The Hunger Games Series

[hairlesswookiee]

I'm going to start reading the second book today or tomorrow. Been itching to read it since I finished the first one last week.

 

[carbo-fation]

I'm on to the third book already. I must say, second one was def. my favorite and as I continue to read the last book, I find Katniss less and less likable. The way the books are written, she just isn't someone I care enough to like but have no choice since the books are written from her POV.

 

[Kibishii]

Catching Fire is by far the best of the series in my opinion; great character interaction and the development of the relationship between Katniss and the Capital/Snow made the book darn-near impossible to put down.

Spoiler:

The author did an amazing job letting you understand the mental stress that Katniss was dealing with after the games and the loss of hope at being forced to 'fake' being in love with Peeta. The death of Cinna took me off guard and the Quell was more intense with the clock-disaster theme. Johanna and Fennrick were both great additions to the series. Overall a great book

I didn't care for the 3rd book because Katniss started getting annoying...there were simply too many over-the-top moments and Katniss's woe-is-me attitude got old; plus, the political social commentary wasn't as believable.

The books are great, but don't get your wife hooked on them or you won't be getting any nighttime lovin until she's finished.

 

[Darth Madden]

I just fininshed my 2nd read of the entire series (I was just going to read the first one again before I saw the movie but I just had to keep going) and I haver to say it was just as fun as the first time. A lot of stuff I forgot so it was neat to go thought it again.

 

[DarthNeil]

I'm going to start reading the second book today or tomorrow. Been itching to read it since I finished the first one last week.

I read the first one on Sunday (finally) and I'm hopefully moving on to the second one sometime this week.

I enjoyed the first one--- Not as good as a Bradbury view of the future, but it was OK.

 

[Wetanut]

Finished the trilogy. Liked the first book, liked the second book even better, was meh on the final book. Reminded me that Katniss is, after all, a 17 year old with all the emotional instability that age has.

First-person narratives are not my favorite, but the plot overcame it for me in books 1 and 2 and I didn't have any issues. In book 3, the narrative POV became a hinderance. And am still not sure whether I liked the ending. Maybe a re-read later will change my mind.

 

[The Josh]

Finished the series tonight. Very good from start to finish with only a few things I didn't care for. Book two was the best of the series but in the end I was happy with how it ended.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

I want to read this series, but I have to finish the game of thrones books first

 

[The Josh]

I want to read this series, but I have to finish the game of thrones books first

That's what I'm jumping into next.

 

[Kabukiman]

I was just about to give up on Catching Fire. It seemed like the story was going to focus exclusively on the lame "love triangle" angle. Then they got to District 11...

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I listened to all 3 on audiobook and they were ok (the narrator was kinda bad though). I was okay with how the books ended, but the climax of the third book, which is really the climax of all 3 books, was kinda blah. It seemed like the trilogy was building up to a huge event, and it started going that way. But when you get there, it's a series of smaller events that lead you to the resolution. And then Katniss's dragged out reaction to the final event takes all the steam out of it, so whatever momentum you started to build is quickly taken away with her reaction. I did like the epilogue to it and where she ended up was probably what was best for her. But overall it's a bit of a downer.

I hated how they handled Peeta throughout the third book.

Spoiler:

The fact that the climax was broken up into Prim getting killed, then Katniss executing the president, then waiting to see what the outcome of her actions would be, really took the steam out of the whole climax. I can see the movies handling this all better by zipping through some of those events, but in the book it just killed all the momentum. Her going off and hiding in her room to try and kill herself by starving herself to death was 1. such a downer and 2. so drawn out that it really took away from her killing President Coin and then finding out Snow was killed in the mob. I'm glad she ended up with Peeta and I like how she rationalized it, but I thought it was strange that they don't mention if Gale ever tried to see her again or why he didn't fight for her. And I hated that Finnick died.

The first book was good. Kept my interest and moved at a nice pace. Book 2 was a pretty good continuation of the first book. I really liked Finnick and thought it was a good story that fit into the larger narrative.

Spoiler:

It was a cool twist that the rebels had their plan to break Katniss and company out of the game.

I thought 3 was so-so, but a satisfying end.

Overall they're entertaining but surprisingly downbeat for their teen target audience.

 

[Kibishii]

I just finished reading all three books of the Maze Runner Trilogy and I thought they were more enjoyable than the Hunger Games; the series definitely had a more satisfying ending and the series got better as it went.