It's not easy being a coxswain...: The Hunger Games

With the New Year's resolution of reading for fun, for least 20 minutes before bed, I decided to pick an easy novel that I actually had mild interest in.

I don't deny it. I like to sneak in a Young Adult novel every now and then. I haven't tried one since Twilight, which I only read because I was so tired of seeing Facebook Bumper Stickers about it. Also, I firmly believe that you can't judge a book by its movie. But since I've read the book, I can judge all I want...

The Hunger Games did grab though. The thought of an all out, survival of the fittest, ultimate fight to the death is intriguing. Like The Lord of the Flies meets The Most Dangerous Game.

I do like reading novels that have a strong female lead and very little romance. I like extreme situations that bring out the character's true character.

In the post-apocalyptic(?) country of Panem, Katniss volunteers to participate in the annual Hunger Games in place of her sister. Of the 24 tributes, only one can walk out alive. Katniss recaps scenes from her past as she goes through the weeks of survival tactics, hunting, strategy and death.

The movie trailer did help me put faces to names and I could visualize everything as I read. The story itself is very straight-forward and not hard to get through at all. The details that help carry the story into the next two books of the series are very upfront as well. The characters are multidimensional and clearly drawn in their flaws and personalities, and as the trilogy continues, you can see where the author will build the character development.

I can see the book maturing as the story unfolds, and I'm looking forward to it. I don't feel guilty reading this book at all, which is a nice feeling as well.