Last week I unashamedly dove into part two and three of The Hunger Games trilogy (Catching Fire and Mockingjay) and as they're essentially two parts of one story I thought one blog would suffice. My conclusion on this thrilling teen series is:
The first book's the best, but it's worth reading until the end.
As I followed Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch and others through opposing political orders, rebellion, war, madness and grief, the trilogy kept me hooked though did not entirely sate my appetite. I was interested in Cinna's back story, I wanted to explore more of the cultures and landscapes of the districts, I was keen to explore the history of this distopian North America with it's hunger and brutality. Sadly these things were touched on and breezed over. I can't help wondering what The Hunger Games could have been in the hands of someone like Mr Stephen King; a master of worlds, subtext and little regard for brevity.
Don't get me wrong they weren't bad. They were good... The story just captured my imagination in a way that I wanted it to go deeper and further. The first book I'd give four stars in five the following two I'd give three. Now to thumb through the pages of a book written by a good friend... Approaching God by Lisa Borden :)