The Hunger Games is certainly a funny one to rate. On the one hand, it breaks absolutely no new ground in terms of plot, characters or story-telling, but on the other the second half makes for exhilarating reading, especially as it quickly sets up an ongoing adventure that forms a whole trilogy of books. The story of Katniss Everdeen as she steps in for her sister to a deadly competition where 23 child 'tributes' are forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of a sick city called the Capitol in a post-apocalyptic world. Most writers would simply pen a predictably periodic tale where Katniss and companion Peeta fend off their enemies one by one and ultimately get out safely, yet to Suzanne Collins' credit the author refuses to let things get simple anywhere in The Hunger Games to the point that all the action can get a bit overwhelming for casual readers. More irritating still is the sense that most of the first book is filler to what is obviously just the beginning of a much bigger fantasy adventure. If it weren't for the exciting conclusion, The Hunger Games would be 'just another novel' (if such a phrase should even exist) with its uneventful opening and often repetitive middle section. Here's hoping that the other two entries in the trilogy are more well-rounded overall!
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