Jenn will be commenting soon. But I thought I might as well get things started.
Since I had never heard of The Hunger Games previously, when I saw Becca reading it, during our family's summer get-together, my first thought was “Oh...another diet book.” Obviously though, no diet book could have riveted her attention the way this did.
Unlike the other books we’ve been reading I wasn’t inspired to do a lot of underlining and margin noting, but it certainly held my interest. The whole idea of the hunger games reminds me of ancient Rome and the gladiators. It’s so barbaric and uncivilized that initially it seems beyond the realm of possibility. But it did happen anciently, and as a society we’re certainly on a downward slope and moving fast! I can’t help but think of our fascination with reality tv shows where only the cleverest and strongest...... the fittest survive, and I wonder if it could ever actually evolve into such nightmarish evil.
– Aunt Louise
Grandma Mary wrote:
I have mixed feelings about The Hunger Games. It is an exciting book to read and far different from the books I ordinarily read. I can understand why younger people and especially teenagers would enjoy this book. I was glad to finish it and it left me up in the air. It is a trilogy – so the end is far away. I don’t think I will read the other two books – but would dearly like to see the last page of Book III!!!
JENNIFER'S DISCUSSION POINTS:
I heard the buzz about The Hunger Games long before I finally decided to read it. I would overhear people talking about it in little bits and pieces – never enough for me to understand the plot, but I was intrigued. Finally, I decided to check it out for myself, and it didn’t disappoint.
Although the book is futuristic, I appreciated the text to world connections. I felt like Suzanne Collins was giving a nod to Survivor, Wipe Out, Lost, and American Gladiator. It makes you wonder if this is where reality TV is headed? What will TV producers and directors do to push the envelope to keep ratings high…Extreme Survivor? And more importantly, what will the public do about it… Will we choose entertainment over humanity?
As in The Giver, 1984, Freedom Factor, and more recently The Uglies trilogy, the theme of the book is government control. The possibility of such a thing is perplexing and disconcerting. However, I think it is important to realize that every day we are inching closer and closer.
This book was not one of my all time favorites, but it was a great read. From the “grabber” lead to the very last page, I was captivated. It’s a book that really made me think and ponder. Ilah recently started reading it, and I am anxious to discuss it with her.
Looking forward to YOUR comments on The Hunger Games!
Haha, I'm pretty sure I've never read a diet book in my life!
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting on Jenn to spear head the book discussion. :) No pressure. :)
Becca, I should have said "another book on nutrition" as I'm sure you've never been concerned about dieting like so many of us are or have been. Be SO grateful that for you The Hunger Games is just a fictional novel.
ReplyDeleteI really liked The Hunger Games, and I would recommend it to any teen. The war psychology was fascinating, and I appreciated that all of the characters had flaws. I liked that there was only a little romance in the book, because it seemed more realistic to their age and what they were going through. I'm one of the few people I know who loved the third book. It doesn't have all of the elements of a traditional happy ending, but perhaps that's why I liked it. By the way, if you don't want to read the next two books, the last two chapters of the third basically sum everything up. :)
ReplyDeleteI REALLY enjoyed Hunger Games. I had heard about it from friends but it didn't interest me until we decided to read it. The whole idea is barbaric and disturbing and Jenn's discussion points made me think.... I am thankful that life is generally peaceful and that people are generally good. Enough said - This is totally off the subject but I was over visiting Grandma the other day and found out some pretty cool things about her - maybe you already know then but it was new to me... Did you guys know that Grandma played the cello in high school and was really good at it? She even "scored" an EXCELLENT at a competition! Did you know that when Grandma was a little girl she was in 4H and she won a big statewide competition for canning and preserving? It was in the newspaper! Did you guys know that when she went on her mission she had a neat experience sharing the gospel with a minister of another faith and it was written up in the Church News in the 1980s? Did you know that her birth certificate says Maria instead of Mary? And for those of you who haven't see the resemblance between Jenn and Grandma, I was looking through a yearbook of Grandma's and once again I was amazed at how similar they are - they're twins only generations apart! That is something to envy as Grandma is absolutely gorgeous! Well, love you all!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to reread the Hunger Games--it's still on hold at the library. However, I do remember from reading it when it first came out that it was a book I didn't want to put down. Suzanne Collins also wrote a series called "Gregor the Overlander" that my kids enjoyed a lot.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I liked about Hunger Games:
Katniss' self sufficiency. It's funny that being forced to hunt for her family's survival led to her winning the games set up by the empire--she won because of what they didn't give her.
Katniss staying human and taking care of her friend from district 11 -- that was more important than winning to her.
What I didn't like:
The scenes with her "makeover team" made me squeamish. It's worse in the second book with Joanna. It's too bad that writers put things in books like that--like I don't want my son reading it even though the rest of it is a good story.
All the killing and gore. (Paul says it's not as bad as the Old Testament--I appreciate him for giving me some persepctive).
That said, I am planning on reading Mockinjay. Evelyn brought it home from the school library and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends.
Adrienne - I loved the "little known facts" about Grandma! That should be a regular post here... Maybe even Grandma could write a tidbit - something about her life that we might not know.
ReplyDeleteJulie - thanks for the book suggestion. Can't wait to read Gregor the Overlander.
I echo what the Wallace family suggested about posting some more little known facts about Grandma.
ReplyDeleteI too love the idea of spot lighting some of Grandma's little known facts. So consider this another opportunity to share.
ReplyDeleteI just happen to have thought of one that relates to the book club in a way. With all her reading during the week the only books she will read on a Sunday are doctrinal! No novels etc. Just one of the many ways she keeps the Sabbath Day holy.