Where do I start with this book? This is incredibly hard to review and even more complicated to write in a fashion that is as calm and real as possible, allowing you, the reader/viewer, to understand why I'm so mad. We live in a time where having money gives you power, and having power gives you greed, and having greed gives some the ability to destroy anything they view as a threat to their luxurious lifestyle. There are constant battles between who should be taxed the most, or who should "receive the most in tax breaks during tax season" allowing for those with money to keep most of their money, and individuals and families with less money to be taxed for being alive. Why should someone who makes over $250,000 a year have to pay more in taxes? They need that money to buy more cars, luxury trips, houses, clothes, plastic surgery, and things to entertain themselves. Why should the lazy people who work 60 hours a week be allowed to go to the movies and buy a new pair of pants? They're the ones who decided that they wanted to work at McDonald's instead of making a real person out of themselves... right?
Right?
I have an idea. Why don't we separate them from us? If they want to cry about being so tired, over worked, under paid, and depressed... instead of just trying harder... then why don't we just take our money and our power and build our own empire? They can come in when they've earned the right to make money. All they have to do is work those 60 hours a week and go to college full time, and in no time they'll have money and then they'll understand why they're lazy, right? Lazy people with their hands out, always wanting help and hand outs. Always getting sick and wanting us, the real Americans, to pay for their health care since they are too lazy to pay $400 a month for it. If they would stop buying alcohol and drugs, and spending money on food, they would have that extra $400 a month to have health care coverage. Why should I, someone who has a lot of money, have to help out people who don't do anything for me? How hard is it to flip a burger?
Right?
Separation. Finally! Now I don't have to worry about those people making me feel bad all of the time. I'm so tired of listening to them cry about how much their ankles, knees, and back hurt. Buy better shoes, right?! At least we're separated now. Now I can have all of the food I want, all of the clothes I want, cars, houses, movies, vacations, fun... everything I deserve because I have money. After all my father made this company give me my job, and it's hard because I have emails to answer every day and things to look after. My life is so hard. So much harder than the people flipping burgers. But at least we're separated now and we're a perfect example now of how fantastic you're life can be if you just try. Just work harder. Who cares if you're tired, worn out, over worked, under paid, and in pain all of the time? Just work harder. Lazy.
Lazy.
I'm bored. There isn't anything to do around here anymore. We've seen all of the movies, we've taken all of the vacations, we've done everything worth doing. They're all so lazy... they're still living in poverty over in their area. They must not want to live like us! They must love how gross they are. They must think they're better than us! Who the hell do they think they are? We should take away their food and see how much they like that! Thinking they're better than us because they have love, family, and each other. They'll turn on each other! This will be great! We should all watch. Watch them beg us for help again. Help to come live here, in our glorious land, where we've all worked to get here. Well except for the kids that were born here... they just got lucky. Some people are just lucky.
Suzanne Collins recognizes the problem we're at the beginning of and writes from a place in the future where we're separated, the rich control the poor, and reality television shows are used as an arena where children fight to the death for life and safety for their families. From a place in the future where the United States is no longer the United States and districts supply for the Capital that lives in luxury and happiness. Those lazy people that supply for the Capital. Who do they think they are? Trying to have anything to do with us? They're just selfish people who don't understand our needs. Don't understand that we need food to live. Let's punish them to teach them a lesson about obedience! Teach them that they're never safe because of how gross they are. Lazy. Filthy. Despicable.
Suzanne Collins brings us through the life of Katniss Everdeen. The heroin, the saviour, the one who is supposed to save Panem; the city of districts that provide for the Capital and battle the idea of death every day, unless they can somehow find food (tree bark, plants, a squirrel, maybe some rotten potatoes) for their entire family to survive on for a week... sometimes a month. We live her life with her as she enters "The Hunger Games," a yearly event held by the Capital where children eighteen and younger are chosen at random to fight to the death on cable television... for the Capital's pleasure. We experience her pain, her fear, her struggle, and her battle to try to make it home to her family. We experience what it would be like, what it could be like, in the future if and when financial greed becomes too powerful that people control people (again) and force each other to the breaking point of war. A war that would end the control of the poor, or possibly end the lives of the people that provide for the rich. Brilliantly written, Suzanne Collins dangerously dances on the edge of safety as she writes this novel close to peoples hearts, inspiring them to see situations in their own lives that relate to how the Capital and Panem interact with one another. As politics between Republicans and Democrats become more and more heated these days, we're introduced to our future if we don't watch our steps.
4 out of 5 STARS; losing one star because she spent too much time engaging her teenage audience in a love story between Katniss and Peeta, and not enough time on the reality of the situation.
