Scholastic Australia
October 2024
Imprint; Scholastic Inc.
9781761640995
$49.99
Would you ever have thought The Hunger Games could get even better? This illustrated version is just sensational! This is quite the hefty volume – almost A4 in size – and dense but so beautifully presented and the monochromatic illustrations by Nic Delort bring a whole new dimension to the reader, and certainly, take even the movie images to a different plane. I loved the films but these illos are, I think, far more in keeping with the whole intense vibe of the narrative and the underlying menace therein.
A couple of years ago, one of the most popular events in my library was the Hunger Games Literary Lunch – [you’ll find more photos on the Freebies page]. And as a fan myself, I had the best fun planning it and preparing the props, menu and activities.
This is a series which has a truly dedicated following and, I think, probably one of the first I encountered where I had real evidence of ‘fandom’ in my libraries. I have often had very hotly contested interactive OTP polls based on Katniss/Peeta/Gale!
Initially, as I was still in primary schools we only had the first for our (then) Year 7s, which was based solely on the recommendation of two keen tween readers of my acquaintance. That was around 15 years ago. When I first read it, I was instantly – ohhhhh, right it’s Theseus updated – very clever! Then I sat back and watched it take off, and climb higher and higher over the ensuing years.
Now the entire series, plus the prequel has just exploded. I’m still gobsmacked at the people [particularly library people!] who have neither read the books nor watched the movies. Astonishing!
It really took YA dystopian to a whole new level and, then with the prequel, re-introduced it to a whole new generation. In America, the poll by NPR, the national broadcasting agency, recorded it as voted #2 in the 100 top teen reads, beaten only by Harry Potter.
Since the first publication, around fifteen years ago, there have been several new editions, some with really lovely covers but this one is a true gem. If you have a HG devotee it would make a superb addition to their collection and a very welcome Xmas gift! It’s a given that this is a 5 🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹 rating.
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