"The Hunger Games" From a Christian Perspective

Hello there everybody.  Today we are talking Hunger games..obviously. One of my favorite book series..but not. Here's why.

What are they about? If you don't already know..here's the rundown:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Pretty Epic Huh?

Well..where to start, where to start?

What I like:

I think we'll start with some positivity. This series is soo engaging. Like, literally, you cannot stop reading this unless you force yourself. (Especially when you're like me, and go in to it without any idea what the story is about.) It has a strong female protagonist, as well as being written in first person, and so you feel really engaged in the story. The character development in this story is amazing as well. To see the inner feelings of Katniss all the way up to the ending of "Mockingjay" was remarkable to see. She feels so real, and she wrestles with herself and lives a life of such pain until she is finally free.

Also, I feel like this book in all honestly shows where we are headed in America. To see the way the "elite" in the story interact with outsiders, you can see some striking parallels between them and the leaders of our day.

Finally, reading this series really shows the value of a human life, as well as the value of teamwork, and sticking together. Human life is so important, and this book should open your eyes to that striking fact. Teamwork comes into the picture between the tributes,  and shows how much we need people.

Now for the negativity:

Personally, I liked, but didn't like the violence. The whole plot line is basically teens trying to kill each other so, the violence is pretty unavoidable. However, there are detailed descriptions of the deaths of numerous people throughout the book, as well as descriptions of injuries. 

As a Christian, I feel like violence is something that we should keep our distance from as much as possible. Reading about violence and murder can make us more prone to anger. Reading this series, I became more or less obsessed with it and I was not growing spiritually. And, to be honest, that probably happens to most of the people that read it. 

There was also some iffy sexual parts that I didn't really like, as well as nudity, and up to semi-detailed kissing descriptions. In my opinion, I think it all comes down to the maturity level of the person reading it.

Other trigger warnings: Alcohol and drug use, some light language like "hell"

So overall this is a well written trilogy, I would just advise exercising caution if reading and spacing these them out. Read a classic in between! 

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Until next time! 

-Ivy

Follow me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/111466045-ivy