Sumiko's Reads ~ The Hunger Games

There was some amount of arm twisting (just kidding, Sumiko!) to encourage my very good friend (and occasional bus rider) to send me a new post. Something told me Sumiko would have read these books. And I was right. Let's hear what she has to say about these dystopian trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

 I don't even know why I haven't written about these books before--possibly because it felt like they were so prominent in the zeitgeist that there was no need.

There is nothing obscure about Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games trilogy. The trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Monkingjay.

Set in a dystopian near future, it follows the life of a young woman who volunteers to take the place of her baby sister as a tribute from her district to the capital of the country. The tributes take part in a giant live-action reality TV show where the prize is their life and the cost is also their life.

I came to them [books] late -- via recommendations from friends around the time that the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, was published. So I was lucky enough to gobble up the first book and then move right on to the second. Now that all three are handy, I highly recommend having all three on hand if you are planning on reading them. Find yourself an open weekend and read, read, read! The plot is fast paced and very engaging: the characters are well-written and you care for them so the story moves along at a sprightly pace -- all of which encourages the reader to dive in and become engulfed in the story. The story itself brings up questions and situations that are both familiar and yet far enough removed to inspire thoughtful discussion. I imagine that these books would be good to read with your child should that be you situation.

I highly recommend them.

And there you have it from my very good friend Sumiko. She has not steered us wrong yet! Thanks Sumiko!