Reading Response to The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins:

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is the wildly popular first book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I think that one of the reasons the book is so popular, is because of the main character, Katniss Everdeen. In the book, Katniss is 16 years old and is very strong willed, but often feels incredibly alienated. I think that Katniss is a very relatable character (which is one of the reasons the book is so popular!) in this way, and in the way that she keeps her true feelings shielded from most people around her, but at the same time is very determined. She doesn’t seem to understand the impact she has on the people around her, as well as the reader. She has very strong views on the
She never misses. And I’m her next target. All the general fear I’ve been feeling condenses into an immediate fear of this girl, a predator who might kill me in seconds. Adrenaline shoots through me and I sling the pack over one shoulder and run full-speed for the woods.” For me, hearing exactly what the protagonist is thinking through stream of consciousness is a good way to understand everything that is happening, and for them to be able to relate to a situation where they felt similar emotions, in this case where they were scared. It also helps the reader realise the seriousness of the situation. It also makes me feel like I’m more in the moment, which is kind of scary but also incredibly captivating. Running fast is what separates Katniss from life or death, just as it would for someone in a war or a terrorist attack. Another way that the author uses this technique is to expose the reader to the exact settings, by having the protagonist describe exactly what they are seeing: “The cameras haven’t lied about its grandeur. If anything, they have not quite captured the magnificence of the glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues that tower into the air, the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal.” By showing the readers this, they can transform the words into a picture in their heads, and they can feel like they