Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Spoiler-Free)

I was not expecting to love this so much. I've seen most of the movies, felt like I already knew the story going in, but wow was I wrong. Yes, I was aware of the major plot points going in, but something the movies hadn't conveyed to me was the mind behind each character. Being written in first person elevated this story so much further than I was expecting. Hearing her inner thoughts brought a new side of Katniss out to me. Katniss Everdeen is one of, if not the best protagonist in young adult literature, especially for young girls to look up to. Every single move she makes is tactical; I don't think I've ever read a book whose MC makes smarter decisions and deductions than the reader is able to come up with. Additionally, Peeta was so different from how I remembered him! I remembered him as a sweet boy obsessed with bread (which he is, don't get me wrong), but I didn't know how funny he was too! His lines in here were amazing. Even having seen some of the movies, this book was equally, if not more, riveting and anxiety-enducing as it possibly could be. So, somehow, even though I've seen Catching Fire more times than I can count, after reading this book, I feel an innate need to get my hands on the sequel.

Song I was reminded of while reading: Girl on Fire