Book Review: Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

These books are the second and third books in the Hunger Games Trilogy.   We recently read the series for my book club (personal, not business) and I think they are a great book club selection.  There is just soooo much in these books to discuss, ponder, speculate, and theorize.  If you missed it, here is my review of the first in the series, The Hunger Games.

So book two (Catching Fire) starts out exactly where book one left off:  Katniss and Peeta are back in District 12, living the posh life in the "victor's village."  But the Capital has not forgotten them, or their defiance of the Hunger Games.  If anything, they are more in danger than ever.  The increasingly large number of rebels see Katniss as their fearless leader and the Capital president (a creepier character has rarely been written by the way) has "encouraged" her to play his puppet role...or else.  Through an extra sinister twist, Katniss and Peeta are tossed back into the Hunger Games arena, with other past victors as opponents this time.  What follows is a densely-plotted story, part political thriller, part adventure, part coming-of-age with a hefty dose of teenage angst.  This was a good book but lacked the oomph of the first and sometimes read as more of a "bridge" to connect books one and three.

On to book three, Mockingjay.  This is when the proverbial poo really hits the fan.  Katniss has thwarted the Capitol again, but Peeta is now held prisoner there.  Katniss must rally the rebel army, save Peeta, keep her family safe, and deal with some very ambivalent feelings for two boys.  Just another day in the life of a 15 year-old hero.  As the rebels prepare for battle in an underground bunker, Katniss is thrust into a role that she is not prepared to play as the face of the rebellion.  The action picks up in the later chapters as the rebels push towards the Capitol and the line between good and bad become very blurred.  This book, if possible, is even darker than the other two, and fairly gruesome as well.  But, the story is interesting and Collins does an excellent job building a detailed and at times disturbingly familiar alternate reality.

If you like dystopias and action/adventures, than these books are for you.  Me, I'm glad that I read them but would rather not ever visit that particular world again!

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

So, the last "dystopia" I read was probably Brave New World.  In high school.  Because I had to.  I don't know why this particular sub-genre weirds me out, but it does.  Really, it's anything futuristic or science fiction-ish.  I've never even seen an episode of Star Trek!  Okay, so now that you know more than you really wanted to know about my sci-fi hang-ups, I'll try to move on!

I read this for my "friend" book club.  Basically just another excuse to get together and chat but we can pretend that it's "intellectual."  I would never have read it on my own (see above) so I was glad for the push to read it.  That's one of the best parts about book clubs, you end up reading something totally different from what you think you like, and generally discover something great in the process.  Oh yeah, the review!

In a strange sort of post-apocyloptic world, a young girl (Katniss) is struggling to help support her family by hunting, foraging, bartering, and generally getting by on her wits.  She lives in one of 12 seperate "districts" all controlled by a distant and aloof "Capital."  Once a year the Capital randomly selects one boy and one girl from each district to come and compete in what they call a game but is really a bloody, bizarre and voyeuristic sacrifice.  When Katniss's little sister is chosen, she instantly volunteers to go in her sister's place.  From 24 children, only one will leave the arena alive after the games are over, while the entire country is forced to watch on television.  It is the Capital's twisted way of keeping the "natives" subdued.  For Katniss, the dilemma becomes how to survive and return to a family who needs her while still maintaining her humanity in the face of deranged brutality.  

This is a roller coaster of a book that will draw you in from the first page.  I really don't even feel as though it can be described well.  What I want to say is just "Go read the book!"  It is disturbing, but also fascinating and thought-provoking.  Particularly as we become more obsessed with reality-television, or as we see deranged dictators being deposed on the nightly news, it does bring up the question of what is actually considered entertainment.  This is certainly a work of fiction, but it does bring to light some less than flattering aspects about our current culture.  

It is worth mentioning that this book is part of a trilogy and while I have only read the first so far, I do hear that they are all excellent.  Stay tuned!