30 Day Book Challenge // Day 10: Your Favourite Series

Day 10: Your Favourite Series

Day 10 is all about your favourite series. This was a real struggle in my mind, because there are so many different series that I love. My initial instinct was to choose the Harry Potter series, because that's one that I have loved ever since childhood. However, as it has had  new prequel this year that resparked my love for the series, I decided to go with The Hunger Games.

I first read The Hunger Games after I'd already seen the first film. I know, it's not the way I like to do things! I have a very strong 'must-read-the-book-I-watch-the-film' policy normally, and this has only been cemented after this occasion. As soon as I watched the first film, I knew I had to read the series, and I'm so glad I did.

As soon as I started reading, I knew this would be a series that I would absolutely love.

For anybody who has somehow managed to escape this series thus far, here's the blurb of the first book:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and once girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Blurb taken from Goodreads. 

The series is just so powerful. It teaches us that we have an obligation to stand up against corruption, which is a message that is particularly important at the moment. I find it really interesting how Suzanne Collins came up for the idea for the series while flicking through television channels, seeing coverage of war being replaced by a reality show with just the click of a button. The way The Hunger Games shows exploitation and the murder of children for entertainment is a really strong commentary on how things can go so badly wrong from where society is today.

Part of the reason I love the series so much is that there are so many fantastic characters that prop the story up. Katniss, our heroine, is strong yet vulnerable, and she is surrounded by a whole host of other flawed characters, who each play their part in making the system seem that much more horrific. I related heavily to so many of these characters, and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read about them and their story, even if it is fictional.

I read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes a few weeks ago as well, and enjoyed that too. I know it's had a lot of mixed reviews, especially because many people weren't keen on reading about a young President Snow. However, I have to say I really enjoyed it. I found it amazing to learn some more about Panem, a world that I found so fascinating in the original series. It only reignited my love for the series, and I'm already looking forward to the next time I read it again.

If you've read The Hunger Games series, or The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I've written full reviews of them both for my blog. You can find my Hunger Games Appreciation Post here, and my review for the prequel here.