I don’t do very much reading in this arena, the arena of non fiction. I have read a little of Frank Peretti in the Christian fiction world and I love his work. However, reading this book has helped me to see that I need to read more non-Christian fiction. Here are a few reasons why.
#1. This is a really well written book with a good story.
#2. It kept me turning the pages. (In Kindle that is)
#3. It was a great and relaxing break from the reading and serious study I do for sermons on a regular basis.
#4. There are lots of possibilities to use here in sermons.
#5. It is a very popular series that has now surpassed “Harry Potter” in sales and I can now carry on a conversation with a lot of people in something they really enjoy talking about.
It would be difficult for me to tell you much about the book without giving away things that I would rather encourage you to find out by reading this book. It is a post apocalyptic setting where the Country has been sectioned into 13 districts. One of the districts has been destroyed because of rebellion against the governing authorities and the Hunger Games were started to remind people they should never rebel again.
Several parents have asked if it is appropriate for teens and pre-teens to read and I believe that it is. It is a great story line of a very real possibility in the world in which we live. There is killing in the book but it is no worse than the cowboy and Indian movies I watched almost 40 years ago where people would shoot flaming arrows into people. The book is not so graphic to be offensive in this manner. The people who are killing are not doing it because they want to, they are being made to do it to not only save their own lives but the lives of family and friends.
By the way, I did rent the movie and here is my take. If I had not read the book and only watched the movie I would have missed the greatness of the book. Not that the movie was badly made, it wasn’t. It just isn’t very meaningful in my opinion without all of the detail of the book. Not worth the $399 to rent it in some ways but in the end I will use it.
I can’t wait to read the final two books and I will let you know my thoughts soon.
Ronnie