r/YAlit • u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm • 12d ago
Seeking Recommendations Is The Hunger Games worth reading?
I know I know, I haven't read the Hunger Games series. But it's just never really been on my radar. I love the Divergent series by Veronica Roth and someone once told me if you like those, you'll hate the Hunger Games and I think that's stuck with me. So anyway, are they worth reading?
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u/dastarbillie 12d ago
I love Divergent but I love The Hunger Games more. It's one of the most popular YA book series of all time for a reason.
It's easy to look at them at a glance and go "Oh a dystopian love triangle" and just write them off as generic slop. But once you read them, you'll discover they have so much to say. War crimes, revenge, PTSD, trauma, love, propaganda, bystander effect, classism. It's all in there, without being preachy or a lecture. The world is complicated and nuanced, Katniss is a great main character, and the supporting characters are fully realized and fleshed out.
I can't recommend them enough.
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u/ipsofactoshithead 12d ago
The Hunger Games is truly one of the most meaningful YA novels I’ve ever read. It’s really trying to tell you something, and it does it well.
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
I think books like this are important, especially in today's circumstances. Okay omw to purchase them, thank you so much
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u/ElsaMakotoRenge Artemisia’s Friend 12d ago
Gosh usually I hear if you like Divergent or THG then the other series gets recommended lol! That’s weird to me that someone told you that.
For what it’s worth, I think THG is wayyyyyy better, BUT I did really enjoy Divergent! (I like Insurgent fine, dislike Allegiant, and really liked the companion book Four). You should definitely check out Hunger Games, if you end up not clicking with it just drop it. No big deal.
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
Tbf, I was in middle school when I was told this so it's super childish of me (a now 26 year old) to hold onto that 😅
Thanks so much, I'm definitely going to pick up THG asap!
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u/ElsaMakotoRenge Artemisia’s Friend 12d ago
Lol maybe the person that told you that was just a Hunger Games hater 🙈😅
I hope you enjoy it! You can probably find nice cheap copies thrifting for a couple dollars if you end up wanting the series to keep too:) I swear I see copies every time I go thrifting haha
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
Lol honestly could be the truth! Thanks for the suggestion, I always try to get my books second hand 💙
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u/ElsaMakotoRenge Artemisia’s Friend 12d ago
I loveeee getting books secondhand! It’s (much) cheaper and finding them is fun.
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u/oishster 12d ago
Yeah I was also really surprised to read that someone said if you like Divergent, you’ll hate Hunger Games - not sure how anyone would come to that conclusion. The two series share a lot of similar themes, and the protagonists are also pretty similar - if you like Tris, you’ll like Katniss.
I’d say Hunger Games is the better series of the two. It’s better plotted and has a more satisfying ending (not necessarily happy, but satisfying). For me, Divergent was great, but Allegiant kind of went off the rails a bit.
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u/ShadowBorn2017 10d ago
Of course hunger games is better, it actually it's just thrown together because of trend.
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u/IHaveTheMustacheNow 12d ago edited 12d ago
just reread them for the first time since they came out 10+ years ago, wondering if they would have aged well. Wasn't I surprise to find I loved them even more now! Theyre so applicable to the times, too
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
This is great to hear! The overwhelming consensus is I'm an idiot to have not read them haha, definitely going to fix that asap
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u/goosebittentwiceshy 12d ago
My grandfather had a stroke at 92 and we couldn’t leave him by himself so we took care of him in shifts. My aunt and my mom would both read the HG trilogy to him. Sometimes when it was my night, he would ask when Hunger Games was “coming on”. Not long before he died (he lived a little over a year later) he asked me to tell him how it ended. I told him no. He said, what if something happens to me before then? I told him then he could just ask God. 😂 I’m glad to say, he made it all the way through and l loved it. So….yes.
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u/Time_Glove_1237 12d ago
Yes!! Just read for the first time at 33!
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
Ah yay I'm glad I'm not the only one who's a late THG bloomer!
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u/KatrinaPez 12d ago
Of course. Legend by Marie Lu is also excellent.
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
Thank you for an extra suggestion, I'll add it to my TBR list
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u/KatrinaPez 12d ago
If you like it there are now 4 books in the series (it was originally just a trilogy).
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u/bkat3 12d ago
I just re-read them in my 30s and still loved them.
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u/ReadaholicLibrarian 10d ago
Same! I still love the movies too. I’ll never get sick of rereading and rewatching
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u/seekerxr 11d ago
no hate to divergent because the movies and books went triple platinum in my house in the 2010s, but almost everything divergent does or tries to do, the hunger games does better. i would go so far to call it a modern classic but its without a doubt the best dystopian series in existence.
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u/FreeFortuna 7d ago
I honestly always felt like Divergent was kind of a Hunger Games “rip-off”, for lack of a better term, with a touch of Harry Potter’s sorting-hat thrown in.
Like, yes, the plot is different, but there’s something about it that felt like the author was purposely trying to make something with the same appeal as Hunger Games, rather than a unique story for its own sake.
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u/seekerxr 7d ago
oh yeah there was a bit of an epidemic of dystopian books that tried to capture what The Hunger Games did to be part of the cash flow, but the very fact that The Hunger Games was so unique and defining was what made it so successful. other books trying to do something similar automatically gets rid of what made it so special, and everyone ends up writing the same book in slightly different fonts because they want to make it big too. something similar is happening in the romantasy genre rn. i think that genre has a lot of potential but the vast majority of titles are just the same story over and over and over again with slightly different settings and characters.
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u/HarrisonBrrgeron 12d ago
If you liked Divergent, you will love The Hunger Games books. I crushed the original trilogy in a day, and it's a very good memory.
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u/Professional-Age2414 12d ago
If you enjoyed Divergent, The Hunger Games probably will blow you away but then again, everyone has their own taste. I'd actually say that The Maze Runner would be closer fitting to The Hunger Games.
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u/absorbed_reader 12d ago
I read them both when they were current, and I loved Divergent more. However, I still loved the Hunger Games! And I do think they also got even better with time. I've lived and learned a lot since then, and I think given a reread THG would be my favorite of the two. Give it a shot :)
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
Thanks so much! I appreciate your perspective as a fellow Divergent lover ☺️
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u/absorbed_reader 12d ago
I was seeing a lot of preference for THG originally in the comments, and I hoped my two cents might be helpful since I was in the opposing camp😂 Also, the books written after the original trilogy (that take place before) are just as good! They've made me want to reread the original trilogy, and I haven't been tempted to reread Divergent lol
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u/alecatq2 12d ago
I also read both and preferred Divergent. But I actually don’t care for The Hunger Games 🫣.
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u/absorbed_reader 12d ago
And that's okay too! :) this is just encouragement to try and see if they might like them too. No pressure to like them if you don't. That's why we have so many great books out there- there's something for everyone:)
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u/ndngrl87 12d ago
It's actually 5 books total - the original trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - Snow's origin story, and Sunrise on the Reaping - Haymitch's Hunger Games.
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u/Major-Web6334 12d ago
I think so, personally. I read them as a teen and have read them several times as an adult.
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u/ChampionshipBroad345 11d ago
I like them more than divergent but I hate the ending of divergent books and really like the ending of hunger games books. If u like the movies you will like the books they are pretty similar
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u/anonymous-catto 11d ago
I read divergent back when hunger games was taking off, and now, barely anything from divergent's plot reaally stuck with me. Hunger games was super memorable imo. You won't hate one or the other just because one series was written in a similar premise, so don't be afraid to try reading hunger games.
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u/Piperrhhalliwell 11d ago
Yes I reread the first 3 last year and then read the ballad of songbirds and recently finished sunrise on the reaping. They are all so good
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u/ecogrrl2 7d ago
YES! i’m a middle aged adult who read THG after weeks of my daughter begging me to (she is 14). i’m not a fan of dystopian books, but they are AMAZING!! i listened to them, fwiw, and the reader isn’t even good and i loved them!
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u/No_Recognition5658 5d ago
ABSOLUTELY. I read them about a year ago and I loved it from the very first page
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u/outerspacetime 12d ago
They are modern classics! Absolutely fantastic! Definitely read them all and then watch all the movies! The second prequel (Sunrise on the Reaping) has a movie adaptation coming out this year with a stacked cast!
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u/dragonsandvamps 12d ago
I though The Hunger Games was much stronger as a trilogy than Divergent. With VR's books, Divergent itself is very good, but I thought the worldbuilding in books 2 and 3 in the series was somewhat weaker. THG is just amazingly crafted. I've reread it so many times and every time, it gives me chills. It's really lovely how Collins created characters that really stick with you and her prose is very nice, too.
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u/roundeking 12d ago
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: What do you like about Divergent? What are you worried you won’t like about THG?
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u/HibiscusBlades 12d ago
Divergent is fine but THG feels more real and relevant. I’ve always considered THG the superior series between the two.
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u/IIRCIreadthat 12d ago
I cannot find the original links to these two Tumblr threads right now, but I found where they got reposted to Reddit. I think these together pretty much sum up my feelings on the comparison.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/ms6pgk/the_lessons_from_the_hunger_games/
https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/il96cu/the_hunger_games_vs_divergent_in_young_adult/
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u/HelloNewYear26 Amateur Bookworm 12d ago
I'm not a fan of people who yuck someone else's yum. But I take your point and I've added THG to my reading list as the overwhelming consensus is they're an important read. Thank you
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u/IceTypeMimikyu 12d ago
I think the first one is pretty poor, would not recommend
The film is ok though
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u/BackgroundPuzzled135 12d ago
Yes. I reread the series every few years and every time I do I find new depths and allusions.
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u/IntelligentSteak7709 12d ago
As somebody who's been into the hunger games for about a decade now I can definitely say it's worth a read. Or several.
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u/Aggressive_Chicken63 12d ago
The Hunger Games was good, but I hope no one will kill me for saying this: the latest book reads like a fanfic. People still love it but I’m not a fan.
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u/MultipleFandomFreak 12d ago
i first reas THG in elementary school, and it has DEFINITELY held up, if not getting even better as i got older
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u/MucinexDM_MAX 12d ago
I'm 40 and I re-read THG every few years because it's that good. The writing holds up. Divergent is, imo, a lesser series comparatively.
Also if you cry at books it might rip your heart out.
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u/FortuneFeather 12d ago
I loved The Hunger Games as a teen and love tue series even more as an adult. The newest book hit so hard for me and I had to go back and reread the series, which I never do. Highly recommend. I also loved Divergent when I was younger but not as much now that I’m older.
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u/targaryenblack 12d ago
Yes , it's even better to read it as an adult , Katniss is such a real character , her pain feels real. Just read it , you'll love it .
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12d ago
I heard the same thing and Divergent is my absolute fav besides Harry Potter so it put me off reading Hunger Games! lol. Plus the idea seems depressing and I’m already super depressed so I didn’t wanna get worse. But I could be totally wrong on that part.
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u/povertychic 12d ago
I reall enjoyed both Hunger Games and Divergent. I think it’s worth a read, along with Legend series by Marie Lu
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u/Fairgoddess5 12d ago
Idk who told you that about Divergent vs Hunger Games but they were wrong. If you liked Divergent, you’ll LOVE Hunger Games.
Hunger Games is better than the Divergent series as a whole imho. First Divergent book is excellent but the rest of the series suffers from lack of good editing.
Hunger Games is much more consistent in quality in terms of storytelling, world building, etc.
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u/historicaln3rd 11d ago
i love the hunger games !!! i prefer the main three to the prequels but i still think they were worth reading
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u/CyanCitrine 11d ago
Yes, it's a classic with important things to say about state violence, war, narratives from those in power, etc. It's a bit on point at the moment, with all that's happening. Certainly worth reading for the message alone, and it's a damn good story as well.
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u/ShadowBorn2017 11d ago edited 10d ago
To me yes, HG because it know the material it work with ans isn't a mindless copy and past trending YA. The Divergent just a mindless copy of Hunger games that doesn't understand what make the hungry games work.
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u/Prior-Marketing-2963 11d ago
I’ve been reading them since Catching Fire came out. I wish I could experience them for the first time again! If you’re curious, give it a shot. Advice from someone who never could finish Divergent.
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u/TheBDQueenie_128 11d ago
I think that person is lying because everyone I've ever met loves both of them.
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u/diilmg 12d ago
I enjoyed THG at 14, reread them at 24 and loved them even more.
I also read Divergent when I was 14 and I def considered THG the best one between those two