Composing anything more does n't serve much a purpose
What is the purpose to write this book?
Is there a point to reviewing this title? I mean really. It's almost like reviewing Lord of the Rings. Not to imply that Collins is the next Tolkien or anything. Far from it. My point it that as of penning this commentary there are more than seventy seven thousand reviews posted to Goodreads alone. Composing anything more doesn't serve much a purpose. Oh well, I review for my own amusement so let's get on with it, shall we?Collins can thank a good friend of mine for yet another five star review. Not literally of course. Having a blockbuster movie to her credit, I'm sure Collins is long past reading individual reviews. I should probably give Superman a shout out though. Without his recommendation I never would have bothered with the book in the first place. The Hunger Games first came to my attention via Goodreads and let's just say the tween hype surrounding the book was a major turn off. Much like Twilight, the book started showing up everywhere, relevant to the discussion at hand or not. I made a snap judgment and pretty much avoided the title like the plague. Then I received this recommendation. Ordinarily I would check out the blurb, debate if I was in the mood for the genre, probably browse a review or two, but I have a few friends with infallible taste in lit. They tell me I should read something and without a moment of hesitation, I track down a copy. As usual, his taste was spot on.Now I recently reviewed Susan Ee's Angelfall and I have to say, I enjoyed Katniss Everdeen for many of the same reasons I enjoyed Penryn Young. It is true, she has a certain aptitude for the bow but her talents are born out of a need to survive. She isn't perfection personified, the fantasy of every male comes in contact with or unusually gifted as say Bella Swan, Rory Deveaux, or Tessa Grey. Yes, I am that shallow. I pointed fingers and named names, but don't jump down my throat just yet. There isn't anything wrong with these heroines. I simply prefer the strength of character Collins features in Katniss as opposed to the inherent exceptional abilities of her counterparts.Moving on. For those who don't follow my reviews, I pretty much gave up on the Infernal Devices trilogy because I am sick to death of what has become a staple of young adult lit: the love triangle. Well, that and Clare's obvious obsession with Will's blue eyes but that is another story entirely. That in mind, Collins has me eating crow. I can hardly believe that in less than a month I am turning around and admitting I was wrong. Does this make me a hypocrite? Probably. Do I care? Not particularly. Why not? I'm so happy you asked.Gale and Peeta aren't engaged in a pissing match over a hopelessly smitten heroine who is all but begging to rip off her clothes. Collins, unlike some other authors, opts instead for a more conservative approach to teenage romance. Her heroine, Katniss, is conflicted but at this point in the game, she doesn't know how she feels about either boy. She has a relationship with Gale, but as yet, he has made no move to indicate a romantic interest and though she has no established relationship with Peeta prior to the Reaping, he declared his feelings quite plainly on live television. That's pretty much it. Now, I think it is obvious Collins intends to develop the idea in the following installments but she doesn't allow it to overshadow the rest of the piece and for that reason, and that reason I am willing to let the issue slide.So if The Hunger Games isn't mired is a sea of melodramatic drivel, what does Collins spend twenty nine chapters writing about? To be perfectly frank, she takes the road less traveled and offers up an honest to God, solidly constructed, fast-paced, hang on to your butts cause you wont believe what happens next, page turning piece of fiction. I wont go into the details. I'd end up spoiling something for the those few individuals who haven't yet jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon. Suffice it to say that this is one of the few occasions I believe the author deserving of the royalties garnered through the film adaptation of their work.Generally speaking I like to add a note of criticism to my reviews, but in regards to The Hunger Games, I got nothing. Either I never identified an issue or I was so blown away by the story that I completely forgot I had one. Collins, I tip my hat to you. 