Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy {Part 2}

Now, after all the criticism of the last post, what did I actually like about the series?  Well, I have a confession.  I always insist that I hate post-apocalyptic fiction - it's absurd, sensational, depressing, etc.  But the truth is, it's terribly interesting.  I like thinking about the scenarios and trying to discover if they could really happen.  Quite intriguing.  So I liked The Hunger Games because I felt that some of it was applicable to real life, or how real life could be, eventually.  Also, despite my earlier condemnation of Katniss, there is one aspect of her character which made me realize something about myself: her dislike of owing people.  Kindnesses can make me very uncomfortable, and I always wondered why.  After reading this series I realized that it's because, like Katniss, when someone goes out of their way for me or my family, I need to try to pay them back, even out the score.  And it's silly, because a true kindness looks for no return, especially if it's something I really can't repay.  But it happens, nevertheless, and knowing the problem is always the first step towards fixing it.  So I'm grateful to Katniss for that.  (But I don't feel the need to repay her.)


Another thing I must mention is that I loved the songs included in the story - the valley song and The Hanging Tree.  The valley song is quite pretty and The Hanging Tree is creepy and intriguing, getting both stuck in my head even without tunes.  I wish there were tunes.

 Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

Taken on a shallow level, (a.k.a the level normal people would take it on), the series was enjoyable and fast-paced enough that it didn't start dragging at any point.  It was easy reading but, because of the content, didn't feel like reading an eighth-grade book.  


Overall, here's what I'd rate it:


Four stars out of ten
Two-and-a-half out of ten morality points
If it were graded the way movies are, I'd say PG-13
Recommended for mature readers age twelve and up, ordinary readers age fifteen and up.


Have you read this series? What did you think of The Hunger Games?