Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love. (link)

Review: 4/5

Okayyy, let’s talk about the Hunger Games, shall we? This one will be longer than my normal review, just because I have a lot to say (and I review all three books)! My overall thoughts; I mean, this series is as classic as ever. I was growing a special relationship with reading when I was in middle school, which was when this series came out. I have always been queasy to blood and gore (which was later diagnosed as Vasovagal Syncope) so I was reluctant to read these books when I was twelve/thirteen. Once I did read them, OH did I love them. It started my spiral into the dystopian structure that I truly believed paved the way for the current trends of obsession regarding fantasy. After I read the original HG, I threw myself into series like Divergent, The Selection, Tomorrow Girls, The Giver, etc. Needless to say, I became obsessed! So when the newest HG book (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) was turned into a movie, I watched it three times in theaters. THAT is rare for me. So, I decided to reread the trilogy and include the newest addition of BOSAS to my repertoire. Sidenote: if you didn’t know, I watch movie adaptions first then read the book so I don’t get as upset #loophole.

The Hunger Games. This book was as amazing as when I read it when I was young and very impressionable. I may or may not have braided my hair, and wore utility jackets and lace up boots everyday. I might have had a Mockingjay necklace and pin. I might STILL have a crossbow and bow & arrow that I still love to shoot. Okay, so maybe I let the hype and love for this book direct my life choices and style. But as I’m rereading the book, I’m glad that I viewed Katniss as a role model at that age. She is such a strong female character, not led by romantic interest (in the first book), who truly loved her sister and wanted to stay alive for her. I LOVED rereading this and applying my own older sister insight to Katniss’ narration. Ummm, I also never realized how little she liked Gale romantically. I loved realizing how my mindset shifted from thinking her world revolved around the boys (as directed in the movie franchise) to how little she really cared about them in the books. It was easy to see she cared about them in a platonic way, but with her cultural climate, she couldn’t imagine more.

My only beef about the first book is the fact Peeta has a prosthetic leg! I honestly don’t remember that happening in the books from my original read, and it was definitely NOT in the movies (I did just rewatch them all). I wish they kept that in the movies, because it could have done a lot for representation and for Peeta’s story line. I feel like in the movie, Peeta was made out to be weak and need Katniss, when we know from the books, that’s not true at all. They were really a brains and brawn couple, to be honest.

Now for Catching Fire… This movie has always been my favorite of the trilogy because I’d marry Sam Clafflin (who plays Finnick Odair) if given a small chance. And who would honestly blame me? In my notes app, I mostly wrote things that were different from the movie that I wish we would have seen in it.

First, the fact that Katniss knew what the Mockingjay symbolizes was huge for me. I think in the first and second movie, she’s very unaware of her role of the symbol of uprising, which kind of painted her as unaware of the state of her culture. However, in the books, she’s very aware of the differences in districts and even knows about how District 8 was completely demolished from an uprising. And even bigger, she met two people who escaped from District 8, helped them get situated on their way to District 13 (food and clothes), and they even told her about the unrest in the districts! THIS WAS HUGE!! In the movies, she has no idea about it until the end of Catching Fire.

Another few facts I wish I remembered or were in the movies; Katniss being genuine friends with Madge, the mayor’s daughter. I felt like this was another parallel between Katniss and Lucy Gray (I’ll talk more about this next week, trust) that was cool to notice. Then, Katniss gets blackout drunk with Haymitch after finding out about the reaping? I would’ve loved to see more of that than we did in the movie. Then, when Peeta insisted that he, Katniss, and Haymitch all get fit before the reaping so they can be better prepared was really important and showed more of Peeta’s character, as well. It showed me that he knew he wanted to be stronger for himself and Katniss, and he wanted to prepare for another set of Games as well as he could. Katniss’s good acquaintance being turned into an Avox and meeting her in the capital when she goes back for her games was SHOCKING.

But, the biggest thing… WE GOT HAYMITCH’S BACKSTORY!? Why did I not remember that??? I guess middle school me was more interested in the love story (I don’t blame her) but I thought the way they went through Haymitch’s games was SO interesting, and even necessary for his backstory. I loved how it showed how smart Haymitch has been since he was a kid, and he’s always had a knack for survival and a passion for humiliating the Capital. He always talks about how the Capital can’t hurt him because there’s no one else for him that he loves, and it’s because he was already punished for his previous stunt in the Games… HARD HITTING!

I loved the scene where Peeta and Katniss have their picnic on the rooftop the night before the games. I feel that this really showed another aspect of their relationship that wasn’t necessarily romantic, but it was important for them to bond in their own way. I feel there was a parallel between Coriolanus Snow’s metaphor of a safe haven on his rooftop (BOSAS) and Peeta and Katniss’. Then Cinna dies the next day… so you can't be happy for too long, I suppose.

In the games, when the group is following along on the edge of the forcefield, I thought it was genuinely funny how the group was throwing nuts and other foods against the forcefield to cook them. Then Mags dies… again, can’t be happy for too long!

Mockingjay… Oh Mockingjay, where do I start with you? First of all, the character Flavia was completely scrapped from the movie, which I feel neutral about. She didn’t add much to the story, but also why would you completely scrap a character who added SOMETHING to the story?

I think the importance of Katniss having her pearl that Peeta gave her while she was in District 13 was so needed! It showed her connection and longing for him, when that doesn’t really come across in the movie until she demands for him to be rescued. I also loved in the book that Katniss saw Peeta’s video when she was with Finnick, not Gale. LIKE WHY GALE? Gale sucks! Ew, Gale!

Katniss having an earpiece while in the districts and Haymitch reprimanding her for not listening… really showed their father/daughter type of relationship. I’m not sure father/daughter is the right way to talk about it, but the kind of parental, guiding relationship… I wish we saw more of how much Haymitch truly cared about Peeta and Katniss like they were his own family.

I WISH we got to see how Katniss and Joanna’s relationship deepened, too. The way they trained together was so important in showing Katniss’ development and character arc of becoming someone who can help and care for others while not really in survival mode. I thought the parallel of her taking care of Joanna and her taking care of Primrose was really important.

I refuse to talk about Prim’s death. Once again, ew, Gale.

I also thought it was really interesting how Effie only shows up when Snow is about to be executed… I thought this was kind of signifying the end of the Capital, and it was so important for Katniss to see that. Why did they change that in the movie? I’ll obviously never know.

So… that’s it! I know, not much to talk about eye rolling. But, now for the playlist! I know, there’s still a playlist! There are a few songs from the original soundtrack, but obviously I took most of my own liberties. So, fighting for your life? Hating the government? Powerful women? Rage Against the Machine? Florence & the Machine? Sure! Here it is, for your enjoyment.

Spotify: LINK