weren't as predictable as the ones in The Hunger Games. I gave this book four stars, and it was a sequel that surpassed the first in my opinion.

Mockingjay (Book No. 3)

We come to the conclusion of the trilogy, and by far my least favorite book of the trilogy. Mockingjay undid all of the positive characterization I had seen in Katniss, and I was very annoyed with how her character turned out. Also, the plotline in this story went out the window as the theme became everything going wrong and Katniss looking into a camera. I was not happy with how the series was resolved, and while this trilogy was not my favorite series to begin with, I was especially disappointed with its conclusion. I gave it somewhere between two and a half and three stars.

Overall, I wasn't the biggest fan of the series. I know that's not a popular opinion, but I just wasn't a fan of Katniss and how the story developed. Honestly, after reading this I was put off of dystopians in general, and it took me awhile to pick up another dystopian and give it a chance (side note: there are some great ones out there, even if you weren't the biggest Hunger Games fan). I never went to see the Hunger Games in film, but I loved the Catching Fire film because it was my favorite book in the series and I'm impressed by how well this film was made. I think this wasn't my favorite series, but there are dystopians I do read and like a lot. So, I would say read the series if you are curious or inclined to, as it is a hugely popular series and there is a large fan base, but it is not my quintessential dystopian series.

See the First Book on Goodreads          Visit the Author's Website

From the paper world,

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