The Hunger Games is the first book in a post apocalyptic trilogy in the tradition of Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World. Taking place in an unspecified future, society has gone bad, and a corrupt and immoral government is in charge.
What makes this book particularly engaging is the way it ties our cultural fascination with both reality tv and violence as entertainment into key themes of the book.
In short, 16-year-old Katniss is forced to be one of 24 annual ‘tributes’ to the Capital (each between the age of 12-18). These tributes are forced to fight to the death in a very large outdoor ‘arena’ while having their every move and conversation brodcast live to the nation for entertainment purposes (think of the television show Survivor, only with the contestants actually killing each other). The Capital uses this form of ‘entertainment’ both to captivate and to control the people.
I enjoyed this fast-paced novel. The story line was unique and engaging, while at the same time drawing out deeper questions about violence as entertainment. Unfortunately, as a culture, we’re not too far behind… Some of our favorite forms of entertainment celebrate the intended destruction of one image bearer by another (UFC).
Ron says all the 7th graders he knows like The Hunger Games… I say, those 7th graders are pretty cool
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