Bourbon & Chocolate

I have a confession to make and it may come as a shock to some of you. I read all three books commonly known as The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. In fact, I essentially devoured them in 72 hours.

For those that don’t know much about the books, the story takes place following the destruction of North America as we know it. The area now consists of 12 districts controlled by The Capitol and one outlying district that is essentially left alone. For the most part, each district is poor and ruled by an iron fist. As punishment for rebellions several generations earlier, one boy and one girl from each of the remaining districts is forced to participate in the “Hunger Games” aka a fight to the death where there can only be one victor. The Hunger Games are to serve as a deterrent to those thinking about rebelling and for the Capitol’s entertainment.

Honestly, I didn’t know that when I started reading, which is probably a good thing. Had I started with that much detail I probably never would have picked them up. If I ruined it for anyone else, I apologize.

Given the audience is young adults, the books are a quick and easy read. Occasionally, you’ll find the plot has been simplified a bit too much. However, you will be entertained. Several friends described the first book as the best and leaving you anxious for the second. The second book started slowly, but kept your interest. By the third book, I was over it. The story was starting to unravel and the writing was not as strong as the first book. Not to mention, I found the ending as an abrupt stop.

With all of that said, if you want a quick easy read for the beach or a rainy weekend, these books are a great option. You’ll be entertained and won’t have to think too hard.

Apollo’s Angels has been on my nightstand for far too long, so I hope to finish that one up soon and report back. What book or books are you reading?