Battle of the Books: Hunger Games

Battle of the books is a little fun series where I like to compare books either in a series or something similar and talk about which one (in my opinion) is the best. This of course is purely opinionated and you are always welcome to disagree with me. 

The Hunger Games is such an important series of my childhood. It has also of course had a movie adaptation and a prequel. For this specific topic, I will not be including Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I will also try to be as spoiler free as possible, but there’s still a chance of spoilers, so be warned. 

Let’s start off with the first book: The Hunger Games. This is the book that set everything in motion. It was even featured in writing technique novel Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. And for good reason. It’s YA and very well written. From the beginning it is engaging and perplexing while also bringing to light very modern-day issues. I love this book and will continue to love it every time I reread it. 

Next: Catching Fire. This is how you do a sequel. It follows the same premise of the first novel that we all know and love but the stakes have been upped and you get to see a different side to the characters and events. Plus, the whole fake relationship thing is one of my favorite romance tropes. The pining and confusion of feelings kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Finally: Mockingjay. This one left me with mixed feelings. It’s the first novel in the series that completely disengages from its original format. The games are gone and in it’s place is a mix of an institution story along with adventure. There are strong political themes as well, which were hinted from the beginning of the series now finally coming to a head. What I wasn’t the biggest fan of was Peeta’s plotline and Gale’s character as a whole. Personally, I’m not a fan of Gale. Ultimately, I like how his story wrapped up but love triangle is not for me. For Peeta his plotline was a bit confusing and also felt very unfair, I really liked the progress the pair had made in Catching Fire and this novel felt like a huge step back. Of course it all worked out in the end but I felt like the romantic aspect helped ease some of the darker themes of the novel. 

So now, my final results. Again, this is just my opinion. And regardless of the order, I love this series and all of the novels. 

In third place, Mockingjay. 

In Second, Hunger Games. 

In First, Catching Fire. 

It’s a rare series where I prefer the sequel over the first. I am a romantic at heart, and the overall romantic themes and characters really made this novel stay in my heart. Funny enough, Kamryn also agrees with me. What is your preferred order? What series should I do next? Until next time, write-on!