Hungry

I have a confession to make.

The last few days I have been lost in the world of The Hunger Games.

It started out innocently enough. Everyone and their dog has been talking about it. I looked it up on Amazon and realized I could download it for a mere $5. The next thing I know it's 3 days later and I've read all three books and seen the movie.

Ridiculous. Honestly, I couldn't stop reading.

I started the Harry Potter series and didn't get very far before I gave up. I think book 3. I've never even cracked open a Twilight book.

I read all the Chronicles of Narnia books and the Lord of the Rings books. What's funny is the fact that I'm not a daily reader. Once in a while I go through a phase when I can't be satisfied and then I leave it alone for a few months.

Jared and I couldn't help but notice the similarity between the Hunger Games and Twilight in that both have a strong female character that is greatly desired by two leading men. I can't help but wonder if that isn't in part why the female population is so smitten. What woman doesn't want to be wanted, desired? These characters, Katniss (Hunger Games) and Bella (Twilight) have two men begging for their love.

As a writer, I really enjoyed the author's writing style. She's very descriptive and does a great job of helping you visualize this post-apocalyptic world. It's a classic battle of good vs evil. It also shows just what a world with a Dictatorship looks like. It seems far fetched in the book for us cozy Americans, but this type of cruelty and total lack of value for human life is a reality to a large percentage of the world's population.

I really didn't think the movie held a candle to the books. In fact, if you haven't read the book I'm not entirely sure the movie would make that much sense. They just can't possibly relate all the back story and details spelled out in the book.

In my opinion, I recommend the Hunger Games for a mature audience. There's no cussing, and no descriptive sexual content. It is a story about an uprising and war so, of course, there is a lot of fighting and death. It is an interesting and compelling love story, but I can't help but compare the "Capitol" to what we know of Ancient Rome. This fiction is reminiscent a very real time in our history.

Unfortunately, it's not that far fetched.