The Hunger Games Review [CC] 

When I read The Hunger Games, I felt like the reader wasn’t supposed to expect a romance. The whole point was that the people watching wanted to be entertained by a romance but it was shallow and horrible of them. It was a satire about how people only care about themselves and their own amusement, even when others are suffering for it. Although, I don’t know if a teenage reader would pick up on that? I think I might have been just out of my teens when I read the series

i can’t believe i actually read this as a 12 year-old and didn’t come out of it traumatized

I agree that a LOT of YA does have romance and love triangles just for the sake of it, like you said. I think the marketing Twilight kind of set that in motion (which is fine, there's nothing wrong with romance in YA books in general) but I think the Hunger Games had much more purpose with the romance. Choosing between Peeta and Gale was not just about who was "better" - it was about Katniss choosing between 2 worldviews.

I get the comment about Peeta being underdeveloped but there are definitely hints toward his character if you read into it and pay attention to him - he clearly has a bad relationship with his mother (she calls him a stupid creature, hits him for burning bread, tells him flat out he won't survive in her last conversation with her son) and his father seems to do little about it. He makes a comment that his father would've preferred a daughter so I always got the impression he felt unwanted, hence why he has low self esteem and uses his self deprecating humour to mask his very real insecurities. But that stuff isn't very obvious unless you read those specific passages a few time, I completely understand! I definitely agree that she's not being silly for not realising his feelings are real, i wasn't sure when i first read the book! I do think she genuinely cares about him, that's incredibly clear to me in the berries scene/hovercraft scene. I get people wanting her to be alone, but the idea of her being alone at the end of mockingjay when she's so traumatised actually feels so sad to me, not empowering. Being alone for Katniss, who has spent so long shutting people out after her father died, wouldn't have felt right to me. Especially when she's struggling with her mental health, and as catching fire demonstrates, Peeta understands her trauma best, and I was always glad she had someone who could bring her some happiness after everything she went through. But as someone who's read them countless times in 10 years, it makes me happy it's still holding up for people! It's truly one of the few YA's of the time i think that does so.

I think Peeta was underdeveloped on purpose so that their romance didn't take away from the plot, if that makes sense. The focus was mainly on the atrocities of Panem and the Capitol.

My take on why Katniss didn't realise that Peeta was really in love with her is because she was too cynical to believe it. We can all agree that people who are too idealistic and naive can't see reality for what it is. However, people who are too cynical can make the same mistake. If you think everything around you is an act -- which is pretty much the rule in the Capitol and the Games -- sometimes you won't believe it when people are actually honest. Also, to Katniss's credit, she does wonder sometimes if Peeta is telling the truth.

I would have loved to hear Foxface’s backstory. She’s such a mystery and gets 5th place. Like wow.

I think Peeta was intentionally under developed because Katniss.... aaannnddd you just said that, disregard 😂😂

I think other characters not having a huge amount of depth is due as you said to it being in first person. I think it would be strange to have all this information about other people when Katniss would have no reason to know this depth.

I still think that the Hunger Games are amazing books and would recommend them to teens as an introduction to a utopian/dystopian genre, before continuing on to even darker explorations of such societies as 1984, Brave New World and We. Thought, I disagree with your views on Peeta not being a complex character. He's both an intelligent and charismatic character who understood the game way better than Katniss did and basically saved Katniss' life throughout the whole competition by using his own emotions to endear her to the viewers. From how I see it, he purposefully exploited his own feelings (probably breaking his own heart in the process) to give her a better chance at survival, because he understood how the game works. That, imo, makes him a whole lot deeper and complex than any other char in the first book (with the exception of Haymitch). Also, his emotional/psychological trials in the third book? That was heartbreaking and made me love him even more than I already did. Aaaaah! Now I want to reread the trilogy! 😅 Also, there are people who dislike the second book?! 😲 But... but... the second book has Finnick!

The mutts with the tribute eyes creeped me out as an adult. I can only imagine what I would have thought as a child.

I made it almost all the way through the video without crying and then "I'll spend the rest of my life in the arena trying to think my way out". IT HURTS!

The movie adaptations were pretty good I guess...But as usual...Books always trump movie adaptations

I would have loved to know more about Peeta's backstory (we don't even know his brothers' names), but I appreciate the interactions we get between him and Katniss. She didn't have any romantic relationships before and she doesn't need anybody. She was focused on what happened which made her a great protagonist compared to other YA characters who think ONLY about their love life.

As for Peeta being underdeveloped, this is from Katniss’ POV, and she hasn’t focused on much for a long time because she’s feeding her family. She says that the only time she interacted with him was when he gave her the bread. It makes sense to me that Peeta’s not really developed, because Katniss doesn’t know him and doesn’t trust him for a long time to try to get to know him. Also, she’s focused on surviving, that’s her defining trait to me. She wants to just go home, she wants her family safe, she just wants to live. Romantic love was not an option for her. Great video, as always, and The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books. Truly, I enjoy it every time I read it and I want to explore that world more!

-SPOILERS- I believe Peeta was perfect for Katniss. But that all changed when the Capital warped his memories of her and her ability to truly love someone died with Prim.

I'm so glad you're reviewing these books individually. This is my favourite series ever, because it was both very accessible and easy to read, but also so deep. Like you said in your review, these books really went there. It got real for me way before the arena - the conversations after Katniss was Reaped inside the Mayor's office, the painful way she was expedited out of her District, the minutia of "this is life" for someone who has to break the law everyday to survive. While the Game was terrible and painful, I found myself so drawn in by the beginning and middle much more than the Game itself. The Hunger Games is where I realized that the gold standard for writing isn't "Show, Don't Tell," but "Imply, Don't Show." There's so much unspoken if you read between the lines, and Suzanne Collins throws massive shadows over wide areas of the world but shines just a little bit of light on it. Like, for example, the manipulations that Haymitch and Effie had to do to deliver Katniss that food, and how every other mentor pair must be doing the same thing, and what does all that politics look like? Or the implication that not all Capitol citizens were vapid and selfish, just most of them, because we met Cinna and how dressed down he was relative to everyone else in the Capitol, and what does that mean for the citizens of the Capitol who dont think the Hunger Games are actually a good thing? Katniss mentioned she could sell the deer she didn't kill on the day of the Reaping to a Peacekeeper, and that means there were Peacekeepers who bought illegal goods from them, and so what does that small economy in District 12 even look like? And - think about it - during the Hunger Games itself, there was a group of real adults in an office somewhere deciding what should happen to these children so that ratings go as high as they can, with full disregard about the health and wellbeing of the children in question. What kind of messed up conversations must they have been having to be doing this? This might seem like little things and maybe even reading too much into the books, but these little hints that the world is far bigger than what's contained in the pages are dropped a lot, and often they speak to some real world issue by being an analogous problem in the real world, but being hidden under layers of subtlety and unwritten text, and that really lends weight to the books. That's why I believe Suzanne Collins wrote it this way intentionally. Other books don't strike me they were written this pointedly and intentionally in its satire of the audience and of real life. I think that this is why, in the movies, they actually had the camera move away form Katniss's vision and show some of the things the books only implied. Gale's reaction when Katniss kissed Peeta, Snow's conversations with Seneca, the Game Maker room (where we learn that the answer to "what messed up conversations must be happening for them to do this?" is that they were actually having clinical, clean, impassioned conversations about "let's put this life threatening fire in front of this child" and "ooh, releasing the mutts now is a good idea, so go for it!" - very psychopathic), and even Seneca's forced suicide. I feel like those moments of pulling away from Katniss were given to validate the readers who did read between the lines and show them, yep, the world IS bigger than what's inside these pages. Wow, that got super long! But I love these books! Thanks for reviewing it, looking forward to your next one! P.S. I just realized that with me heaping praises, it looks like I think this book has no flaws. That's untrue, this book absolutely has flaws. But the way it was written and the substance of the story makes me value its merits more strongly than its flaws.

I read them 9 times when I was in 6th grade...I need help

I just wanted to say something about the dynamic between Katniss and her prep-team, which you mentioned briefly, as it was one of my favorite parts of the book. I think you missed something about their relationship. I absolutely loved how Katniss develops a strange pity for them and actually starts to like them as she grows to understand that the people of the Capitol are somewhat prisoners, too - both in their minds and in their lives. And even though they, as members of the capitol, don't starve to death, they have almost nothing to live for except their work for the hunger games, which is why they are so proud of it. This is a very important lesson for Katniss as later in the story she is almost the only one that is not bloodthirsty and hungry for revenge against the people of capitol because she knows that they are people, too and have suffered in their own terms.

I was a hard anti-Gale when I was reading these. Not that he's a bad character - his existence was fine, and he pushed the narrative in interesting ways, especially in the last book. I just always wanted him to be her cousin rather than a love interest. Literally nothing would have changed, other than the pointless romantic triangle that had no reason to exist beyond "Twilight made it mandatory". That's also not to say I was team-Peeta, but I could at least accept him as a love interest where as Gale being a love interest contributed nothing to the books that him being really her only friend was already contributing. And if friendship isn't a strong enough reason (since a lot of people I've talked to seem to think it's not), throw in the relatives thing.

I love the first Hunger Games book to bits, it’s by far the best in the series. Tackling wealth and privelege, the other side of the glamour way back in 2008. The way Susan Collins made each murder impactful also struck a chord with me. Too often in YA we have some super-trained protagonist killing their opponents without a second thought.

I love hearing your perspective on the books that I love, honestly. A fresh perspective is always interesting, and you think everything out so thoroughly that it's honestly exhausting. I can't imagine how much work goes into thinking out, then articulating how you feel about scenes, characters or just the book in general, and want to say thanks for all that effort, because this is awesome content!

I haven't read this book in such a long time wow you've made me want to reread it though

So I reread the Hunger Games. Like literally just finished Mockingjay. And surprisingly I still love it. More even. Although I really do agree with the time taking for the plot to start

I’m so glad you’re reviewing this series, it’s my favourite book series and I always love hearing your opinions in reviews

Oh hell yeah, I was so excited to see you've posted this! I've only read the books once but it was a little less than a year ago and so they're still fresh in my memory :D I think the slow but steady build up did a great job of building the world, I actually think that Collins' genius as a writer comes from her ideas, her plotting and her worldbuilding. Her actual writing isn't great, but it's enough to get the job done - it doesn't shine, but it doesn't hold her back either!

Merphy, you're such a breath of fresh air and I appreciate your genuine reactions. Keep up the great work!

this is my favorite series of all time and I really appreciate your review. I disagree about the other characters not having a personality, I think they are well developed throughout the books, such as Peeta and Haymitch. And obviously I agree with you about how much the emotions and impacts of this book(and the whole series) still holds up and makes you feel something. I absolutely love this books

Omg the timing of when you post your review videos are almost always posted right after I’ve read the books! When you posted your review on the book thief, I had JUST finished reading that so the timing was perfect. Now I have I just recently finished reading The Hunger Games series for the first time so it’s been timed so well!! I really like your videos btw :)

Even though I'm purely "team Peeta" because I liked his character, I find it surprising that anyone would say he was perfect for her, especially given the state of mind Peeta is in at the end of the series.

They live in district 12 not 13, 13 "doesn't exist"

I will be reading the second and third books for the first time. I have forgotten much of book 1. Thanks for refreshing my memories.

I just recently read all three books a second time just to see how I feel about them now so many years later and I seriously loved them so much. Your video was really nice to watch and I am for sure sticking around to see your review for the second and the third book!

I just subscribed a month ago when you ranked the harry potter books, and I have to say you are now one of my favorite booktubers!

One of your best reviews. So much emotion, and yet still objective. Rue still brings a tear to my eyes and you gave her exactly what I needed. You made sense of my confusion on "the Pita issue". Looking forward to your take on book two! Blessings Michael

Love how in detail you go! Just did a re read as well and was still able to enjoy it!

Very much love this💕. Are you gonna do the “It Doesn’t Make Sense” videos for the Hunger Games too?👀

I tried rereading the series a few months ago but didn’t end up finishing it because I was in a slump. But I love this series, I’m excited to see your reviews for 2 and 3!

I've always thought of Peeta's resilient decency as the conduit for a form of inner rebellion. Panem is a world that thrives on a kind of exploitation which only works when those at the bottom are divided. The Hunger Games are an instrument to that end. Peeta's ability to remain kind and to keep his natural instinct to help and work with others is what makes him important to Katniss in the end. I think deep down she begins to see his end as the end of hope for a world where kindness and solidarity is possible. Their relationship throughout the series symbolizes the pull towards decency and humanity, and the desire to preserve it. Peeta may not be very developped as a person (no one but Katniss is), but as a character, I beg to differ.

Really great review! I would love to know more about what you didn't think holds up as much in the book as you didn't go into that as much. :)

HERE FOR THIS! 🙌🏼 I’m especially looking forward to your thoughts on the next two books. Book 3 for me is such a mixed thing... I think the bones of it are very good and I think where she was attempting to go makes a lot of sense. But it feels rushed and there are things that just don’t make sense throughout the entire book. And it’s so different than books 1 & 2 to where I often think that for this book 3 to work well, book 2 needed to be different. So, very mixed. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.

I cry every time I reach Rue in the book😭 great review of a new age classic.

It's District 12 where she lives. District 13 was thought to be utterly destroyed years before.

I first read these books with my daughters when they were in middle school but I still found them good. I am also rereading now and was interested to see your view. I still really enjoyed reading book 1 and have started book 2. I do believe there is a lot of depth. I also cry at Rue's death and even though it is fiction I can't think about Cato's death too deeply without it disturbing me. It was very gruesome. I prefer his quicker death in the movie. I also like how the movie showed things you couldn't see in the books being in first person but I believe were probably pretty accurate. Can't wait to see your review of book 2. I really enjoy your videos.

Omg I just read the hunger games last week for the first time Such a good timing

Wow, I first read this book when I was 12 right before the film came out. This brought me back for sure! Love you Merphy, great analysis as usual :))

I just had to say that the sentence you read, in the scene when they argue about who’s going to sacrifice themselves, this line is my absolute favorite line. Every time I read it I get chills. So amazingly sad.

It is said that the only inhabited land was North America however I believe that the capitol might have been trading with a secret civilization somewhere idk

Love the huge bookshelf behind you, our books always seem to end up in stacks around us in the floor...!!!

You know what, I was just thinking about Katniss... She somewhat reminds me of Frodo Baggins in the end of the Lord of the Rings - she's broken, her "normal" life can never again be "normal"! The Arena, for Katniss is Frodo's Morgul blade! I wonder if it would've been better if Collins had killed her off in the end?

Very much excited to see the video on book two! Completely agree Thrash will forever be my favourite! So little Page time yet so impactful

I recently reread it to and currently rereading catching fire. I did realize how not fantastic the writing was but the story and characters really hold up, it’s impressive

I got this notification after I just finished rereading the first book in one day (Trying to get inspired for writing my own novel. It’s the best example of first person fantasy where the character isn’t learning about the world with us, and that’s exactly the setup I’m struggling with.)

Wow, we feel the exact same way about this book! Loved this review. I only wish you had chatted more about the things that didn't hold up.

I just finished re-reading the entire trilogy last night, so this was perfect timing. I also forgot how there’s more backstory as to why Peeta had feelings for Katniss in book 3, but yeah, in book 1 it felt pretty shallow and I definitely agree with Katniss not thinking that it’s real.

will you ever do a video about dobby?

I've always enjoyed the first two books. Mockingjay was kind of weak for me.

Yes! I’ve been waiting for this video!! Can’t wait to hear all your thoughts on the series :)

When you said that they started in District 13, did you mean District 12? Love your videos!!

I reread them at the end of last year, and from my first time reading until now I’ve become a therapist and I have many clients who deal with tremendous trauma and looking at the series in the lens of trauma, it’s incredible the depth Collins went to in this series. There are so many levels of trauma explored and a lot of Katniss’s mannerisms and behaviors make sense when you remember how traumatized she is. (Slight plug but I did a video on this on my channel if anyone wants to watch a deeper dive into the trauma specifically.)

I'm glad that you found your level. As I said in your review of Dune, it's not for everyone. Simpler books like this one can hit a sweet spot for some. I'm sure my daughters will read this when they get older!

I haven't re read this in a long time but man, I LOVE these books. I compare everything to them, not many have reached their level

YA “dystopia” is not really dystopic because the young people rise up and overthrow old tyrants. I do love the way this book uses reality TV to show the divide between rich and poor. It’s highly topical.

Seriously loved this! Can’t wait for the next two videos😁

I'd love a review for "His dark materials". Currently rereading it and I just have so many thoughts!

Nice Christmas jumper Murph 😜😜 Love the video :)

Cool, I've been waiting for you to review this it's on eif my favourite books

I'm reading them for the first time after having seen the films, I loved the first book and found the second book ok. I remember the least for the last book so that will be quite an experience. It's interesting delving into this world what with the prequel coming out soon. I loved your discussion and offering thoughts I wouldn't have had, because I didn't really challenge the books since I already knew the plot and had a clear image of the characters.

Ok but we need to talk about how eloquent and well done your review are. I’m French and I have no problem to understand.

I dont think Peeta was perfect for Katniss, nor her for him. But in the end, they where the only one who could understand eachother. They grew up in the same district that dont exist anymore, so they understand eachothers childhood. They went into the arena together and survived together. After that they played the political game, having in commen that they want to do the right thing. In the end, they share trauma, Peeta loosing his family, Katniss loosing Prim etc. What they both have in commen at the point where the books end, is that there is nobody else. They are eachothers only way out of a miserable, lonly life.. making them perfect for eachother in a imperfect way, which is a strong statement on love.

Loved this video, love THG, can't wait for book 2 review!

I just discovered your channel and, turns out, it’s really good. The dear authors series is particularly nice and also valuable for a wannabe writer. Keep on with the good work!

I recently reread this series too! And I agree with you. The emotion that this books convey is incredible. Even though the romance doesn´t hold very well for an adult, I still loved the characthers, especially Prim and Peeta. And I really do wish that we knew more about the boy with the bread. But man his heart, witt and compassion win me over all the time. Also, I found myself being way less anoyed by katniss this time in the third book. That one is still my least favorite, but I liked it more now as a 24 years old than I did at my 17's. In regards to Gale, I must admit that I really dislike him in that final book. And I truly think that his contant anger and lack of empathy would have been bad for Katniss mental's health. After all the violence and pain she sufferd, she needs kindness in her life, no more anger and bitterness. Anyways, I love the series not for the romance triangle but for the strong emotions that always moves me when I revisite it and its massage. And I still cry wtih this beautiful books.

I just can't read post-apocalypse anymore. Look at the world we're living in. It's already here and I can't think of a single zombie, cyberpunk, space western, world war 3 narrative that even approaches how awful it is in real life. The book that come closest, I think, is George Orwells 1984.

You make me wanna read this book, thank you!

I think I read this for the first time in 2012, when I was 26. I hadn’t read anything in a long time, and everyone I knew was talking about it and the upcoming movie adaptation. I was expecting a bit of a fun, breezy adventure story, and I’m actually glad that’s not what I got. What hooked me and keeps me coming back to it every few years is the absolutely harrowing tone in those first chapters, and in the arena. I was a voracious reader, growing up, fell out of it when I started working, and have since become one, again, but I’ll remember that tight feeling in my chest I got when I first cracked this one open, forever.

Couldnt be happier that you gave this amazing review for my favourite trilogy ever

I re-read the trilogy a year or so ago and was struck by how well it held up, and how affecting it was to me, like, ten years after first reading them. I'm interested to see your thoughts on the rest of the trilogy as I personally thought that Mockingjay was an excellent conclusion and it proved to be my favorite of the three.

Woah. Love this. Forgot about how good the book was and you getting emotional got me emotional.

I read the Hunger Games for the first time last month. Gave it a 4 stars. Nice read. 👌🏼

i was thinking to write what the hell i am doing here since i dont read and dont plan to, but it really its a joy to see somebody discuss something that they like so much, so... kudos, great video.

Yey! I really like The Hunger Games book 1. I think it's over hyped and under apreciated xD Great video!

I don't know if you read much fanfiction at all, but Fernwithy on ao3 has written an epic length series about Haymitch and his experience, opening with his games, his years of mentor, meeting effie and then his perspective of the trilogy. It adds a lot of depth to the series and the world, I think you would enjoy it. It's very, very well written.

Hi 😁 I'm not a native speaker, can I read/understand what I read with B1-B2? I'm 14 and in my country (Serbia) I can't find 2nd part. I really want to read The Hunger Games so I want to try to read it in English as a non-native speaker (as you can see, my English isn't perfect).

I have not re-read this book since I was young and I want to re-read it this year but I was so nervous that it would kill my nostalgia. I had so much love for this book when I was a teen!

I would looooovvvvveeeee to see you do a review of the dan brown books. I know they are not really the same genre but would love to hear your opinion on them.

I'm so excited about your review of book 3. I know the majority of people don't like that book but I always thought it was the perfect ending to the series. I really want to see an in-depth video review of why you don't like that book.

Could you review murder on the orient express by agatha christie?

Just reread the first book. Still easily one of my favorite books. Read it the year it came out. I was in 5th grade I believe and everyone within my small class of around 40 students read it. It felt like an event in my life. We talked about it as a class and we were so excited for the sequels. I’ve read it for the third time now and its been 10 years since I picked it up. It still holds up in my opinion. Now I’m in my 20s and have a different appreciation for the book. I never finished the series, as I couldn’t get into Mockinjay whatsoever, while Catching Fire is my favorite. I plan to change that and see how the series actually ends.

I just finished my reread of the entire trilogy and WOW did I LOVE my time. It’s not perfect but it was so much fun and so engaging, something that was so nice to look forward too while quarantining ☺️

Can’t wait for the next review!

I can't wait to see your other reviews! I remember thinking that Peeta could've done better than Katniss, and that Gale wasn't good for her, so I guess I might agree with you on Team Katnissjustbeingleftalone

I love the video a lotnmerphy keep it goinggggg It itches a little whenever you say district 13 hahaha

Loved this review so much, but I think it was District 12, Merphy. 😄

You could read Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami. It was released years before The Hunger Games, and it has a more visceral, relatable and maniac rythm to the story. I enjoyed both, but I still hold on to my copy of BR for its relevance (the setting is not exactly futuristic, but modern, so it is scarier).

Another gem from Collins is the Gregor the Overlander series. It's not as polished as the hunger games from what i remember but the series as a whole is just crazy unique in its world

Hi Merphy,can you make a video about best survival story's in books.

I read the Hunger Games trilogy earlier this year and one of the best things I think is that it is written in present tense which was a new thing for me and I feel it just worked so well for the story

I had to pause the video and try to read the book again. And I did! Yay! I rememered loving Peeta, and I still do but at the end I'm mad that he's mad she is confused. I wish he was more understandind of how she was feeling. It was so interesting to read this book now. I've been foraging myself amd wandering the woods by my home. I felt even more connected with Katniss and invested in this story. I cried a couple of times. I wasn't sure this book would be right for me now 5 years later but it totally did. Lets see if I can bear the next ones haha because I remember them being incredibly frustrating at times.

I just reread it after a long time either and oh boy i do agree with everything. It was a very different reading experience than the first time and i love it. Especially the starving/dehydration part is so great because it is very good reseached and that is not really common, at least in what i read. Reading Catching Fire soon