Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

I have read many books over the years and one that stuck with me for quite a long time, since fifth grade, is Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet. I think Suzanne Collins has, not arbitrarily, trumped Paulsen for a novel that will stick with me for ages. The novel is reminiscent of a terrific Japanese film, Battle Royale, and is as thrilling as any movie I've seen lately. The conceptual framework that Collins conceives is utterly fantastic. Obviously, she set the book up to be a series (or so it seems to me) which is great for 1. marketing and 2. as a y.a. novel, getting kids to read, and read a lot. The pace of the book is unbridled, it just keeps going, and keeps the reader wanting more...and more.

The characters are riveting, likable, and fascinating to behold. The construction, and eventual destruction, of the 12-year-old Rue is both disheartening and uplifting. Before Rue's alliance, I constantly wondered what would become of her; such a young girl, everyone but one must die, no real skill beyond leaping from tree to tree. I didn't want her to die, of course, and Collins presented just about the most acceptable murder of a 12-year-old I could ever imagine. The relationship of Peeta and Katniss is one, in an undisclosed time and place (beyond what used to be the United States) helps mask the question of why in the hell society has degraded to the point that everyone must watch a 'game' where out of 24 young people, only one victor wins.

All three parts of the novel are thrilling, although maybe not equal in value. The middle section, with the beginning of the Games, is sort of a Battle Royale meets Lord of the Flies. Coupled with the aforementioned novel, this could be a great unit on survival. I am somewhat apprehensive of teaching this novel because of its violent nature, but its prose and terrific attention to detail are too much to pass up. I recently read that reading violent literature or playing violent video games does not lead to aggressive or violent behavior later in life and therefore, I find this novel one that I not only can teach, but SHOULD teach. I am certainly going to pick up the second novel in this series soon. I am very curious what becomes of District 12 and our 'star-crossed lovers' relationship. Romeo & Juliet now have some competition in literature with the 'out-there'-named Katniss and Peeta.