leighp Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I had never heard of this series until the other day when the thread was going about Mockingjay. I started reading it last night and couldn't put it down. I stayed up way too late, read off and on today, while neglecting my children, and stayed up too late tonight finishing it. It was soooooo good! Thank you for the recommendation. Thanks to my Kindle, I already have books 2 and 3 ready to go! I live in the middle of nowhere, so I would have been at the mercy of Amazon and UPS otherwise. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 They're good, aren't they? I'm about 525 in the library queue waiting for 325 books to be returned so that I can read Mockingjay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 What ages is The Hunger Games for? My eleven year-olds recently received it for a gift. I haven't taken the time to read yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 My ds13 loves it. It has an intense theme: distopian government that forces the populace to send two tributes from each district to kill each other off in these annual Hunger Games. It does have violence of course (see above theme) but it isn't too graphic. It has a love story with kissing but nothing further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I also had never heard about The Hunger Gamers before the other thread. I was very surprised to see The Hunger Games in our library system, I now have part 1 and 2 at home, however I will probably have to wait a year before they buy part 3. I started it yesterday and I really like it, this is my kind of dystopian story. But. What's with the short sentences? It is written for teens. They can handle longer sentences. I think. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 when Mockingjay was discussed. When we stopped at the library I told my dd to check and see if they had any of the series. They had all 3, so she got them. She had them finished by Saturday night (we got them on Thursday afternoon). She has reread them countless times, and they are now on her birthday list. They are due back this week, but I may renew them so I can read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HayesW Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I finished all three of them this week. Loved the series as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigaulupi. This is the first book in what looks like another series of three. It is similar to The Hunger Games in that it's set in the dystopian future, but that's where the similarities end. Link: http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Breaker-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/0316056219/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283259756&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I keep hearing rave reviews, but when I read the description of the first, at least, it just sounds too brutal and horrific to contemplate -- for me, I mean. I just don't know if I could handle it. Is it really as horrific as it sounds when it's distilled down to a few sentences? I mean, I'm intrigued by all the raves I keep hearing, but I'm also hesitant... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SproutMamaK Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 But. What's with the short sentences? It is written for teens. They can handle longer sentences. I think. :confused: Okay, I have to ask, was this SUPPOSED to be that ironic, or did it turn out that way unintentionally? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I keep hearing rave reviews, but when I read the description of the first, at least, it just sounds too brutal and horrific to contemplate -- for me, I mean. I just don't know if I could handle it. Is it really as horrific as it sounds when it's distilled down to a few sentences? I mean, I'm intrigued by all the raves I keep hearing, but I'm also hesitant... Yes and no. The basic idea, of course, is horrific. And teenagers die. And kill. But they also show great bravery and compassion. The main characters are flawed, but they struggle to do the right thing in very difficult circumstances. And the deaths, although sometimes horrific, aren't lingered over. (Contrast this with the adult literary novel I'm reading right now. A character has her tongue cut out and I had to put the book down, I was so sickened by the description.) Now, I'm not a very visual person, which probably helps. The brief descriptions don't linger with me (although the ideas of the books do). I don't think I want this series made into a movie. My 10yos enjoy the books, but I don't think they could handle it in movie form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I am 644th in line to reserve at my library - I will just go to B&N to buy a copy to read and see if my dc will read it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Yes and no. The basic idea, of course, is horrific. And teenagers die. And kill. But they also show great bravery and compassion. The main characters are flawed, but they struggle to do the right thing in very difficult circumstances. And the deaths, although sometimes horrific, aren't lingered over. (Contrast this with the adult literary novel I'm reading right now. A character has her tongue cut out and I had to put the book down, I was so sickened by the description.) Now, I'm not a very visual person, which probably helps. The brief descriptions don't linger with me (although the ideas of the books do). I don't think I want this series made into a movie. My 10yos enjoy the books, but I don't think they could handle it in movie form. :iagree:It wasn't overdone, IMO. The less violent deaths are actually harder to bear, and receive more attention from the author. I think it'd be fine for you. Slight hijack: I read His Majesty's Dragon based on a recommendation on the HighSchool board, and it's marvelous! (And, dare I say, better written than the Hunger Games... ;)) Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 What ages is The Hunger Games for? My eleven year-olds recently received it for a gift. I haven't taken the time to read yet? I would preread it first and see what you think. The themes are intense, and the third book is even more intense. (And I'm of the opinion that it's unfair to say that "you can read the first and second book, but not the third." It's too hard to leave a story open-ended like that.) There is a theme of the government forcing people into prostitution in the 3rd book. It's not lingered over, and an innocent child might not understand what they're talking about, but it's there and it's enough to make me want my kids to be older before reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 ...The less violent deaths are actually harder to bear... Yeah, actually, it isn't violence per se that concerns me. It's more the premise, if that makes any sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Yeah, actually, it isn't violence per se that concerns me. It's more the premise, if that makes any sense... How do you feel about The Giver? Personally, I find The Hunger Games series no more disturbing than The Giver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 How do you feel about The Giver? Personally, I find The Hunger Games series no more disturbing than The Giver. Okay, that's useful to know. I didn't have a problem with The Giver. There was just something about kids being pitted against each other to the death that just gave me the heebie jeebies, or worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 What ages is The Hunger Games for? My eleven year-olds recently received it for a gift. I haven't taken the time to read yet? Dd read the first two, but I ended up stealing the third so I could read it :D. She had started it, though. Now that I'm done with it, I'm okay if she decides not to read it for a while. The 3rd, IMO, is heavier and deals with a lot of emotional and psychological warfare, and, while I think she may understand it, I don't really know if she can completely understand the gravity of the situation (just because she's so young and there is so much she just doesn't know about life and government and such). I certainly won't tell her she can't, of course, but I'll be okay if she waits on it. Does that make sense? So, for you, I guess it would depend on what horrors your children can handle and understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 Slight hijack: I read His Majesty's Dragon based on a recommendation on the HighSchool board, and it's marvelous! (And, dare I say, better written than the Hunger Games... ;)) Check it out! I have both Mockingjay and the second book in the dragon series on my new Kindle. They are both so good that I keep going back and forth. :lol: I have never before been so taken with more than one book at a time that I needed to read them both at the same time. I'm overflowing with riches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 (edited) I keep hearing rave reviews, but when I read the description of the first, at least, it just sounds too brutal and horrific to contemplate -- for me, I mean. I just don't know if I could handle it. Is it really as horrific as it sounds when it's distilled down to a few sentences? I mean, I'm intrigued by all the raves I keep hearing, but I'm also hesitant... If I remember correctly, you've enjoyed the Outlander series. I found Outlander to be about 100 times more brutal than Hunger Games, FWIW. I don't care for brutal, hopeless books [ETA: I'm especially sensitive to children being hurt and abused], but really enjoyed this trilogy. Edited August 31, 2010 by Heidi @ Mt Hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leighp Posted September 1, 2010 Author Share Posted September 1, 2010 I have both Mockingjay and the second book in the dragon series on my new Kindle. They are both so good that I keep going back and forth. :lol: I have never before been so taken with more than one book at a time that I needed to read them both at the same time. I'm overflowing with riches. Well now I am going to have to check that out. And Ship Break. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iona Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 I would preread it first and see what you think. The themes are intense, and the third book is even more intense. (And I'm of the opinion that it's unfair to say that "you can read the first and second book, but not the third." It's too hard to leave a story open-ended like that.) There is a theme of the government forcing people into prostitution in the 3rd book. It's not lingered over, and an innocent child might not understand what they're talking about, but it's there and it's enough to make me want my kids to be older before reading it. :iagree: about the prereading for making sure some of the heavier themes(forced prostitution, psychological and physical torture, war, public executions, kids being forced to kill eachother for entertainment) are ok for your child............but also because they are good books that you might enjoy just for yourself. I'm still thinking about the books and the ideas they stirred up. Those of living under an oppressive government, the cost of freedom, revolution, and even when things are improved...there is always the possibility of corruption again, how people who are kept "in bread and circuses" (entertained and with full bellies) can be manipulated into ignoring others' hardships. Along those lines celebrity and "reality t.v." play and interesting role in the books. I was surprised that such an easy read hit such thoughtful chords... even at the end SPOILER ALERT.......... when the main character is watching her children playing in the meadow and thinking of how they will not have to live through the ordeal she and their father did, we are reminded that the grass in the meadow is growing on top of a mass grave where the majority of the people in her district were killed in the revolution. There is a good balance of the (at times)necessity and horror of war... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaissezFaire Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Both of my 11 year olds read the series and I felt like it brought up some very deep conversations. I enjoyed hashing it all out with them and I found out how mature my girls are in their thinking. I do agree that the 3rd book is very, very intense and I am still not certain how I feel about the ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iona Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Both of my 11 year olds read the series and I felt like it brought up some very deep conversations. I enjoyed hashing it all out with them and I found out how mature my girls are in their thinking. I do agree that the 3rd book is very, very intense and I am still not certain how I feel about the ending. still digesting the ending as well it came fast (and i was reading fast).... but i also liked how everything was not tied up in a nice bow. there were still wounds to heal, and it wasn't a perfect world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Yeah, actually, it isn't violence per se that concerns me. It's more the premise, if that makes any sense... Earlier this summer, I borrowed the first book from a friend after hearing soooooo many rave reviews (irl & online). I made it about halfway through before stopping. The *premise* is exactly what bothered me... and it *really* bothered me. I found the base idea (children being sent to kill other children) so horrific that I had to stop. (I didn't find the story so compelling that it overrode my complete aversion to the premise.) Normally, I like dystopian lit, but I couldn't make it through these stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 I'd never heard of it either until that thread. But that thread made me want to read it (for myself, not my daughter), so I've got the first book on reserve at my library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 My 12yo, 14yo, and I all loved the Hunger Games trilogy. other dystopian books/series we've enjoyed: The Other Side of the Island The Sky Inside / The Walls Have Ears Declaration / Resistance / 3rd book not released yet (by Gemma Malley) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Rose Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 My teen dd "insisted" I read these books when they first came out. They led to some great discussions. We both just finished Mockingjay, and even though the subject matter was difficult, it would have been disappointing if the author had wrapped everything up nicely rather than staying true to her story. If it's any help to those of you trying to get a copy of the book, our Costco has Hunger Games in paperback and Mockingjay in hardcover. I know Costco's prices are usually better than elsewhere. I'm hoping they'll have Catching Fire at Costco in paperback soon. Dd has copies of all three books, but I want my own copies.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Looking forward to Mockingjay. It's been a thought provoking trilogy for my 16 ds and I to discuss and mull over. I've have really enjoyed them so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 If it's any help to those of you trying to get a copy of the book, our Costco has Hunger Games in paperback and Mockingjay in hardcover. I know Costco's prices are usually better than elsewhere. I'm hoping they'll have Catching Fire at Costco in paperback soon. Dd has copies of all three books, but I want my own copies.:)Amazon is selling all three in hardcover for less than $10 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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