Katniss – A quiet loner who is capable of changing the world with her strength, perseverance, and hope. She is an amazing role model for girls.
I have been an avid reader of YA lit for a long time, mostly to stay current with the latest values and interests of teenagers. So I picked up Hunger Games and I was hooked. I loved the entire series.
What’s Not To Love?
I love this book for so many reasons: the characters are flawed heroes who have amazing inner strength beyond their own awareness; the teenagers understand their world better than the adults; the teenagers are the ones who must save the world; Katniss’ loyalty to her family is more important than her own happiness; she chooses what is right rather than what is easy; and she overcomes her fear and confusion to ultimately survive.
Katniss is the reluctant heroine who hates being cast in that role. She is just a “normal” girl who must live in a world that adults have destroyed. She develops amazing survival skills in order to keep her and her family alive. Her anger is justified because she lives in an oppressive world, through no fault of her own.
Once Katniss goes off to the Hunger Games, she is impressed by the glitz and glamour of the Capital. She stays true to herself and her values. In the arena, she reveals her decency. She’s not bloodthirsty and out to win. She just wants to survive. She kills out of necessity and is changed by it.
Katniss is just “ordinary” teenager thrust into an impossible situation created by adults. She doesn’t want to be a pawn in the sick, warped game but she does all she can for her family. She is neither perfect nor overly brave, but she wants to survive. What is there not to love about Katniss and The Hunger Games?
