Book # 14

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay

By Suzanne Collins

This was not a book series I intended to read. I had heard about it and the subject matter seemed sickening. Isn't there enough sickening in the world without adding depressing fiction to our brains? So you will laugh when you hear that once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Seriously.

My son was reading it for school and he surprised me because he is not a big reader, yet every chance he got, I would see him reading it. So last Saturday night, after he had finished it, I asked him if I could read it before he took it back to school. Of course, I am always curious about what interests my sons. So after I put my youngest to bed at 8pm, I started reading. At 1am, I reluctantly dragged myself to bed and then most miserably lay there, fidgeting, until I exclaimed "What's the use?" I threw back the covers and continued to read until 4am, when I finished it.

The Hunger Games

It is a story set in the United States--now called Panem--far in the future. The political structure is different, yet the same. The Capitol is located in the Rocky mountains, surrounded by 12 districts, all who work different specialties, all for the benefit of those living within the Capitol. There used to be 13 districts, but at one point there was a revolution, which was quelled and all the inhabitants of section 13 were annihilated.

As a punishment for, and reminder of the rebellion, every year, each district has a lottery, where 2 children, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18, are sent from their population to be a tribute. They are briefly trained and then sent into an elaborate arena, where they fight each other to the death until there is only one survivor. This is all filmed for the entertainment of the inhabitants of the Capitol. The residents of all the districts watch too, yet for them it is not entertaining. The one survivor is taken home with honor and lives in luxury for the rest of their life.

This story is told in the first person by a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen. She is a citizen of district 12 and ends up as a tribute. And that is all I'm going to tell, because if you are interested in an exciting tale, you should read it yourself. Just give yourself a day when you have no pressing matters or interruptions, because you won't want to put it down.

Catching Fire

So, I read the second book, Catching Fire, the other night. I had been putting it off because I wanted to finish Crucial Conversations and get it posted. So, I started the book at 11pm. I wasn't going to, but I'd had a nap that day and so I wasn't tired yet. Besides I thought that I would be safe because how could I possibly read it all the way through when I started it at 11pm? Well, I will tell you how. You don't go to bed that night. Uhg! I have no self control! I finished it at 6am. 

So, in this book Katniss has more adventures, of which I don't want to spoil for you, but I will say that this book made me think about some things. One, where is our country, and specifically our government going? And two, this book made me think of a tactic that I'm sure Satan is really good at. Provoke your victims into fighting each other, and they will do your work for you. They will forget who their real enemy is.

Mockingjay
I had a little more self control with this book. I read it in 2 days. And it was good. I liked the ending, even though I hate books where your heroine has to choose between two men that she loves. But I was happy with her choice. That is who I would have chosen. Also you find out why the USA is now called Panem. "Panem et circenses". If you know Latin then you know what that means. Interesting little tidbit that makes you think more about where our country is headed.

Until next time ;o)