First dates tend to fall into three categories- Amazing, Ok, and Fake-an-illness-to-get-out-of-Awful. Reading the first book in a series is exactly the same-except you don’t have to wear make-up and taking it to bed on the ‘first date’ doesn’t make you slutty. But if you’re actually a bit of slut, like myself, having read many series before- you know that a good first book doesn’t mean that books 2 and 3 couldn’t still break your heart with bad writing and predictability.
My first date with the dystopian ‘The Hunger Games’ (see the trailer for the upcoming film) by Suzanne Collins has gone spectacularly well. Picture a post-acpocalyptic America- now divided into 12 Districts and controlled by the Capitol. As punishment for a long-ago rebellion, and as a reminder of the power of the Capitol, a girl and boy from each district are given as tributes to compete in the annual Hunger Games- a gladiator/big brother/survivor style occurrence where 24 children must not only attempt to survive harsh conditions (which could be anything from a forest, to a poisonous swamp, to artic conditions) but must also kill one another until only one is left. The book is too good to give much away- safe to say it follows Katniss Everdeen as she struggles through the bloodbath of the Games, and will give you 450 pages of pure suspense, a bit or romance and the inner workings of a rather flawed young girl, who had me when she questioned whether or not she loved her mother.
So my love affair has begun, and I can only hope that books two and three don’t let me down- I shall write a fuller review of the whole story arc when I’ve finished all three. Until then, don’t forget to Donate! (world horse welfare needs you) (and go out and read this book.)
The BookBimbo Chronicles 