.*.*.*.*.*. THE HUNGER GAMES .*.*.*.*.*.

                      

For those of you who have been living under a rock, (not judging) OR do not have a teenager in your house, here is the basic premise of the series.

A Government desperate to not have a repeat uprising and to keep control of the people, chooses to do so by forcing them to sacrifice their children in an annual game, where they must fight to the death with only one victor. But they were not planning on one victor fighting the game her own way. In doing so, she does not only become the victor, but the peoples hero as well. As you can imagine, this does not set well with the Government. Will the Government be able to reign her in and control her? Or will this cause the very thing they were trying to prevent in the first place, another civil uprising? Oh and yeah, don't worry. It's not all about war and killing... it's got a love triangle too! :P

Now to start the actual post off, let me just say that ALL of these books are incredible.
This is definitely one of my favorite series.
They are SOOO much better than the movies!
So if you love the movies, I strongly recommend these books.

The first book in the series (The Hunger Games) starts you off through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen
an average resident in district 12. Just another average girl, but instead of choosing which shirt to wear to the mall, she is forced into a life or death situation. Kill or be killed. The winner gets rewarded with prizes like food and decent housing. Since people in district 12 starve, and live in houses one step higher than shacks, these are incredible prizes! But in the story, she makes bonds with people she is forced to kill, can she really bring herself to kill them? And a few times she nearly dies herself! But this story is truly amazing. It grabs you with both hands and never lets you go! Even if you have seen the movie and you're not interested in reading the book, you absolutely should. In my opinion, the movie and the book are like two different stories.


Like most books that have been made into movies, there are differences.

The book introduces new characters, and has a lot more dialogue which they didn't use in the movie.
It also has more scenes, and a better fight at the end.

In the movie, quite a few important events that happen are left out.
Examples: Katniss seems like a different person in the book than in the movie. In the book she is more afraid, and nervous and confused... But in the movie she is strong and brave and it seems like there is nothing she can't handle. That's one of the things I love about books, it lets you get into the characters mind. Your allowed to see what they are thinking, know how they are feeling... So Hunger Games fans, the books are a WAY better experience! The movie even changed where she got her pin!


The second book in the series (Catching Fire) is all about the beginning of a revolution. Hard to say which is better between this and MockingJay... because they are both so different in their plots. But personally, I think I'd side with Catching Fire. :)

Catching Fire focuses on the Government attempting to regain their control

over Katniss, by threatening her. Threatening to destroy everything and everyone she ever cared about. Forcing her to put on a facade that she truly loves Peeta, and that it was not an act of defiance against the government, but an act of love when she threatened suicide rather than killing him. But was their attempt at saving themselves successful? You'll have to read for yourself. :)

This book just gets better and better with each chapter.
I'd stay up till 4 in the morning with this book, once you start it just seems impossible to stop. So, warning, to those who like to get to bed early...
I WISH YOU LUCK.

Now when I saw the Catching Fire movie, I loved it. I have to admit, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

BUT, this movie was even more different from the book than the first,
EXAMPLES: In the book, Katniss breaks her foot, she has a whole scene where she tries on wedding dresses, and she runs into two whole new characters, which they didn't even bother to include in the movie.
I won't say anymore, but as you can see, they leave out QUITE a few details in the movie, therefore making the book... worth reading.

But the thing that really irks me about the movies is the details it leaves out about characters. Like little things they do that lets you get to know them. An example, in the book, they showed Haymitch (a previous victor turned coach) and his games, and how he won. In my opinion, I think that is pretty important. In the movie, Haymitch gives the victors advice for SURVIVING the games, yet we don't even know how he survived his own.

And that's not all, in the movie they leave out little details about my personal favorite character, Peeta. He does some really caring things for people in the book, not just Katniss. Like, when the morphing was dying in his arms, in the book, he told her to focus on the sunset and point out all its colors, and then she used her blood and painted a little picture on his cheek. Then he responded, "Thank you, its beautiful." Now see that was really touching! But in the movie they didn't care to add any of that. Grrrr.

But there is one character that they just made into a completely different person in my opinion... Finnick. From all the comments, and posts I've seen, everyone who read the books, adores Finnick. So yes I was very discouraged when they introduced him in the movie... I wasn't even sure if it was him at first! I just hope when they make the the third movie, they at least somewhat touch Finnick's real personality.

Okay, lets move on to the third book, shall we? (MockingJay). It's when everything gets serious. If you thought Catching Fire was serious or even gruesome, you haven't seen anything yet.They took it to a...

("Whole, nutha, level.") Seriously.

 All the child's play is gone, and now the characters are taking place in an actual WAR against the Government. I know, awesome right!?



                                     


A revolution has started, and all the people who Katniss inspired with her acts in the first games, are the cause of it. The only problem, they made Katniss the leader, the "MockingJay." And she didn't even know she was, nor did she 'want to be.' It involves a whole conspiracy. Who are the ones behind it? The ones she trusted most. All the stresses and lives she was forced to take, all begin to weigh on her. Will she be able to lead the people to salvation and be their leader? Or will all hope of a better future vanish.
This is the most surprising book of them all. The series has taken a whole new turn, and with new new angles comes change. So it only makes sense
that the characters are all changing as well. Just some for the better, and some for the worse...

Unfortunately, to keep things suspenseful, so many of our beloved characters have to die. Suzanne Collins really understands how to tug on all the fans heart strings, cause I know I shed a few tears... but don't tell anyone. :P

Now if you still refuse to read the first two Hunger Games books, all you Hunger Games fans need to at least read this one. First of all, WHO knows what major scenes they will leave out in the movie! UGH just the thought is awful. But the second, more convincing reason, is you all who only want to see the movies will have to wait until 2015, to see how it ends. That's right 2015.

The movie MockingJay is going to be split into two parts..... so I've come to the conclusion that the movie people just like to torture us. :P

For those of you people who like action, nail biting suspense, constant surprises, and war theme, (Like myself) MockingJay will be your favorite hands down!

So, overall, Suzanne Collins definitely did an amazing job with this series. Not only is she my favorite author, but there's just no end to all the twists, surprises, and suspense in these books! One after the other after the other... Lets just say they keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. :)

In conclusion, ill say reading these books, (even if you have seen the movies) is not a waste of time.
I love all these books, I own all of them, and I cherish all the moments I've spent reading them. I hope for all you hungry readers out there who have read them, or are planning to, enjoy them as much as I do. :)

BUT....... if there are STILL some of you who refuse to read...

;)


                                             Overall, I give this series...  9/10!!!

                                                               Loved it!

Have you read the Hunger Games?
Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the books/movies?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!


To: All my viewers...
Always remember, 

Laugh often, 
Love without control, 
And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :)