The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

TUESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2012

I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  on the recommendation of a very good friend who kindly let me borrow their book. Like myself, he loves his books and his writing and I finally got round to reading The Stand by Stephen King last year – again which he let me borrow (and I still have ooops! I will return all these I promise Andy!)

Actually, this book reminds me ofThe Standin a way as it is all about the fight for survival.

The Hunger Games is set in the future in Panem; where there is a Capitol and twelve Districts. Each year, there is a reaping in which twelve boys and twelve girls aged 12-18 are chosen by a system of names in glass bowl that are drawn at random. They then have to compete in The Hunger Games – a fight to the death – as there can only be one winner.

The scene in which the draw takes place reminded me of a short piece of writing I studied in my Creative Writing Class last year – Shirley Jackson ‘The Lottery’.

I have had this book a few weeks just lying patiently by my bed, waiting for me to finish New Moon on my Kindle (which I still haven’t – 90% of the way there though.)

So, last night, I thought hummm…I will just read a couple of pages ofThe Hunger Gamesbefore I go to bed.

Three hours later and about 150 or so pages in I was still lying curled up at 1am this morning unable to put it down.

Even once I dragged myself away from it and made the painful decision to turn the bedside lamp off, I lay there thinking about it for most of the night, eventually drifting to sleep. In hindsight, I should have stayed up and devoured the whole novel

So, first thing this morning – pot of coffee on and snuggled on the settee, all plans of housework abolished as I settled in to read another hundred or so pages.

I eventually prised myself off the settee, had a shower and did some writing on my own novel (another 2,000 or so words on my Novel Project 2012 – reading really does help you write.) After that I went to the gym, but not before fitting in a few more pages.

I have then sat this evening and consumed every last word in this book, including the Author Interview at the end.

I had  to. There was no other choice; I so desperately wanted to know what happened.

The storyline itself is very thought-provoking and had a similar effect on me as to what The Stand did; although it is highly unlikely to happen – but what if?  Panem – The Capitol and the Districts have risen out of disasters that destroyed North America, not too dissimilar to what happens in The Stand. Things like this really dig deep with me and burrow in, that one day a disaster could strike and it is left to the survival of the fittest (which I fear I may not be one!)

It was these thoughts in that respect that kept me wide awake, as well as the suspense that is present from beginning to end; what is happening next? Where can this lead? How on earth is it going to end?

It is told from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen and you really do experience the turbulent turmoil of emotions she goes through. At times I felt my heart beating fast and I was on edge with suspense, my mind working overtime and what could possibly happen.

It’s not hard to see why this has been made a film, which is actually out on March 23 2012.

And this is only the first book in a trilogy!  I may need to cross out two days in my diary as ‘duvet days’ and dedicate them both to the next two!

As soon as I completed the book I fired up the laptop to record my thoughts on here – for anyone who will listen but more to remind me what I thought and felt about the story.

A must, must must read!

Love Missuswolf xx