#BooksLightMeUp: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lisa De Caux • 10 March 2023
A family book experience
I've been told that books that light me up. Fiction and non-fiction. Ones that are new to me and ones that I’m rereading.
To coincide with my daughter's twelfth birthday,The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins is lighting me up.
I came across The Hunger Games
in 2009 before it was a film.
I’m confident that you’ll be aware of the story, so I’m going to talk about the whole trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire
and Mockingjay).
The rabbit holes and the impact of the trilogy
I fell in love straight away. The story demanded my attention.
And there are so many rabbit holes to go down. Google Scholar has got articles from more than one angle.
Potential rabbit holes include: the books as a call to social action; the importance of ‘Real or not real?’, Peeta’s question to Katniss; the impact of the games on the survivors.
There is a recognition of the pain the situation causes – it has to be dealt with. Though Katniss wins the games, the first book does not have a happy ending.
The end of Catching Fire
(‘there is no District Twelve’) is one of the best cliffhanger endings I’ve read. I was desperate to know what happened next.
You want your reader to be invested when there’s another book to be published.
The bit that reduces me to tears every time is the end of Mockingjay. There has been so much emotional build-up, and it is released so gently with the juxtaposition of the games Katniss plays now with the games that still give her nightmares.
I cry at the end of the trilogy and I cry at the films too.
The connection with my family
And as you can see from the photo, I’m wearing my film replica t-shirt in the photo…
My daughter borrowed my shirt for World Book Day 2023. These books were written before she was born.
She was twelve this year.
She pointed out to me that it was appropriate that I was writing this post when she’d be old enough to be called in the reaping system herself.
So many thoughts about that comment…
A family principle
We have a family principle: if a book’s been televised, you read it before you watch it. She was keen to read the books and she read them about three years ago.
We rewatched all four films recently. And this leads me down the rabbit hole of how I often don’t enjoy films based on books I love. I did enjoy these films.
Though there were great actors, action and special effects, I wonder if the biggest factor was Suzanne Collins’ involvement as a screenwriter. I didn’t mind the departures from the books – the films felt true to their spirit.
It has been a pleasure to enjoy the series with first my hubby (he doesn’t always enjoy the same books as me!) and then with my daughter.
As well as how much I love the books for themselves, they’ve become a family book and film experience. The Hunger Games
lights me up 💡
#BooksLightMeUp
#Editing
#Proofreading
***
📚 I’m Lisa. I’m an editor and proofreader, specialising in business books and fiction. I’d love to connect with your book and understand your context too. Please do book a video call or email me
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