Things were too relaxing to update my blog last week while I was on vacation. This week has been insanely busy dealing with demands that I ignored while away, so I’ve got a few novels to catch you up on.
Just before heading to Biloxi, Mississippi for a few days, I decided to give in to peer pressure (primarily coming from my niece) and read the first volume of Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games trilogy. The timing was also rather intentional as the movie was also scheduled to premiere at the end of the week.
I went into my reading expecting to have a negative impression of the book. After all, the central plot is based upon a fight-to-the-death competition pitting teen against teen. Imagine my surprise when I dove into the story and discovered that the competition serves as a backdrop for a remarkable story of love, courage, strength, and moral fortitude. Rather than spoiling the work for anyone that has not read the work yet, I’ll simply say that it comes with a high recommendation from me.
Additionally, I would encourage parents to read the novel themselves. While there is a sizeable amount of violence in the novel (which is thankfully not depicted graphically in the movie, garnering it an appropriate rating of PG), the deaths are treated with dignity and respect for human life from the heroine, Katniss. There are numerous opportunities for parents to dialogue with their teen regarding important issues such as peer pressure and how to respond when your moral code conflicts with a government’s demands. While I do not consider any of the characters to be a Christ figure in the novel, there are several incidents that do display characteristics beneficial to a Christian teen.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunger Games. I look forward to reading the remaining novels in the trilogy and hope that the dignity and virtues found in book one continue throughout the series.
4.5 of 5 stars!
Reading for Me 