First the good part – the author, Suzanne Collins is a master of suspense and engaging the reader.  Each bookin the series, especially the first one, is one of those you just don’t want to put down.  You REALLY want to see where all of this is going.

Now, the bad – Collins stinks at closure/denouement.  I really thought this was just a normal “rope us in” thing at the ends of books 1 and 2…making us want more, but the end of the third and final book in the trilogy was almost as bad as the first two.  She does wrap things up a bit at the end of the third book, and most folks I’ve talked to don’t seem to mind, but there are a few nagging unanswered questions.  …and I just don’t like leaving a book/series asking “Really?  REALLY???  That’s REALLY how you want to leave this?”

Movie

Lionsgate / Press Kit

Honestly, I guess the hype had me expecting more, but it was pretty much the same as most movie adaptations of novels…a good, abridged, visual version of the story.  It just can’t be helped.  Novels are, by nature, rather in-depth, and producers can only include so much in a short period of time. 

I know.  If the audiobook is unabridged, is there really any difference or reason to review the audiobook version rather than just reviewing the book?  In this case, yes. 

The unabridged audiobooks published by Scholastic Audio are truly exceptional, and the narrator, Carolyn McCormick is just as talented as the author in pulling the reader into the story.  Instead of not wanting to put the book down, you never want to press pause.  There are many reasons that The Hunger Games is still one of audible.com’s best sellers.  

So, do I recommend reading, watching, or listening to The Hunger Games series?  Yes.  Unless you are particularly annoyed with lackluster closure (may just be a personal annoyance), the pros far outweigh the cons.