The Hunger Games

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love

Violence
I'm not going to lie - this book is  VIOLENT. I mean, the whole premise is kids killing each other. We don't see every death, only the ones that Katniss sees. A large nest of killer wasps is dropped on some kids, killing two - they're swollen and oozing stuff I don't care to envision - which is a pretty gruesome scene. The Gamemakers throw fireballs, and Katniss is burned badly on her leg. Peeta saves Katniss, and we later learn that in return, Cato cut him very badly. A young girl is killed by a spear, and a boy is shot through the throat. A boy's flesh is eaten off by strange wolf like creatures before there is a mercy killing.

Sexual Content
This is complicated. Katniss is not in love with Peeta, she is acting for the cameras. Peeta is hopelessly in love with Katniss, and doesn't quite realize that she's acting. They kiss multiple times. There is a sequence where [SPOLER WARNING] Katniss is trying to heal Peeta, and she pulls off all his clothes except his underwear. Then she turns around and makes him take off those so that she can wash them. Peeta tells her that he doesn't care if she "sees" him, to which she replies that she cares. She then explains that nakedness bothers her. [END SPOILER] She and Peeta share a sleeping bag for warmth two or three times.
At the beginning, she stands naked in front of the stylists. She wears a dress that has padding around the breasts, and Cinna tells her that the Gamemakers wanted to alter her surgically, but that Haymitch wouldn't allow it.

Other Negative Content
Haymitch is always always always drunk. He's either drunk, or less drunk.


I'm sorry, but I LOVED this book, and can't wait for the second. It was awesome. However, it's extremely violent. Looking back, the "Sexual Content" section looks very large. Really, there's very little sexual stuff in these books, especially when you take into account our culture.
     Much as I liked the book, I realise that many people are disturbed by the violence. I might be putting my own spin on things, but I think that Collins was trying to make a point. Our culture is becoming very accepting when it comes to violence. Are we headed for Panem? Will there come a time when we would accept this type of behavior?
     We also need to look at Peeta. In chapter 10, Peeta says "Only....I want to die as myself...I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I'm not." Amidst this turmoil, Peeta is trying to remain himself, to stay true to what he believes.
     I'm not saying that there aren't bad things in this book. I'm saying that there are good things amidst the bad. I'm saying that if you allow it to be, this is a very thought-provoking book.This would be a good book [parents of teens] to read together, to discuss.
    Many people in the Christian community are trying to ban the book. I don't think it should be banned. I don't think anyone under 12 should read it unless they are very mature for their age, simply because of the violence, but I don't think we should dismiss it simply because we wouldn't read it to our four year olds.
     Amidst the violence, amidst the killing, there are good things. There is the unconditional love that Peeta has for Katniss, there is the fact that Peeta refuses to surrender his beliefs, there is - perhaps most importantly - the fact that Katniss gave herself up for Prim, even though it probably meant her death. Katniss does not look at the other tributes and say, "I'm going to kill because I want to win, I'm going to kill because I like it." She looks at the other tributes and says, "I have made a vow to my sister to stay alive, and I will have to kill to keep that vow." She doesn't enjoy the killing, she is genuinely upset by some of the deaths, even by the death of her enemy. She doesn't quite love them as Jesus instructed, but at least she doesn't cheer when they die. The only time she kills is in revenge or self defense, she doesn't go 'hunting'

I give it PG-13 for violence.