inkbard.com

I’m taking a break from my typical MMO (ok, WoW) centric writing and art to talk about a book series I picked up last week. I first heard about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in a blog post over at the Fan Stuff blog of How Stuff Works. In the blog Chanel Lee talks about the ratings conundrum for a possible movie based on the Hunger Games series. While I won’t get into my thoughts on that, her description of the setting and the basic plot of the book intrigued me enough to pick it up.

Panem, a nation founded on the ruins of North America, and it’s various Districts creates an extremely interesting backdrop for a re-imagining of the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur from Greek Mythology. The main character and narrator, Katniss Everdeen, is a resourceful and independent young lady thrown into a horrifying set of circumstances. I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that this young adult book is not only a story about a coming of age, but also one of budding romance. When I first came to this realization I was nervous, and even a little disappointed. I’m happy to say that in this case my feelings were unwarrented and that Katniss grows in ways I hadn’t expected – but she manages to remain true to who she is.

I haven’t picked up the second and third books yet, but when I do I’m fairly confident that the character that so impressed me in the Hunger Games won’t disappoint.