The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set

First of all, I'd like to make it clear that I will be reviewing aspects of the Kindle edition and also the Hunger Games trilogy itself. This series was recommended to me by a friend and I was told it was a definite must read. I chose to purchase the Kindle edition because it offered all three books for around $17. I figured this would be my best bet money wise and I also loved the fact that I would have all three books immediately in my hands. When purchasing from the Kindle store, you are promised to have your book within a minute of clicking the purchase button. My decision of purchasing the trilogy through Kindle was greatly based on the price comparison of the hardback trilogy and the Kindle edition trilogy. According to Amazon, the Kindle edition of the Hunger Games is $16.85 so roughly $17 and the hardcover trilogy is almost $31. In my eyes, there was no doubt about the Kindle edition being the more reasonable purchase. I'm still quite unsure and confused on how Kindle formats their book, in regards to font sizes and page numbers. I understand that Kindle users have the option of changing their font size to increase or decrease the character size. When a user increases the font size this also changes the number of pages they have to read in order to finish the book. A second issue dealing with the font size is that sometimes out of the blue, the font will just change when you change to the next page. This has never been a major problem for me but it threw me off guard and was a little unsettling for my eyes. The page numbers in Kindles can be very confusing and I for one haven't figured out the method yet. This usually wouldn't be a big deal but when you try to compare the Kindle edition to the actual hardcopy of that book, it can be very frustrating trying to match up the page numbers. Although, there were a few minor problems with the Kindle edition of the trilogy, I'm still very happy that I made the purchase. I loved the fact that I received all three books at the same time and I could carry all three of them around with me within a device that was a centimeter thick. As for the Hunger Games trilogy itself, I had absolutely zero complaints. As I began the first book, I was sort of confused but still very intrigued. Not until I heard someone else talking about the book, did I realize it was based in the future. The basic story line of the book is that the USA had destroyed itself and all that was left was a land called Panem. This consisted of 13 districts and a Capitol city. The people that lived within the Capitol were the wealthiest of all the people. The 12 districts that housed mostly underprivileged people had a different lifestyle all together. They had to work within their district's industry and many times went without food and any type of comfortable living. Each year, the Capitol would put on the Hunger Games in order to punish the districts and remind them how they ruined civilization. A girl and boy from each district were randomly chosen to fight to the death within a challenge-filled arena. Katniss and Peeta's lives were forever changed when they were chosen as tributes for the annual Hunger Games. You get to know the characters in great detail throughout the book when they are faced with adventure, challenge, death and even romance. As the series goes on, you learn more and more about the characters, the Capitol and the real reasons behind the Hunger Games. At some points, you may find yourself wanting to jump into the book and join the rebellion against the hated Capitol. The romance that was once a huge factor in the games begins to die down but the action and mystery only increases. Suzanne Collins does an absolutely amazing job of painting the romance, gruesome deaths and cut-throat action into the pages of the Hunger Games trilogy. Once I started the first book, I was fully intrigued and it was very hard for me to set my Kindle down. I would recommend this book to any person of any age. I know you can't always rely on the movie being as good as the book but I cannot wait until the movies comes out to see if I painted the same thrilling picture in my head.

Unlike others who had to wait for the next portion of this story to be told, I bought these books--The hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mocking jay--as a set and read them one after the other. Accordingly, I will review the series as if it were a single 1,145 page book. Suzanne Collins' imagination and ability to mesmerize the reader with this fantasy is unprecedented by any series that I have ever read. Completely absorbed, I literally saw this action-packed drama unfold in my mind. I was completely engrossed from beginning to end. The reader will get to know many of the author's fully developed characters and may develop an emotional attachment and sense of loss as many of them do not survive. The tale begins with the aftermath of the world as we know it today. North America, now known as Panem, is organized into twelve districts, heavily controlled by the capital. Each district contributes major resources to the capital as the unequal redistribution of necessities impact the health and livelihood of citizens. Following the rebellion and inhalation of the thirteenth district some 75 years previously, the capital has established a grim annual (Hunger Games) and special 25 year (Quarter Quell) event to keep them in line and remind them of the cost of rebellion. Each year on "reaping day" the capital forces each district to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games--a fight to the death televised live nationwide--with rules, setting and weapons established by the capital after a short training session. Home districts mourn theirs losses and hail the survivor as the survivor's families and district are rewarded with a more comfortable life style. At eleven years old, Katniss Everdeen's father was killed in a mining accident in district twelve. Since that time she increasingly took over responsibilities as head of the household through hunting in the forbidden forest and selling excess game on the black market for other necessities. Sometime ago she and Gale met and became hunting partners as he provides for his two little brothers. When Katniss was sixteen years old, she volunteered to replace her thirteen year old sister, Primrose, who against all odds was selected to represent district twelve at the games. Peeta Mellark, son of a baker was selected as the other district twelve representative. Unbeknownst to Katniss until the interview prior to the onset of the games, Peeta has secretly been in love with her for years. This gut wrenching story flies by as this unbelievably harsh and cruel event comes to its annual conclusion only to be followed by the next. Unlike previous Quell Quests, two previous victors from each district are pitted against each other in a fight to the death planting seeds of rebellion that germinate throughout all the districts. District thirteen rises from the ashes bringing a new set of events, characters and circumstances to bear. Growing anger, alliances and characters develop as surprising events unfold while the reader holds on for life during this rollercoaster ride of gut wrenching suspense and drama come to a head leaving Suzanne Collins my new favorite author! Enjoy!

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW, SO DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS Okay, so first of all, as a huge Harry Potter fan, I've been undergoing a withdrawal since the book series (and the movie series) have now ended. I love reading many different books, but I wasn't sure I would ever latch onto a new story the way I latched on to Harry Potter almost 10 years ago. Enter The Hunger Games. I actually first heard of it from Kristian Harloff of the Schmoes Know YouTube channel some months ago, and I was definitely intrigued. Of course, there's a movie coming out soon, and back when the trailers were first released, I thought it look interesting but I wasn't excited since I had no idea what it was about. I purchased this box set a few weeks ago, however, going off of the incredibly positive word-of-mouth. I've officially climbed onto The Hunger Games bandwagon. The first book is written in first person POV, with 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen as the main character. I will say that, as a male, I'm aware that most of the great fictional heroes are male. It's so great to see a great female hero like Katniss (along the lines of Ripley from Alien). While brave, her character is also very feminine and vulnerable, and she's just awesome! Anyway, I won't really delve too deep into the plot, but the first book, The Hunger Games, centers around this tournament in which 24 kids aged 12-18 (12 boys and 12 girls) are selected to compete in. They are put into large arenas controlled by Gamemakers, and it's basically a deathmatch. It's all a part of the Capitol (the force which runs the districts of Panem) showing the districts who's in charge. At first, I wasn't sure which of the 3 books was my favorite. Now, I'm pretty sure it's The Hunger Games, just because it takes so many unexpected twists and turns, and the reader really feels as though he/she is Katniss experiencing these games. Also, The Hunger Games is ironically the book that showcases the worst of the Capitol's power, by showing these kids killing each other. Now for the second book, Catching Fire. I regard this as The Empire Strikes Back of the Hunger Games Trilogy (for Star Wars fans out there). This one shows the issues that Katniss and Peeta face after the Hunger Games have ended and they have been crowned victors. The book centers around the rise of a rebellion against the Capitol, and the rising of President Snow, the ruler of the Capitol and the districts. What really sells this book is the dark, ominous, uncertain tone of it. It may reuse a few elements of the first book (for example, another Hunger Games match), but it puts a different twist on it. This book also ends on a cliffhanger MUCH like The Empire Strikes Back (I'll be shocked if Suzanne Collins isn't a Star Wars fan). This is a great book, maybe not as fresh as the first, but it's of equal quality and a great continuation. Now we have the final book, Mockingjay. This is definitely the one fans are most divided over. Some really like it, others were disappointed by it, and some even hate it. I'll start off by saying that Mockingjay is a full out war story, and everything in the first two books had been leading up to it. Many fans were disappointed that the Katniss-Peeta-Gale love triangle wasn't extremely romantic (though it was definitely present), and that the book seemed to end abruptly and felt incomplete. I, for one, think this book is excellent. It's not quite the read that the first two books were (though it's still captivating). While those two were dark, they still had a "pure candy" aspect to them. This one, as I said, is a full-out war story. People on both sides die, allegiances are questioned, there is anger, sadness, distrust, betrayal...everything. I was very surprised with how bold Suzanne Collins was with this book, but I was also very pleased. She doesn't sugarcoat any of it. War tears people apart, and it changes people permanently. Even if they make it through the end and rebuild their lives, they are never the same as they were before. And sure, the ending leaves some questions open, but it felt right to me. The main story, the main moral of the story was wrapped up very well. The main characters' arcs were wrapped up very well, too. It's definitely emotionally draining, but also uplifting. I thought the way she wrote it was fantastic. Is it my favorite of the series? I'm not sure. I would probably reread the first book before rereading this one. However, I might like this one a teensy bit more than the second, but I really can't be sure. All of the books are great for what they are. I'm not trying to overhype it, but this really is an epic trilogy. It has many thrills and takes many unexpected twists and turns. The first movie won't be out for another two weeks, but I could actually see the movies being even more enjoyable than the books. No disrespect to the author, of course, but the stories could benefit greatly from cinematic adaptations. Word has it that the films will take a more omniscent point of view, rather than being solely from Katniss' point of view. While seeing things from Katniss' POV works in the books, we definitely need a larger scale in the movies, so I think the atmosphere in the films could really blow people away. I especially think that Mockingjay (which I believe will be a 2-Part film) will benefit from a film adaptation, since we will probably see more of the war (and President Snow), and the ending will probably have a more definite conclusion. I think we will see some scenes from Peeta's point of view, as well. That's just my prediction anyway, and I hope I'm right. Again, this is a great set of books that has HUGE potential as films. Harry Potter did a great job as movies (sure, I might have some gripes here and there, but I'm just amazed that the crew stuck around to make EIGHT films, all of which are at least very good). Hunger Games needs to stick true to the books, but also bring in people who haven't read them. I LOVE the trailers we've seen so far, and I LOVE the casting (Katniss, Peeta, Effie, Snow, just about everyone), so I'm definitely looking forward to it. One things for certain, though: the world will be watching.

Firstly, The Hunger Games is not a story based on an original concept. If you've ever read The Lottery short story by Shirley Jackson, you'll see the theme that was the basis of this story explored in a shorter form. This is not a criticism, it's just perspective because Ms. Jackson's story has it's roots in myth and culture and, as has been noted, "there is nothing new under the sun." The issue is not where the idea for the story originated, the issue is with how competently it is executed and in this case, Ms. Collins did an outstanding job. I had avoided The Hunger Games for over a year while friends raved about it. These same friends read the Twilight series and watched the movies and I'd rather drive nails in my skull than be subjected to that story. But after I saw a preview of the movie early in 2012 and was able to read the first book for free as part of my Amazon Prime membership, I bought the trilogy and read it, enjoyed it, saw the movie, and just finished re-reading the books again. It's not perfect. There are holes scientifically and culturally, but it is enjoyable and even though the main character is a young woman, I would not class it as young adult fiction since, even though there is no sex mentioned or described, it deals with some rather adult themes and it does it not horribly. The characters have depth and breadth, even the ones we see briefly and though we are treated to some cookie cutter characters in the ancillary, we deal with the same thing in everyday life where we pigeon hole people who brush against our day and never grow out of the roles to which we've assigned them. I won't say the author planned her treatment of these characters in this manner but it did not grate on me while I read the books and, really, that's about the best you can do considering the absolute hatred I have felt for various writing styles that barely define two dimensions for main characters. So, I found the story enjoyable, I found the writing style accessible, and I found the conclusion believable within the context of the world created. But, most of all, when the story ended, I found myself wishing there was more. I did not wish there was more because I felt I had burning unanswered questions or unresolved plot points, rather, I just wanted to see what the future held for the world Ms. Collins had created. That's a win in my estimation. So, why only 4 stars? It's a good, solid series that holds up to multiple readings, but it's not a game changer like Mockingbird, Lord of the Rings, The Three Musketeers, and other books and series that either defined of refined a genre.

Its hard for me to not give this book three stars. Since I first read it less than a year ago (all three books), I have since read it 3 more times from beginning to end. Each time I am unable to put it down and end up reading the books far past the time when my eye get heavy. In addition, as I bought the Kindle Edition first, and then went ahead and purchased the hardcover editions, I feel that my love for this series cannot be understated. Reading this series also led me to read her other series about Gregor the Overlander. That said, had this been a lesser book (in my heart and eyes), I would give the PRODUCT, itself, four stars. The mistakes in the Kindle Edition don't inhibit reading, per say. In fact, I hardly noticed the mistakes during my first reading of the series. However, upon my second and third reading, especially when I noticed the first few mistakes, they became a little more glaring throughout. There aren't blatant misspellings, but at times spaces or letters are omitted or added, in the transfer between the hardcover edition and the kindle edition. Its not a perfectly edited kindle edition, but at the same time, I would like to stress that it doesn't detract from reading in general, as most of the mistakes are something our brain naturally fills in the blanks for. The series itself? Beautiful; beyond reproach. Its hard to have anything to add about this series other than it say it touched me, and invigorated my mind. Some argue its depressing or too bloody. I feel that all the different angles, all the different aspects make this book imperfectly perfect. There are no pretty-ribbon bows that create an entirely happy ending, in any of the books. There is a pervading darkness, mixed with the happiness and light at the end of each book, that create a sense of bittersweet emotions. For me, despite this being an entirely "different" world, these elements of darkness and light helped me understand the characters and their journeys even more by humanizing them and making them seem real. Each book the main characters thirst for survival is in question, while others try to beat her conviction to survive down until a real question of what does surviving versus living actually mean? Its funny, its hard to put into words what I feel for this series. I've only loved two other books in my life. Harry Potter and a Winter of Fire (Sheryl Jordan). This author has a way of creating a character through a first-person perspective that forces you to read on. I applaud her for this series and am so grateful to have read it.

THIS is the kind of crossover hit that all "teen lit" should be. Yes, technically this is a young adult novel, but it is so much more than that. The book is a million times more graphic than the movies, but it's amazing. That said, you've been warned. What I don't get is why it's OK for teens to read intricate descriptions of these things, but showing them on screen would make it R-rated. Whatever. I am a little skeptical of anything with first person narration, but for anyone who would consider NOT reading these books because of that, let me tell you - BOOKS LIKE THIS ARE WHY FIRST PERSON NEEDS TO EXIST. There is soooooo much that is gained from a first person perspective. I mean, listen, you may call this a SPOILER SO STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE SUPER DUPER SENSITIVE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS ONE: with a three book series written in the first person it should be pretty clear that Katniss survives the hunger games. As she is the one explaining what happens. So, when I realized that, I thought "What's even the point!? I know how it ends!" I WAS SO WRONG! The character of Katniss is so compelling and rich and layered. Katniss is a character that the movies, although wonderful, can never accurately portray no matter how hard they try. This is because an integral feature of Katniss' character, as you will find when you read, is that she is nearly incapable of communicating the things that she feels. The way she and her words and actions are perceived rarely, if ever, matches what she feels or thinks inside. That internal struggle and desire to be understood or left alone is amazing to read, and very unique. Also, the book is kept very tactile. In the arena, I liked not having an omniscient perspective. I liked that there weren't descriptions of how Katniss looked or changed throughout the games. Its all about how to survive. It's not romanticized. And it makes it all feel very tangible. This is the kind of strong female role model that young girls should have - someone who takes the time to learn to find out who she is and who sorts out her priorities before thinking about romance. I dislike teen romance books about these girls who see an attractive guy and suddenly he's her whole life. That's not what these books are about. If anything, these books deal more accurately with romance than anything I've ever read - teen or otherwise. Romance in these novels isn't about love at first sight or even investing all of your time and energy into that one special person who will save you from your previously boring and/or terrible existence. Rather, these books really capture the idea that it's not always clear how you feel - not in the quirky romcom way of, "Oh no! Who do I really love? How will I ever decide!? Woe is me." This is a girl who asks more important questions of her life, questions that people I actually know actually ask. Questions like, "Do I even have time for romance right now?" "Just because these guys are interested, does that mean I have to choose any of them?" Despite the marketing of the movies, this is not about a love triangle. The romantic situations in here are all secondary to this girl's desire to be free, to save her family, to get what she feels inside herself to come across accurately to the people around her. This is about a girl who struggles with a society and a world who tells her how to look, how to act, how to be, and knowing that listening can save her life, but also being deeply resentful of an inability to just be herself. The situations that these kids are in are terrible. They're supposed to be. They're supposed to make you feel big emotions and think about how to make the world in which we all live into a better place. It succeeds on all counts.

The issues other people have with the trilogy, and the first movie for that matter, didn't really come up for me. The font was fine and there weren't any pages that weren't supposed to be there. I actually wasn't going to read the books or see any of the movies because I thought it was like the Twilight storyline but my friends convinced me to see the movie at least. I read the books afterward, which by the way is actually a decent plan. I knew what the plot was during the movie even without reading the book and was happy with how closely the movie follows the book. The boxed set was back-ordered when I bought it so I figured it would take some time to get to me and it took longer than normal. Instead of the regular 3-7 days that it normally takes to get things I order from Amazon, it was more like a month. I thought that was pretty good considering the demand. I know some people were upset that they didn't get their books within a couple days but like I said, they've tended to be back-ordered. I prefer paperbacks but those are hard to find, I did buy one on Ebay though for around $30 in addition to this hardcover set. As for the plot and the books themselves, the violence isn't anything you can't see on the news or read in newspapers. The movie didn't have a lot of blood and guts either. I see more in a lot of video games. I'm not sure about a 13 year old reading them but definitely anybody in high school should be fine. People also seem to forget that the Hunger Games themselves aren't the actual point of the story. People are focusing on the kids killing each other like that's what everybody should be taking from the books and that element is only the part that sets up everything else that goes on. The concept of the Hunger Games isn't as ridiculous as some people are saying either. The point of the Games is to punish the populace for rebelling, and I can think of no better punishment than to force them to watch their children kill each other. Aside from the Capitol people, who you're supposed to think are clueless jerks, nobody enjoys watching it. They do it because they have to. The books (and probably the movies too once they all get made) aren't meant to be stand-alones the way some other sets are so if it seems like the plot moves slowly it's because it's spread over all three books. I don't know how much the story will make sense if you try to only read one or read them out of order without knowing the entire plot beforehand. In terms of pages, the plot goes slower than some would like but the whole trilogy is such a quick read that I think I read the whole thing in about 24 hours spread over the course of several days. Since it's meant for younger people someone like me who's been perpetually reading for over a decade can get through them in no time. Sorry for the essay, I just really think people should buy these books and having the hardcover boxed set cost the same as the paperbacks is a great deal.

I re-read this series every year. The characters -their tragedy and their will to find joy inspires me. I’ll keep on reading it again and again, always sorry when it’s over.

A beautiful set of books. My 10 year old was gripped from start to finish. Good strong female lead character

I've read all the books in many different locations (metro, airplane, outside, etc) and the books are built good enough to withstand heavy use

You may know this book 'cause of the movie. Well, "the book is better". When I first saw the trailer for the movie, I didn't know about the books. but it got me so interested I went straight for them. By the time the movie was out, I had already read the whole trilogy. And I'm glad I did. To be fair the first novel was ported to theaters in a good way and it's coherent with the book in all the important parts (there were few adjustements made 'cause of the different media used). If you went to see the movie but didn't really care for the action, and instead were more curious about the whole world in which it is set, please pick this trilogy. You'll find what you were missing, expecially in the 2nd and 3rd book. What I really liked is its plausible characters with real problems and capable of using their brain, and interesting points about class differences and the use of media.

Eu tô simplesmente APAIXONADA, os livros são mais lindos do que eu esperava. Houve um pequeno atraso na entrega mas valeu muito a pena. Mal posso esperar pra ler a trilogia no idioma original!

Lo único que puedo opinar sobre este libro es el entramado y la corrección del mismo, lo cual resulta impecable. Pasando a aspectos más subjetivos... Los tres libros estan bien correlacionados y esta oferta me resultó demasiado tentadora como para dejarla escapar, también debo reconocer que me leí los 3 libros en 14 días (y con esto me refiero a que esta triología tiene la cualidad de abrir un apetito voraz en mi mente). Dicho esto, voy a centrarme en los libros respecto a un hispanoablante. Yo tengo un nivel CAE(advanced) de inglés que ni es mucho ni poco, y estos libros los he entendido casi a la perfección por lo cual no son una mala compra para mantener el nivel de inglés y de paso aprender algunas palabras más... "exactas" entendamos. El lenguaje usado en el libro es bastante estandar y algunas veces da algunos sinónimos y expresiones cotidianas muy valiosas para la variedad léxica. Este pack se lleva un 5 a juzgar por el contenido y el ambiente que Collins ha conseguido transmitir y la buena dificultad para leerlo, ni demasiado llano ni estrictamente formal.