Katniss Everdeen. This is more than just a weird name. She is the protagonist of The Hunger Games trilogy. If there was a series that got a mixed response from me after I spent over 15 hours reading straight through (with breaks only for eating and sleeping), it has to be this one.
Good mix
The first in the series, The Hunger Games is followed by ‘Catching Fire' and traces the tale of Katniss Everdeen from the mysteriously named District 12. Written by Suzanne Collins, the series is an interesting blend of science-fiction, romance, adventure and fantasy. I know, it is quite a mix!
One of the first things that strikes you about this series is the number of unusual names. Open any page and you have the likes of Haymitch, Prim, Wiress, Peeta and Claudius Templesmith staring right back at you. While this can be a little unnerving in the first few chapters, the characters soon become surprisingly lovable and you feel drawn towards them and their piteous plight under the Capitol's dictatorship.
The major thread of the story line follows our protagonist as she volunteers to participate in The Hunger Games, an annual event in Pandem, where each district (twelve in all) will have to volunteer a girl and a boy each to fight it out amongst themselves in extreme circumstances. The rules are simple. Don't die.
Yet, it would be too simplistic to say that the book merely describes these games. After all, they aren't as easy as they sound. Through the book, we can almost feel the trials and tribulations of Everdeen as she battles with conflicts of love, friendship, relationships and life in an effort to be the last man (or woman in this case…or is it girl?) standing, quite literally.
The author, Ms. Collins, sticks to the basics with super glue. No flowery language. No complicated similes. Definitely more English than Latin. She gets her point across and fast. Her choice of names seems to jell well with the alien surroundings though it takes some getting used to keep track of who is who. Kudos to her for innovativeness. The contraptions she invents during the course of the games and the twists and turns in the plot stand testimony to the hours of thought and planning that must have gone into this series.
There are hitches during every ride but the ones about The Hunger Games series are so negligible that some may consider them insignificant. For one thing, don't trust the first impression. The cover art is not very impressive, at least the first time around. Once you read through it, you would be able to understand its significance, but until then, do turn a blind eye. If you want to nit-pick even further, you could say that there are too many characters in the book, making it a little hard to follow. But a good read is a good read, please.
Grab a copy
All in all, this series is definitely worth a second glance if not a mandatory read. Though it still falls in the category of fantasy, there is a whole lot more to it than just monsters and figments of our imagination. Here is a bit of advice – pick this up only when you have the time on your hands. However juvenile you may consider it, you wouldn't want to put it down till you're done with it. As to what age group would enjoy it, I have no idea. I did. You probably will.
Bottomline: The first two books of The Hunger Games trilogy may not necessarily be worth a spot on your bookshelf, but do pop in to your library and get your hands on a copy.
Title:THE hunger games
Author:Suzanne Collins
Publisher:Scholastic
Price:RS. 420
Title:Catching Fire
Author:Suzanne Collins
Publisher:Scholastic
Price:RS. 420
Yashasvini is a Std XI student of APL Global School.
