I
went into this book with some apprehension, simply because it seemed
like it might be a little dark and violent for my tastes. I actually
talked to quite a few people about the book before picking it up, just
so I could hopefully avoid getting halfway into the book and then
deciding to put it down.
In short, I loved it. It has been a
LONG time since I've read a book that had me on the edge of my seat the
whole time. I kept thinking I had certain aspects of the plot figured
out, only to be completely taken by surprise. (However, to Suzanne
Collins' credit, I usually liked her ideas better than mine.) I'm
usually not much of a fan of books in a series, just because I usually
feel like I need a break after reading the first one, and then I've
forgotten everything by the time I'm ready to pick up the second one.
But I have to say I'm really excited, and anxious, to read Catching
Fire.
So as far as the violence/subject matter goes, here's my
take on it: Yes, it is violent, no question, but I don't think it's any
more violent than novels about WWII. However, then you take the subject
matter (teenagers fighting to the death on reality TV), and it makes the
violence a little more gruesome. (To my relief though, there was less
face to face combat than I was expecting...although they relived some of
the moments too many times for my liking.)
Some people I talked
to felt that this book was rather depressing. However, I actually felt
somewhat inspired by it. I loved the main character, Katniss. She was
such a real and likeable heroine. I felt like the book showed the depth
of human love...we just can't escape caring about other people no matter
how dark and awful the situation.
Even though it is very
gripping and intense, it is also thought-provoking. Perhaps that's what
makes it such an enjoyable read. Regardless, any book after this one is
going to seem a little slow and dull.
I wrote this review before creating this blog.
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