I think I am the last person in the whole world to read The Hunger Games. I have been holding out because I couldn't figure out when the paperback version was coming out and I am cheap as hell. However, I got a good Borders coupon last week so I decided just to buy it. Anyway, I just finished it- like ten minutes ago. And I am not sure what to say, exactly, other than, "Holy crap!"
If I hadn't had plans today, I would have read it straight through. I started it very late last night and only went to bed because I had to be up early. I read pages whenever I got a chance throughout the day, and I devoured the remaining chapters when I got home. I did not expect to be grabbed like that by this book- like I haven't been by any book in quite a while. The lady at the bookstore told me I would want the next book immediately after I finished the first, and she was right. If I hadn't already spent a ridiculous amount of money on books this month, it would be on its way from Amazon right now... instead, I will give myself a week or two to really want it.
If you, like me, have been living under a rock for a while now, The Hunger Games is kind of like Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" meets The Giver meets Lord of the Flies or maybe Battle Royale, combined with the addictive, compulsive readability of Harry Potter. At first, the dystopian world is fascinating and you want to keep reading so more details will emerge, and after that, the action is nonstop. It is, in a word, gripping.
Ooh, and I get to knock one off of my list for the two YA Dystopian lit challenges I'm involved in now. Bonus!
Great review. I have not heard of anyone who did not like this book. I must read it.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this right now...it also reminds me of The Most Dangerous Game. Great book!
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