Happy Hunger Games

Since I never actually read Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games until yesterday, clearly I never really understood the hype over the whole series. But I was so wrong. I literally couldn't put the book down yesterday and basically tossed my social life out the window by purchasing the next two books already. The plot itself within this book is fascinating. Given who ever would come up with a plot about making teenagers fight to the death to get food for their village is a little messed up, but still. It plays up Darwinism, fate, and luck. Those things together are so interesting because you really don't know how it could all play out. The ideas of the book are so basic too, it’s hard not to be completely captivated by the story. Pitting humans against one another for food, leveling us with the behaviors of animals in the wild. I think it’s really cool and is a huge reason why the book was a huge success. I also like how Collins right off the bat acknowledges a forming relationship between Katniss and Peeta. In the back of your mind, you can’t help but keep reading to see what happens between them because at the end of the Hunger  Games event, there’s only one winner. So how could their friendship or romance play out?

What I love the most about books like The Hunger Games is that for the first time in a long time since the Harry Potter Series, it got people to read. Not enough people read “for fun;” it’s almost always school related lately. I can’t even tell you the last time I read for fun, honestly. Reading this book made me appreciate reading for fun again. I really did forget how enjoyable it can be and I plan to read more books on my own over the summer now. The power of a book is ridiculous.