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I just finished the Hunger Games trilogy and I must admit that I am one of those people who started reading these books after enjoying the blockbuster movie. I don't read science fiction, like ever, but after hearing about how good the novels were from friends on Facebook I decided to give them a read. I was lucky enough to snag the Kindle book trilogy for $5 on Amazon and since I was on vacation this week it seemed like the perfect time to dive in.
Hunger Games Trilogy
My Rating: 3 out of 5  

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The plot of the trilogy is pretty grim: the story takes place in "Panem", a country consisting of the wealthy Capitol and twelve districts who provide goods and services for the Capital but remain in various degrees of poverty. Each year children from the twelve districts are chosen to participate in a televised fight to the death produced by the Capital. These death matches are called The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen volunteers for one of these matches in order to save her younger sister (who unfortunately is drawn the first time her name is entered). Katniss doesn't stick to the program during her time in the arena and her defiance is seen as a threat to the system of power that rules Panem, a threat that must be eliminated.

The first book (The Hunger Games) was my favorite but my enjoyment waned as I progressed through Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I can appreciate the social commentary and the point that Suzanne Collins was trying to make. I understood Katniss's development as the lead character but in the end I just didn't like her. She turned into (or was forced into becoming) a person I just couldn't root for anymore. At the risk of spoiling anything I won't go into anymore. Suffice it to say that there are plot issues that turned me off of the trilogy but I will commend the author in that the story is gripping and fast-paced, which I did like. Lucky I was on vacation because there were many late reading nights! I couldn't put the books down, but I think part of that was because I kept hoping that as I kept reading I would like it more. I didn't but, who knows, maybe this is one of those stories that requires multiple reads to really get. Or perhaps science fiction novels really aren't my thing.

I will admit though that I am eagerly looking forward to the movie sequel coming out this fall. This might be one of those franchises where the movies are better than the books.

FINISHED BOOKS:
#1 - The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#2 - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
#3 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
#4 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
#5 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

NEXT BOOK: #6 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald