Book Journal: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games! A little fluttering on the wind that is steadily grasping attention. Now if there's one thing I like, it's highly envisioned action, which means that I really like The Hunger Games on a technical level. It surely isn't a perfect novel, with its flaws pretty obvious, but I have only read this first one in the trilogy, after all. In any event, this book has inspired a "list" review.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

1. Why, why on Earth is this book written in present tense? I understand the pretense for action and thus the inclination to use it, but present tense is so....Well, for fiction, it's just kind of forced. It's great for academics, it's great for verbal storytelling, but I think present tense in fiction doesn't allow the reader to ever delve into the character or the events. For a book focused solely on action, like The Hunger Games, it's not such a big deal, but it is noticeable nonetheless. It certainly gives the book a more "tell" than "show" vibe, but for a book that reads more like a video game, again...whatever.

2. What the hell was Collins thinking when she named her characters? Now, I'm all for weird names, especially names with meaning (Katniss comes from the katniss plant found in Appalachia, the region Katniss Everdeen is from...yes I get it)...but... her name is Katniss Everdeen. What a lame, lame name. And her friends are Peeta (which is...Indian?) and Gale? And then everyone in the capital has a Latin name (Cinna, Caesar) to parallel how ahead of the game Rome was back in the day, especially compared to all the "barbaric" regions around it? These names blow. Hard.

3. At least in Book 1, the characters are all pretty thinly drawn. Katniss is most developed, but that isn't saying much. Gale and Peeta are stick figures of characters, and Cinna and Katniss's relationship is beyond forced upon the reader.

4. The copy-editing is borderline atrocious. That's not Collins' fault though. C'mon, Scholastic, I get that all your time and energy goes to Harry Potter but cut the rest of us writers some slack, would you?

5. The action is incredibly awesome-paced. This book goes down like water.

6. A giant arena that changes setting!!!!! HOLY CRAP THAT IS SO COOL! IT'S A DREAM FOR AN IMAGINATION LIKE MINE!

Rating: 7/10