"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."I wasn't immediately hooked by the opening sentence - starting a novel with a character waking up is supposed to be bad, isn't it? - but it does pose a question: why is the cold side of the bed unexpected? Who is missing? That coupled with the jacketflap (oh alright, and the high praise the book has garnered) was enough to encourage me to read on, and by the end of the first paragraph we are introduced to the strange element of 'the reaping'. And now we're cooking.
From then on I was eating out of Collins's hand. A fitting metaphor considering she definitely worked the food angle of the Hunger Games. Early on we get a fairly loving description of Katniss eating a blackberry: "I break the delicate skin with my teeth. The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue." As you may have guessed from the title (I admit I didn't but better late than never) food plays an important role in this book because it plays an important role in Katniss's world, even before the Games. This is a girl who has always had to struggle to survive, has literally had to find her own food. With that one description of eating - the level of attention paid to a single berry, the violent undertones of "break[ing] the delicate skin" and the taste that "explodes" - we are getting a subtle introduction into Katniss's world and struggles.
Then her life really goes downhill as she tries to tell friend from enemy and fights for her life against the elements and the other tributes- the kids she will have to kill or be killed by. Trailing Katniss as she battles, using old skills and new and a good deal of good sense, you can't help but fall in helplessly on her side. But as you're reading, there's always the awareness that at the end of the day cheering her on is condeming twenty-three other children to die. Collins has created a character we want to see succeed against a world with unbelievable cruelty that she has cruelly made too believable.
To the tiny handful of people left in the world who haven't read this book- read it, there's a reason everyone else has.
For more info/reviews check this book out on Amazon UK/US.
It didn't hook me right away either, but once it did, I was obsessed. I read it in two days...nights, rather, because I made the mistake of opening it as I got into bed. Then was shocked to see the clock read 2am. I still didn't want to put it down! I was late to the series as well, but I think that worked out better because I was able to devour all three in a row!
ReplyDeleteI agree that coming to a trilogy once the series is over does have the bonus of being able to read them all at once, though you do miss the communal anticipation stage! I'll definitely have to make time to read the two sequels between the books to review.
ReplyDeleteAnd it really was 'unputdownable' as they say- Collins does a fantastic job of ending her chapters on cliffhangers without seeming trite. I guess when your character faces problems every few pages, when a mini-disaster occurs at the end of every chapter it seems only natural: of course Katniss is in trouble again, now how is she going to get out of this one?
- Sophia.
I normally don't read dystopian fiction, but I loooooved this book. My heart ached for Katniss, and I was rooting for her from the beginning. Collins did an amazing job. I still haven't read the other two books in the trilogy yet!
ReplyDeleteWow, this sounds great!! I definitely feel like I'm missing out. Haha, we had the same thoughts at that first sentence: isn't waking up a bad way to start a book??
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment on my blog. Your quote from Sexing the Cherry is one of my absolute favorites!!! I put it in a post awhile back and got so excited when I saw it on yours :)
Julie- I haven't read much dystopian fiction (I read 1984 and The Giver last year, that's pretty much the extent) but the ones I've read I've liked, not least of all The Hunger Games. I'll definitely be reading the next books in the trilogy but no reviews from me so you don't need to worry about spoilers!
ReplyDeleteSaumya- It's no problem, I've been reading (and agreeing a lot!) for a while so I was past due to comment. And you should definitely give The Hunger Games a go, I'll be reading the rest of the trilogy without a doubt!
I'm one of the handful of folks left who haven't yet read this book, but I'm aware of it. Your assessment of it will make me try and find it tomorrow when I visit the bookstore.
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