Weekly Reading Response

NAME  Maddie M DATE 10/07/10

TITLE The Hunger Games TIME  3   HOURS

AUTHOR Suzanne Collins PAGES 0  - 374

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 374

         The book I read was a exhilarating novel that I could not put down.  It had suspense, action, and emotions that could make you laugh or cry for the characters. This was a thrilling story that made you feel like you were there in the book and some moments took my breath away. This book made me angry at first, I was mad when Katniss had to go to the hunger games and leave what she had behind. Her sister, her mother, her whole life. She could be saying goodbye to her life forever, it was very likely. But I was surprised at how much compassion I felt toward her as she held back her tears even though she was going into a situation that she might not live to talk about. How she held her head high even though inside she was breaking. Throughout this story I have been disgusted by the hunger games. How they are considered a sport, a game, entertainment for viewers. How could they so thoughtlessly kill twenty three innocent children every year to something they called a game? It was horrifying. I was surprised at how easily the kids could adjust to the mind set of killing each other. The hatred that flowed between each other. It shocked me at how ready to kill each other they were. How eager to survive. That was their only thought, survival. Anything they could do to live for one day longer. 

         In this book I had many different feelings. I was angry at the people who put these children in the hunger games. It was murder. Watching the horrifying deaths of twenty three children seemed like cruel entertainment. I was also scared for Katniss, every day she was in danger. Anyone could pop in front of her and kill her before she could do anything.  Every night I waited in fear that someone could creep up on her in her sleep and take away her life. In the morning when she arose I would breathe a deep sigh of relief. It was so easy to die in there. Her only way of survival was to kill all the others. You could win but at what cost? I had contradicting feelings, I didn't want Katniss to die, I wanted her to make it through with all of my heart. But what about the lives of the others? Those were people, children who had lives too. It was confusing, what I knew was right and what I wanted were impossible. Only one could win but how could she kill all the others. How could she live with herself with the death of all those people on her shoulders? If you won you became famous and it would change your life forever, if you lost you died. I didn't want anyone to die but I wanted Katniss to live, to make it through the games no matter what it cost her.  

         What surprised me was how the people and the president were convinced this solution of the hunger games was the best way to prevent people from rebelling. How they could so easily kill twenty three people without feeling any remorse. They considered it a game. It also shocked me how desperate these children were to live. Everything Katniss did was based on survival, she weighed all options of her survival and what was the best to do. It amazed me how she could live for another day with the only things she had. She always had a plan, a way of escape, a way to defend herself. They all knew that survival was only possible without the others and their own survival meant that much to them. Alliances were good until it came down just to two people. You couldn't get close to someone because you could be the one to have to end their life. It surprised me but it made sense, these were children who everyday worried about their survival. They knew how to take care of themselves. I just thought that if I was in the same situation I would not be able to end another person's life just so that I could live. It wouldn't be worth it. My life isn't worth the death of someone else and the grieving and pain that it would cost their friends and family. It surprised me the power of their will to live.

         
        This book was taken place in a future time and it made me think about our future. Could we end up like this? All our essence of humanity lost in a game of murder?  It made me think about how far we have come in our existence. The lessons we have learned. That murder is not a form of entertainment and how we do not force people to do things so they wont rebel. Our society seems much more advanced then theirs and it makes me wonder what the future has to hold for us. I think one of the themes in this book is the power and strength of our ideas and beliefs. The power of the will to survive. Katniss knows that these games are not right and she stands up against the people in charge. She will not let them make her kill her only friend in the hunger games, the one who saved her life. When she began the games she thought she would be able to kill any one of them to survive but she couldn't take his life away, he was her friend.  This book is about following what you know is right and being determined to get your goal no matter what the odds. You always have a chance, it doesn't matter how unlikely it is, nothing is impossible. Stand up for what you believe in and don't let someone make you change your views. The Hunger Games is about fighting for what you know is right and never giving up. This was an amazing story that taught me many new things.