Over Memorial Day, I spent some time reading books have been being reviewed all over the blogosphere: The Book Thief and The Hunger Games. If you’ve never heard of these two books, you’re either living under a rock or spend too much time hitting “Mark all as read” in your Google Reader 
Because they’ve been so talked about, I don’t think writing full reviews of both will add a lot to the discussion, so I’m going to just do a couple of short ones and call it a day.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Summary: Liesel Meminger is a young German girl living with her foster parents in poor neighborhood at the beginning of WWII. As a child, she steals a copy of The Grave Digger’s Handbook that she finds lying on the ground. This first theft sparks a long-term love of books and words. The book is narrated by Death, which turns what could be just another WWII story into something much more complicated.
Review: Using Death as a narrator is a tricky move. Death knows what is going to happen in the story, so you get a lot of foreshadowing that something terrible is going to happen before the story is over. As I read, I felt like I was constantly waiting for the bad thing to happen and I thought I wasn’t getting attached to the characters because I knew they were in trouble.
But then I got to the big bad thing and instead of being distanced from it, I was so drawn in I started bawling. I think it’s a huge testament to how good this book is that even someone deliberately distancing herself from the characters was still emotionally attached to this story in a deep way.Truly, the characters in the story are superbly drawn-out and you can’t help love it. The book does get a little long in the middle, but it was so good that I’m sure I’ll read it again in the future.
Recommended? Unequivocally yes, this book was awesome.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Summary: In the future North America, there is a society called Panem. The Capitol city and ruling government forces obedience from its citizens through a ritual known as the Hunger Games. Each year, one boy and one girl from each of the country’s twelve districts are chosen to participate in the survivor-esque reality competition where the only way to win is to kill off all your competitors.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the games after he twelve-year-old sister Prim is drawn. Kat assumes she’s going to her death, but through the help of her sponsors and friends she becomes a contender to win. At the same time, her feelings for the male competitor from her district, Peetra, complicate the game even further. Can Kat trust someone who could be a friend or more, when in the end one of them will have to die?
Review: I’m not sure how to describe this book. The whole idea of the Hunger Games reminded me of Survivor and other reality tv mixed with “The Lottery” and Lord of the Flies. Even though the story is unfamiliar, as I read I constantly felt like I was thinking about something I’d already read — like the book is a weird mashup of a lot of already well-worn themes. But, they’re important themes about the importance of humanity versus entertainment and themes that I hope get drawn out in the sequel.
Even so, I liked reading this book a lot. The narrative kept me constantly engaged because there’s a sort of constant action and constant unknown. Katniss was a great main character who showed plenty of conflict about her decisions. She wasn’t so good at everything as to be unbelievable, but wasn’t so ordinary that she was forgettable. I liked her and was constantly rooting for her.
My only quibble was that some of the plot twists seemed sort of arbitrary without any sense that what happened was coming. Part of that comes from the nature of the Hunger Games — the games are broadcast as a reality tv show with Gamemakers manipulating the action as they see fit. The games are inherently arbitrary, so the plot should sort of follow that. Even so, some of the plot points came out of nowhere which sort of bugged me. But only bugged me a little bit — I finished the entire book in one afternoon.
Recommended? Yep, this book is an engaging read that’ll keep you thinking and guessing right along with the characters.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
The Hunger Games is one of my favorite reads of 2009 so far, but I didn’t end up liking The Book Thief too much for some reason. I just couldn’t get into it.
I’m glad you liked both books. I’ve read them and loved them. Have you heard of Battle Royale by Koushun Takami? A lot of fans from that book have said Collins stole her plot from there. B.R. is on my TBR list. I can’t wait to read it and compare.
I bought The Book Thief on Buy Indie Day – now I have to make the time to read it. I have got to get my hands on a copy of The Hunger Games.
See, this is where I’m stuck, with The Hunger Games: I hear “It’s so amazing! Read it!” in one breath and then in the next breath I hear things like what you just said: Reminded me of Survivor and other reality tv mixed with “The Lottery” and Lord of the Flies. .
I hated Lord of the Flies. Don’t enjoy most reality TV (though The Amazing Race, I do like). And The Lottery is just icky. Good literature, but icky. So, I put all those together and come up with, why would I want to read this book? And yet then another person whose opinion I trust tells me it’s amazing. Hmm.
My comment was going to be similar to Ali’s. I’ve heard so many good things about Hunger Games I’m going to have to give a try. Thanks for the reviews!
But then I got to the big bad thing and instead of being distanced from it, I was so drawn in I started bawling.
Me too! Even though we’re told right from the beginning what’s going to happen, I spent the whole book hoping that he was just kidding, that it wasn’t actually going to happen… and then when it *did* happen, I broke down crying like a baby.
Thanks for reminding me that I really do want to read the Book Thief! I might suggest it for a book club this summer. Is it too depressing for summer fare?
Oh, I love The Book Thief so much – even though I know how sad it is, and I know the ending’s going to completely destroy me, I keep rereading it and rereading it. I’ve read a number of reviews in which people said they found the narration jerky and aggravating, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Haven’t read Hunger Games, but I definitely second your review of The Book Thief. I wasn’t sure what to make of the writing style at first, but I really fell in love with it.
I haven’t read The Hunger Games yet, but that’s exactly how I felt about The Book Thief. It took me a while to get into it, and I expected all the foreshadowing to distance me from the story, but it so didn’t. I cried my eyes out.
UGH!!! I can’t wait to get my copy of The Book Theif! I have been waiting for so long and I can not wait to read it! I have heard so many good things about it and your review just adds to the anticipation! Thanks…
I liked The Book Thief by Markus Zusak so much that by the end of the book I even liked the narrator death. The book is written about a time and place of great evil. You feel it at all times but it does not overwhelm you. I liked the book so much I at once bought and read his prior book, “I am the Messenger” which was wonderful also.
WHY DID RUDY HAVE TO DIE? I CANT STOP CRYING!
It took me a little while to get into The Book Thief. The first few chapters, maybe even first third, were a little bit slow. As I was reading, I wasn’t convinced I was that into the book either, but I knew I wanted to finish it. I don’t think I realized how emotionally involved in the book I was until I got to the end.
It’s funny you’d mention Battle Royale because Boyfriend said the same thing when I was describing the plot of the book to him. But he said it sounded like a movie he’d seen, not a book.
I just looked it up and Battle Royale is in my library, so I’m going to get it tomorrow when I return some books. Thanks for the recommendation!
I put my copy of The Hunger Games on hold at the library awhile ago — I was sort of surprised when it came! I enjoyed it, so I hope you can find a copy.
That’s a good question. I think the reason to read The Hunger Games is that it doesn’t celebrate any of the things it reminded me of — the plot and characters are a pretty blatant critique of the things we pass off as entertainment today (ie reality tv).
I was reminded of “The Lottery” mostly in the opening when everyone is part of the reaping (when the “tributes” are selected for the games). And Lord of the Flies mostly because all the tributes were children and you see some of them lose their humanity during the games. They may not have had much in the first place, but it’s that sort of children on the loose with no rules plot that I was thinking about.
Katniss is a very down-to-earth character who doesn’t fall into the traps set in the Hunger Games or into the false world full of characters and costumes at the Capitol. Because we sympathize with her, it makes the people who actually buy into the Hunger Games look foolish.
This book is a great example of what science fiction can do, which is take something in our lives today (reality tv, again, for example) and show what the possible implications might be if we extrapolate that idea out. It’s uncomfortable, for sure, but it also makes you think. That’s another thing I liked about this book.
Sorry, this got way long! I’m tired, so I’m being a little wordy
I just didn’t want my review to turn you off from the book because, in fact, I think the book criticizes all the stuff you don’t like about the media I compared it to.
Hee. Response to my comment longer than your initial review.
Your review didn’t turn me off–I’ve had these same thoughts for months. But your explanation really helps, thanks!
Ha ha, you’re right! Clearly I love to be wordy
I’m glad the long-winded explanation was helpful though.
I’m glad I read the book. It wasn’t the greatest piece of fiction ever, but it was definitely thought-provoking and entertaining — a good balance of both which made it a good read for the summer.
I know, me too! I kept wanting a “Ha ha, funny joke Death!” moment, but it never came. The book jerks on your heartstrings the whole way though.
I don’t think it’s too depressing. I mean, its a WWII book so there’s lots of sad stuff in it, but I got the end feeling sad but hopeful that things were going to work out for the characters.
Initially the narration is hard to read, but after just a couple chapters I started to like it. I think Death has a funny personality, if one can even say that, which goes along well with the narration. I loved the asides and random facts too, those were always good.
I loved it a lot too. It’s definitely a book I’m going to re-read, and one I’ll be recommending to friends when they come to me asking for good books to read.
Good, I’m glad I’m not the only one this happened to. I was really surprised by my reaction to the end since I’d felt distanced from the book as I read. I’m glad I was at home with Kleenex at the end though because I was pretty teary.
I liked Death too. Even though he is Death, I always felt like there wasn’t much to hate about him — he’s just doing his job, and I felt like he did have some remorse and feeling for what he is seeing.
Zusak is definitely an author I want to read more of. If I come across ‘I am the Messenger’ at a used bookstore or something, I’m certainly going to get it. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.