Hungry Hungry Hippos

Gosh, I should have done this blog entry right after I finished reading... I'm already having issues remembering all the things I wanted to talk about. La-dee-da... Okay, let's jump right into this.

BAM.

THE HUNGER GAMES.

Sounds cool, right? Yeah, it does. THE HUNGER GAMES. THE GAMES OF HUNGER. HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS. ...Yeah... that's not related in any way. Whatevs.

I had first heard of The Hunger Games from Stephenie Meyer (of Twilight fame), actually. She mentioned it on her website a while back when I was checking it on a regular basis... because... okay, I'll admit it. I was a pretty big Twilight fan... BEFORE the phenomenon rolled around and killed the fun for me. Dang phenomenon...

MOVING ON~

I just thought it was really cool that she actually dedicated an entire entry on her blog/website to the Hunger Games. That just sent big flashing signs my way-- THIS. BOOK. IS. WORTH. READING.

So I had pretty much determined that I was going to read this book. I am, however, extremely reluctant to purchase hardbacks. Only reason I do is if I know I'm going to reread them again and again and again (like my good ole Harry Potter books). So I kept putting it off. I picked it up on a few of my bookstore runs, but I kept telling myself to WAIT.

Couldn't wait.

Goodbye, 18 bucks.

Hello, Katniss Everdeen.

So, the story revolves around this 16-year-old girl, Katniss. She lives in a future world, in a country called Panem, in what used to be North America. (I wonder where the author got the idea for the name Panem. I'm always curious about those kinds of things.) She comes from a very poor family-- so poor that Katniss has to be the one to hunt for food.

Her life pretty much revolves around protecting and feeding her mother and sister until the drawing for the Games begins in her district.

See, in this future country, they hold the Hunger Games as sort of a punishment for the people. It's kind of a 'hey, we can take your kids and kill them and you can't do anything about it!'

And you must be confused by now... hmm... explanation time?

Panem is divided into twelve districts. The lower the number of the district, the poorer the district, essentially. (Katniss comes from 12, the lowest.) The country is run by the Capitol, the richest and most influential part of Panem. The Capitol controls the Hunger Games. And in these said Hunger Games, two teenagers are chosen from each district (for 24 total teens) to fight the others to the death.

The victor's prize?

Life.

Amongst other things... like fortune and fame and glory and all that jazz... but the most important thing is LIFE. THEY GET TO LIIIIVE.

And so right now you're saying, "Oh wow! Cool! Fight to the death! Bring it on!"

Um... yeah. So this fight to death is more of a... fight to survive? Not in some teched-out arena... but under the meanest conditions possible? Some teens have died in the Games without even getting a chance to fight. They can starve or die of thirst in addition to getting brutally murdered. And that just sucks, doesn't it?

Anyway, anyway, anyway-- Katniss' sister gets chosen to participate in the Games. Katniss refuses to let her leave and in order to protect her, volunteers to take her place.

And so Katniss gets thrust into this world that is much different than her own, and joins the struggle to survive. Some of the participants are small, some are huge. Some seem nice, some are terribly mean. Some are skilled, some are weak. And all have the desire to outwit, outfight, outlive the rest so they may have the opportunity of survival.

While I was reading, I couldn't help but think-- how would I go about this? What would I do if I was a participant in the Hunger Games?

I'd like to say that I wouldn't be a jerk about it. That I wouldn't team up with others, planning to backstab those around me. I don't even think I'd be able to kill another, even though that means that more than likely, I myself would be killed.

I like to think that my actions would somewhat resemble those of Foxface, a cunning, sneaky girl who has a knack for surviving without participating in the fighting in any way. But who knows? It's hard to say.

So if you ever have the chance to get your hands on this (reccommended!) book, it'd be interesting to think about which character's actions and motives you are able to relate to the most.

It'll really make you think about yourself... which seems super lame, I know. But it's worth the reflection.

Okay... Ending notes, I suppose...

1. I loved this book. But I generally like dystopian literature, so that might be a factor.

2. At first, it seems like another 'poor kid gets his big break' story. And yes, that may weave into the storyline, but it's much more than that. It's different and special, just like Katniss.

3. Any romantics out there (just like me) who love pairing up characters and trying to decide who ends up with who in the end? Yeah. That's a good chunk of fun in this book. I was freaking out a lot, and my choice of boy for Katniss kept changing! ... Good times, good times.

4. It's actually the first in a series of three. And I am a huge fan of series, mostly because it gives me more opportunity to get super attached to the characters. So I can't wait to read the next one, Catching Fire.

But... it's still in hardback... Maybe I'll be able to wait?

Yeah... no. Who am I kiddin'? I can't wait.

Impossible!