The Hunger Games

I decided to re-read "The Hunger Games" about a week before the movie came out.  I saw the movie, which was pretty good, and then re-read "Catching Fire" and then finally read "Mockingjay".  I am glad I re-read the first two because I barely remembered anything.

These books are very good and I recommend them, BUT the subject matter is rather horrific when you think about it.  In fact I never really thought about it until a couple of people admitted to me recently that they couldn't get through the books or didn't even want to read them because of it.  I am so glad I read all three.  The third book finishes it nicely.  I really thought that it would be a "Red Dawn" ending, but I'm glad it didn't end that way.

I really like this quote from the book.  (Possible spoiler alert.)  Katniss is at the end of her rope.

"I no longer feel any allegiance to these monsters called human beings, despise being one myself.  I think that Peeta was onto something about us destroying one another and letting some decent species take over.  Because something is significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its children's lives to settle its differences."

And that, really is the whole point.  It is a terrible thing that they have gotten themselves to this point and the story is kind of how they dig themselves out of this pit.  I also liking her closing comment.

"I'll tell them how I survive it.  I'll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I'm afraid it could be taken away.  That's when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I've seen someone do."

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and since then John has finished all three books.  He did not like the third book and it was my least favorite, but the ending was good.  Justin likes the comment at the end, "My children, who take the words of the song for granted:"  The song is Rue's song about the meadow.  I thought that was an interesting concept that struck him.