Hunger Games Series: Review of the Trilogy

Few days ago I finished reading Hunger Games. The series consists of three books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The books were good. If you get a chance to read them, do it. However, I will not recommend it to people younger than 13. It has some gore and violence.

Why would you read the books

Those books, albeit fiction, describe perfectly what will happen if there is no forgiveness. Countless people will die. The price of the offence will be paid by offender's descendants. Revenge plunges people into horrendous conditions.
The books captivate your attention. You realize that you can relate to many situations. The plot is great. Suzanne Collins does great job with writing, including grammar. Honestly, I wish the series had prequel.

What's going on?

The series start with The Hunger Games. The action takes place in Panem, a nation formed after apocalypse. Panem covers modern North America. It consists of twelve districts and Capitol. Many years ago districts rebelled against the Capitol and as a punishment the Hunger Games were established. Every year a pair of tributes— a male and a female between 12-18 years old— is chosen by a representative from the Capitol. It's called reaping. Names of the eligible young people are written on pieces of paper and are placed into containers, one for boy and one for girl.
On the day of reaping Katniss Everdeen and her sister Prim , from district 12, stand on the square, awaiting the names of tributes. Prim is chosen. Katniss steps forward and takes her place. Peeta is a male tribute. Nobody volunteers for him.
After saying goodbyes Katniss and Peeta travelling to the Capitol. For the whole week before the Games, they eat good food, spent their time training, being paradedin style, giving interviews, and showcasing their skills. There are 24 tributes in total, 2 from every district. Only one victor. Tributes placed into the Arena, where they fight to death. The last surviving tribute is a victor.
While at the Arena, which is an enclosed area with woods, water, and few fields, Katniss and Peeta convince the audience that they are in love, so they can get perks from sponsors. Eventually game makers announce that there could be two victors from the same district. However, when Peeta and Katniss are the only ones left alive, they change their mind again. Katniss and Peeta take a handful of poisonous berries and try to fake suicide. The game makers announce two victors.
In Catching Fire Katniss and Peeta are touring districts. Katniss realized that her action with the berries sparks rebellion, because she defied the Capitol by making them to accept two victors. As the punishment for her defiance President Snow states that for 75th Hunger games tributes will be drawn from the existing pool of victors. Katniss is the only female victor that district 12 ever had. When the day of reaping comes, Katniss goes to Capitol with Peeta. He volunteered at the place of Haymich, only other victor that district 12 ever had.
While in the Capitol she meets other victors/tributes. At the night of their interview all tributes/victors hold their hands together.
Once in the Arena Katniss and Peeta becomes allies with the tributes from few other districts. After they figure out that the Arena is a giant clock with tropical forest and a sea in the middle, Katniss and the others decide to attempt to deactivate force field. After deactivating a force field, Katniss passes out.
She wakes up, Haymich tells her that district 13 is leading the rebellion and that they are going there. Katniss also learns that her district 12 is destroyed and only few hundred people survive. Peeta was captured by the Capitol.
In the last book Mockingjay Katniss becomes the face of the rebellion. She participates in prop videos. Katniss becomes the Mockingjay. Mockingjays are the birds which were results of the Capitol failed experiment. Jabberjays mated with mockingbirds. Jabberjays were used to spy on rebels. They were able to memorize the entire conversations. People started using them against Capitol. Jabberjays managed to mate with mockingbirds.
Katniss, her mother and sister adjust to the military-style life in district 13. Her mother and sister work in the hospital.
Eventually Katniss goes to the Capitol with few other people. Many from the group die. Katniss makes it all the way to the President's Palace. Where she witnesses her sister being killed by the bombs while helping injured.
District 13 won. President Snow is captured. president Coin, the head of district 13 offers to hold Hunger Games, but with the children of the Capitol's elite. Katniss realizes that if it will take place, the new system isn't better than the old.
Katniss walks towards tied President Snow. She shots President Coin instead. At the end of the book she sent back to district 12. Some of it was not destroyed. She eventually settles down and enjoys peaceful life.

Last thoughts

While the series are pure fiction, we cannot forget what the desire for the revenge can do to us. Our mistakes can affect many generations ahead. Our hearts might get hardened when we have so many things that we don't know what to do with that.
We all know someone who have hurt us. People will hurt us again, but it doesn't mean that their entire families are at fault. I had an experience where a person hurt me very bad. I am not going into details here. Nevertheless, I am still on good terms with the uncle of that individual.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14

Hunger Games Trilogy