The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This has been on the to read pile for a long time.  It’s one that everyone knows I will love it has just taken me a while to get to.  On November 21st when I posted that I finally started, my best friend from middle school who I haven’t seen in over a decade said “I thought for sure you would have read these by now. I just heard about them myself, and I was disappointed in my own lateness. For shame, Ms. Jobe.”  I love that it’s been so long but at the core we are still a bunch of nerds.  We still read the same books.  We’re still those kid who wrote stories when we should be taking notes.  I know we both still write.

I was hooked within pages.  I laughed.  I cried.  I grinned. I felt what Katniss felt.  I felt protective of Prim.  I adored Rue.  Usually if there are two boys I have a strong gut reaction, but I’ll admit I’m just as torn between Gale and Peeta as she is.  It gives me the sense that at this point probably even Collins didn’t really know.  The technology is fantastic.  I love the mockingjay history and presence.  The mutts terrified me.  I’m sure that will be elaborated on later.  The interesting support team.  I am absolutely enthralled.  I might need to have Ben take the next two books and hide them so I don’t start them before I get my work done.The upcoming movie.  When I love a book this much movies scare me.  The excite me but I have been burned in the past.  This movie is even more interesting because part of it was filmed in my home town so really I’m going to watch it no matter what so that I can poke Ben in the ribs everytime a familiar place comes up.  The core aspect of this book that gives me misgivings about it being turned into a movie is actually one that comes up a lot with book to movie adaptations for me: the internal dialogue of the protagonist.  All those conversations she has with herself about what Haymitch wants her to do, especially later in the game when Peeta is around, I can’t seem to see how they are going to pull that off and still give her the same depth of character.

I don’t know why I’m worried about spoilers, most people have read it by now.  So I suppose if you haven’t read it don’t read past this.  I went into this expecting the beginnings of the revolution and they were there in the things her and Gale said before.  They were there in the things Peeta said on the roof.  When she got it, after Rue.  I cried as soon as Rue was hurt with the flowers I was almost sobbing, actually I think I peaked when the bread came.  I kept wondering if it would start early enough for some of the others to survive, but I suppose I knew security was too high.  I still can’t imagine how they can fight back, but it is hard to get an idea of the numbers of people in the districts versus the capital versus the Avox.  The genetic alterations were an interesting twist from the beginning but the mutations was something that definitely threw me for a loop.  Cato’s death was definitely the most gruesome.  I expected that they would revoke the two being able to win, but I was stumped as to how both were going to survive.  The berries impressed me greatly, pure genius and an excellent set up.  I loved the fire theme for the outfits, I’ll admit I can’t wait to see the movie versions.  I wish I could remember what all was filmed in Shelby.  As for the next book I’m super excited because she didn’t set it up too much.  I still expect revolution, but I don’t know how it will start or even who all our allies will be.  I like both Peeta and Gale, though I look forward to getting to know Gale more.  I don’t go in for this teams stuff.

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