The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I decided a while back that I would have to read these books.  Ever since the whole Twilight fiasco, I have been a bit skeptical of "runaway teen bestsellers" but enough people persuaded me that The Hunger Games were very different from Twilight.  Fortunately, I agree!

Having heard that these books would suck me in and not let me get anything else done until I was finished, I had to wait until the end of June before being able to let myself start.  And so I borrowed copies of the three books from a friend (thank you, Rachel, if you are reading this!) and decided that the Canada Day long weekend would be devoted to the trilogy.  Well, not quite completely devoted - I didn't get started until Saturday evening, and did do my usual double-header church thing on Sunday morning, but I still finished the first book (The Hunger Games) while eating my supper on Sunday, and am now half way through the second book (Catching Fire).  A very pleasant long-weekend diversion.

What did I like about this book?  The description is so vivid that I was there with Katniss.  The action is non-stop, and even though I was pretty sure that I knew how the book would end, I didn't know how the characters would get there.  The concept is unique.  The main character is likable, but human with her own faults at the same time.  She is stubborn, independent, fiercely loving of her family, and loyal.  I hope that she doesn't lose these traits in the next books.

I'm not going to bother with a plot summary - unless you have been deliberately avoiding this book, I suspect that you already know the basic plot.  I'm a bit curious to see the movie now to see how they handle a plot that is essentially about forcing teens to kill one another without making it so graphic as to be unwatchable.

OK - enough about the first book.  I should be able to finish the second book this afternoon, so watch for more posts upcoming.