The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

This was one of those series where I resisted reading simply because of all the hype. I hate hype.then I read it. I can't say it is my favorite or even one of my favorites, but I am excited about the movies, and after watching the teaser trailer for the movie I decided to post my review.

Of the three books Catching Fire was my favorite of the three. I think it's because I love a good romance that can make me cry. In Hunger Games I didn't completely connect to Katniss or Peeta, although I liked both of them. After reading Catching Fire, it really feels like Hunger Games was just setting the stage.

Katniss definitely comes across as a stronger character in Catching Fire and for me this is where she shines. It's like she had to go through the games to find the strength to face the Quell and be that female protagonist that people have been raving about. Mockingjay continues some of that strength, but I see her as much more flawed by that point. She's slowly falling to pieces and I felt that she lost her connection with both Peeta and Gale because of fear and that she was afraid to put forth anything she new would just end in death.

I hear so much about Team Peeta and Team Gale, but for me it was easy to go to Team Peeta. Gale wasn't even a main character in the first book, so little in fact that I didn't even see how he was a love interest. Collins has given him more face time in the second and third books, and while I like his character, he's just not as well developed as Peeta. There were points through out the entire series that I felt Katniss's interest in Gale seemed forced, like she was settling for the best friend who knows her so well. Or perhaps this was just Collins feeding into the love triangle craze that is sweeping YA.

The ending of the series is one of those love it or hate it endings. I personally loved it. I felt that, despite my frustration with Katniss's emotional distance with both Gale and Peeta, stays true to her character, especially considering everything she has been through.