let the hunger games begin.

This week's a busy one, so reading a book was like stealing Mona Lisa. Lol. Anyway, although busy, I have not given the thought to finish at least a book per week or at least have a glimpse of the pages. Hahaha. I have read the Hunger Games Trilogy and the experience was quite overwhelming at the same time disappointing. Overwhelming, in a sense, that this was the first time I collected the complete books of a series. Collecting was like an addiction. Can't explain and can't contain the excitement altogether. I became an instant bibliophile. I have been collecting books lately and some of them became instant reads and some became instant depressants. Bedside drugs, I call them. Disappointed, especially with how the book ends in the Mockingjay, the 3rd installment. Anyhow, the first book, The Hunger Games, let me talk about this thing.

The Hunger Games deals with Katniss Everdeen, her struggles, her story, her fate and her game for life. A post-apocalyptic scenario which requires young blood to vindicate a rebellion. It's a YA fiction so it doesn't require a dictionary to aid you in case you meet a nosebleed-inducing word. Fast-paced. It's like watching a mash-up of Gladiator and Tournament, but this time with younger participants.

There are things which I found unique and intriguing in this book.

1. The book cover. Simple yet meaningful. The bird, which was actually a mockingjay, became the theme of this trilogy. You can find the same bird in the succeeding books and the bird did have a role in the story. The Mockingjay and Katniss. Hmm...Read please. By the way, what's a mockingjay? Mockingbirds exist, but mockingjays? Hmmm...

2. Muttations. At first I thought this was a typo error but actually it does exist in this book. This is what I like with authors. They can freely alter anything and create anything, all for the sake of fiction. And boy! Suzanne did her job well. Muttations or mutts are experiments gone awry (at least as I perceived it until I read the last book). Mockingjays are the cross-breeds of mutts and an ordinary bird. It's actually more of a mutation with a touch of sinisterness.

3. The fashion before death. The tributes (selected children from each District) have to undergo a beauty regimen and fashion showdown only to be murdered by each other in an arena. I mean, will I still care on what I will wear when at the back of mind I can see my dead and mutilated body afterward?

4. District 13. Its existence is as mysterious and intriguing as the fate of District 12. Only 12 districts were mentioned so far and what is District 13? The Districts were assigned with varying job roles with the District 12 as coal miners. The Capitol, being the head, bitches them all, getting various supplies from each of them. The Capitol initiates the Hunger Games to teach the other districts who's the boss of them.

5. The funny names. Enough said.

6. Avox. Vox in Latin means voice. If Harry Potter has the house-elves, then HG has the Avoxes. Except for the fact that Avoxes swallowed the remote control switched to silent mode. Kidding! Their tongues were cut for their treacherous deeds for the Capitol. So they're rendered silent for the rest of their lives. Katniss met one in the Capitol.

7. The Chocolate at the end of the Cornetto. No ice cream in this book. Hahaha. That's how I described the end of every chapter. Every chapter ends with a wham line which redirects the flow of the story and keeps my interest high for the next chapter. The beginning of the Hunger Games welcomes you with this.

Now if you want a good read, grab one. I'm not a fan of romance so I focused more on the survival game and the subtle violence. In as much as I like Harry Potter books, this one's a good catch also. The violence's not overkill and the characters are not boring. Although Peeta is sometimes.

One thing, I am so happy that Hunger Games did not end like Breaking Dawn of the Twilight. Brrrr... Indescribably disappointing. They should have lift a finger to kill Bella. Annoying.

There...Done with my homework. Hehehe
Next: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins