Yes!! You nailed a lot of the reasons why this series works so well (and why a lot of YA falls flat); when an author is really educated and experienced in a field and draws upon that to tell a story, it REALLY shows. I don't read a ton of YA because I prefer the complexity of adult fiction, but series like this one prove that YA can handle some really tough topics brilliantly, while still being entertaining. Just like every other genre/age group, there's some true diamonds out there that are worth coming back to!
The Hunger Games is definitely due a reread for me, now that all the YA dystopia dust has settled. Thanks for reminding me of it, and the hair is fabulous!
I first read The Hunger Games when I was eleven and when I reread them in lockdown I was surprised at how much went over my head when I first read it when I was 11. I really think that these books are fantastic to read whatever age 🤓 I’ve still got my very well loved copies of the first two books on my bookshelf (I rebrought the last book a few years back because I gave away my first copy of it when I was younger because I didn’t like it at the time, but it has turned out to be my favourite of the series upon reread 😅)
man i fucking love your videos, you bring back that good old feeling of reading just for the pleasure of it, when booktube wasn't about reading thousands of books per year or buying more than 100 books in a year, you just inspire us to enjoy an amazing story and get immersed in a different world. thanks for that 💖. Oh also shoutout to the braid, loved it!
I just finished the prequel and completely understand why it is rated lower. The book is very well written and gives a lot of interesting back story to Snow and how the games turned into the spectacle they are. She stayed very true to the characters and the original story. I really enjoyed learning the origin of the hangman’s tree song. But at the end of the day, you had a very unsympathetic main character and the knowledge that things are going to stay bad or even get worse for 60+ more years. This book doesn’t end on a feel good note.
I need to reread these one day. It’s been so long I had genuinely forgotten Gale existed somehow 😂 never heard of Gregor the overlander but it sounds like something my sons might be interested in.
I couldn't agree with you more on these. Thank you for all your hard work on these videos. I hope you & the beautiful Mrs are both well & have a great day!
When I read Hunger Games back in 2013, I thought it was just a cheesy 'Oh I'm in love with my best friend and a baker. Who am I gonna choose' thing but rereading this again made me realize that it tackles a lot of real life issues and it is truly scary that these things happen. It is truly a peak of the YA Dystopia.
My preteen read Gregor the Overland, and got me hooked. It was genuinely an enjoyable series. This was a very well thought and expressed review. My husband won't read them, but as I discuss these topics with him when we watch the movies he's quick to see how relevant it is to today.
This is literally my favorite book series every. I read this book during multiple stages of my life from 12 to 23 and I learn and find new things to love about it each and everytime. You really did the series justice and taught me something mew to look out for.
I read the first book of Gregor, and it was quite a pleasant surprise. Definitely want to read the prequel now, despite the Goodreads score, heh. I'd like to get into this world again, the trilogy is so well written. Thanks for the video! Quite nice content!
i was just thinking of rereading the books and you convinced me entirely. great video! there was a lot of insight here. the first time i read i was just a twelve year old not really picking anything apart. now i know im gonna go in thinking critically. subscribed.
Awww maaaaan. Seriously. I was quite sure I've written off every reading these books and I was just watching this because I like to hear your thoughts and to support your channel. But you can explain so well the importance, added value and why I wrote it off in the first place (unrightfully so). Now I have to, at some point, read them. But please let me first finish, Malazan, First law, Cradle and Dresden and take down some others from my TBR ;) On a side note. Will read 1984 next month as well as a companion book called Julia, which tells the 1984 story from the perspective of the female character in the original book. A co-worker told me it was worth the read.
If you’ve never read Gregor, I highly recommend. Suzanne Collin’s is my favorite author besides CS Lewis, and Gregor is so well written. I think some people view it as a more “immature” predecessor to Hunger Games, but it packs just as much of a punch as the hunger games series does in my opinion. There are insane twists that far exceed anything in THG, masterly crafted world building, and characters you will love just as much as the ones in THG. Please give book 1 a shot if you haven’t yet!
The movies may have some extra details, but the books have original details that get missed--the past, especially. The flashbacks in the movie are one of the few misfires. Take the bread scene. Reactors who have never read the books think that Peeta is being contemptuous, when in fact it was an act of kindness that shaped her for years, and even ultimately was what inspired her to go out into the woods to hunt. The fact that she felt she owed him her life played a big part in why she made the decisions she did. (Also, they should have used kids for that scene, since the whole point was that Katniss wasn't yet old enough for tesserae.) Haymitch's back story was also skipped. (And for some reason, he looks like the oldest mentor, when he would have been in the middle of the pack.)
I can't stand love triangles. But I completely agree with you about the one in this trilogy. The Hunger games with a book that got me into reading. They are absolutely phenomenal. Add your thesis on what both off the male characters represent is absolutely spot on.
If you're interested in a prequel that actually has major impact on the later story line, read Throne of Glass incl Assassin's Blade (as the third book imo)
I didn't read all of the Gregor books, but they were fantastic - a gritty cross between Redwall and your favorite "children end up in an alternate fantastical world" books. I will admit I stopped reading during the book about plague, that one was a bit disturbing for however old I was, but one of my goals this year is to reread/read the whole series!
I didn’t appreciate it as much as a teen, bc it was put at war against Harry Potter. But rereading as an adult, wow, it is so much better than I remembered.
Great video! I recently reread the trilogy and thought it held up really well, it’s simply very well done. I think it would be very helpful, if you could add chapters to your videos. Then you could also indicate where spoilers are and when they are over. But that said, I don’t know how much effort it would add to your work, which must already be a lot! So I just meant that as an idea.
I recently reread these now that there are actual good audiobooks for them, and they held up very well! I started crying during the Rue scene while I was cooking dinner 😅 Tatiana Maslany did an amazing job
I was already like 22ish years old when THG game out and when I first read them and WOO MAN was I obsessseddddddd -- I was pushing that series on literally everyone I knew who liked to read at ALL haha AND it is a series that absolutely holds up, every time I re-read it! Love it so much and yeah the fact that Katniss is not really invested in her own romance options is one of my favorite things about it. That and the absolutely epic moments and badass heroism and heart-wrenching moments UGH it's just so good The prequel wasn't it for me, simply because I didn't find it all that compelling to have Snow be the main character AND because toward the end his behavior was genuinely a bit triggering for me (emotional/mental abuse and delusional paranoia behaviors), which is my own personal stuff affecting how I perceive things, of course. But it was pretty bad so it definitely diminished my enjoyment. Loved this video!
I bought the prequel a d dnf'd it, the original Hunger games trilogy is one of my favourite stories of all time. Like I said in a previous comment they are what got me into reading. But the prequel just didn't capture the lightning in a bottle that the original trilogy did
Gregor the Overlander will forever be a personal favorite of mine. its a perfect middle ground between narnia and lotr, well thought out fantasy woth a modern and grounded twist. its not a classic due to its AWFUL marketing and distribution but i highly recommend those books for anyone (tho they are definitely trying to snipe that preteen/teen audience with overprotective parents)
I own the books for quite some time, have so many books to read. Right now i read the final book of The Dark Tower, say thankee. I wanted to finish the serie because I didn't want to forget the face of my father. Of course I can start the Hunger Games serie, but now i bought the complete serie of Harry Potter and Oregon plus alot of other books are waiting to be read on my bookshelf. Beeing a reader is so frustrating sometimes 😂😂😂. But holy shit you have such beautiful hair man it's fucking awesome 😎👍
Could you give the light novel, "Classroom of the Elite" a try? If you're skeptical because it is a LN you should check its anime first. And then give your thoughts, perhaps? And if you do decide to read the novels you should start from Volume '0' (It's the prequel).
This might sound crazy but I didn't see or read the hunger games and I saw the prequel and then read the prequel before watching the rest of the story and I liked the prequel more and want more of the early story 🤷🏽♂️
It is still strange to be how a book based on 12 year olds killing each other is considered YA. But I do find it funny Peeta was a baker. And yes, the death of Rue in tbe books was a lot more impactful in the books. Gale as an emotional outburst - there seems to be some naming conventions going on here.
To be honest I don't like the fact that the Hunger games is even classified as ya, it's just an amazingly written story. Classifying it in such a way is going to stop so many people from reading it.
Yes!! You nailed a lot of the reasons why this series works so well (and why a lot of YA falls flat); when an author is really educated and experienced in a field and draws upon that to tell a story, it REALLY shows. I don't read a ton of YA because I prefer the complexity of adult fiction, but series like this one prove that YA can handle some really tough topics brilliantly, while still being entertaining. Just like every other genre/age group, there's some true diamonds out there that are worth coming back to!
The Hunger Games is definitely due a reread for me, now that all the YA dystopia dust has settled. Thanks for reminding me of it, and the hair is fabulous!
I first read The Hunger Games when I was eleven and when I reread them in lockdown I was surprised at how much went over my head when I first read it when I was 11. I really think that these books are fantastic to read whatever age 🤓 I’ve still got my very well loved copies of the first two books on my bookshelf (I rebrought the last book a few years back because I gave away my first copy of it when I was younger because I didn’t like it at the time, but it has turned out to be my favourite of the series upon reread 😅)
man i fucking love your videos, you bring back that good old feeling of reading just for the pleasure of it, when booktube wasn't about reading thousands of books per year or buying more than 100 books in a year, you just inspire us to enjoy an amazing story and get immersed in a different world. thanks for that 💖.
Oh also shoutout to the braid, loved it!
Some of the best books I've read last year...and I am 46 years old, so even though they are classified as YA, I enjoyed them immensely.
LOVE Gregor the Overlander. One of the best middle grade series out there. Ending of series stayed with me long time
I just finished the prequel and completely understand why it is rated lower. The book is very well written and gives a lot of interesting back story to Snow and how the games turned into the spectacle they are. She stayed very true to the characters and the original story. I really enjoyed learning the origin of the hangman’s tree song. But at the end of the day, you had a very unsympathetic main character and the knowledge that things are going to stay bad or even get worse for 60+ more years. This book doesn’t end on a feel good note.
21:59 Songbirds and Snakes is fantastic!... It might be my favourite
I need to reread these one day. It’s been so long I had genuinely forgotten Gale existed somehow 😂 never heard of Gregor the overlander but it sounds like something my sons might be interested in.
I couldn't agree with you more on these. Thank you for all your hard work on these videos. I hope you & the beautiful Mrs are both well & have a great day!
I can't with the braid 😆😆😆 your videos keep getting better and better!
When I read Hunger Games back in 2013, I thought it was just a cheesy 'Oh I'm in love with my best friend and a baker. Who am I gonna choose' thing but rereading this again made me realize that it tackles a lot of real life issues and it is truly scary that these things happen. It is truly a peak of the YA Dystopia.
My preteen read Gregor the Overland, and got me hooked. It was genuinely an enjoyable series. This was a very well thought and expressed review. My husband won't read them, but as I discuss these topics with him when we watch the movies he's quick to see how relevant it is to today.
My favourite parts of this series was always the media politics. It's probably why the second book was my favourite.
This is literally my favorite book series every. I read this book during multiple stages of my life from 12 to 23 and I learn and find new things to love about it each and everytime. You really did the series justice and taught me something mew to look out for.
You really are good at this and the hair is fantastic!
I read the first book of Gregor, and it was quite a pleasant surprise.
Definitely want to read the prequel now, despite the Goodreads score, heh. I'd like to get into this world again, the trilogy is so well written.
Thanks for the video! Quite nice content!
Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer! I’d read the phone book if she wrote it.
i was just thinking of rereading the books and you convinced me entirely. great video! there was a lot of insight here. the first time i read i was just a twelve year old not really picking anything apart. now i know im gonna go in thinking critically. subscribed.
Great video as always! I read the series Gregor the overlander as a kid and absolutely loved them, their one of the reasons why i love reading
Awww maaaaan. Seriously. I was quite sure I've written off every reading these books and I was just watching this because I like to hear your thoughts and to support your channel. But you can explain so well the importance, added value and why I wrote it off in the first place (unrightfully so). Now I have to, at some point, read them. But please let me first finish, Malazan, First law, Cradle and Dresden and take down some others from my TBR ;)
On a side note. Will read 1984 next month as well as a companion book called Julia, which tells the 1984 story from the perspective of the female character in the original book. A co-worker told me it was worth the read.
If you’ve never read Gregor, I highly recommend. Suzanne Collin’s is my favorite author besides CS Lewis, and Gregor is so well written. I think some people view it as a more “immature” predecessor to Hunger Games, but it packs just as much of a punch as the hunger games series does in my opinion. There are insane twists that far exceed anything in THG, masterly crafted world building, and characters you will love just as much as the ones in THG. Please give book 1 a shot if you haven’t yet!
The movies may have some extra details, but the books have original details that get missed--the past, especially. The flashbacks in the movie are one of the few misfires. Take the bread scene. Reactors who have never read the books think that Peeta is being contemptuous, when in fact it was an act of kindness that shaped her for years, and even ultimately was what inspired her to go out into the woods to hunt. The fact that she felt she owed him her life played a big part in why she made the decisions she did. (Also, they should have used kids for that scene, since the whole point was that Katniss wasn't yet old enough for tesserae.) Haymitch's back story was also skipped. (And for some reason, he looks like the oldest mentor, when he would have been in the middle of the pack.)
I've been thinking about rereading this trilogy. This video has convinced me I should 100% do it 😊
I can't stand love triangles. But I completely agree with you about the one in this trilogy. The Hunger games with a book that got me into reading. They are absolutely phenomenal. Add your thesis on what both off the male characters represent is absolutely spot on.
So great to see another person discussing YA dystopia. I highly recommend The Book Leo’s take on that as well
If you're interested in a prequel that actually has major impact on the later story line, read Throne of Glass incl Assassin's Blade (as the third book imo)
I was obsessed with Gregor the Overlander. Very slept on
Excellent vide as always, so glad I found your channel. I have the books and been meanig to read them for a while.
Can’t wait for Skyward!
I didn't read all of the Gregor books, but they were fantastic - a gritty cross between Redwall and your favorite "children end up in an alternate fantastical world" books. I will admit I stopped reading during the book about plague, that one was a bit disturbing for however old I was, but one of my goals this year is to reread/read the whole series!
Great video 😊 i loved the books when they came out and still rereate them sometimes. Catching fire is my favorite.
I didn’t appreciate it as much as a teen, bc it was put at war against Harry Potter. But rereading as an adult, wow, it is so much better than I remembered.
Also all hail your beautiful locks 🎉
Great video! I recently reread the trilogy and thought it held up really well, it’s simply very well done. I think it would be very helpful, if you could add chapters to your videos. Then you could also indicate where spoilers are and when they are over. But that said, I don’t know how much effort it would add to your work, which must already be a lot! So I just meant that as an idea.
That kick was badass at the start 😂legend
I recently reread these now that there are actual good audiobooks for them, and they held up very well! I started crying during the Rue scene while I was cooking dinner 😅 Tatiana Maslany did an amazing job
I was already like 22ish years old when THG game out and when I first read them and WOO MAN was I obsessseddddddd -- I was pushing that series on literally everyone I knew who liked to read at ALL haha
AND it is a series that absolutely holds up, every time I re-read it! Love it so much and yeah the fact that Katniss is not really invested in her own romance options is one of my favorite things about it. That and the absolutely epic moments and badass heroism and heart-wrenching moments UGH it's just so good
The prequel wasn't it for me, simply because I didn't find it all that compelling to have Snow be the main character AND because toward the end his behavior was genuinely a bit triggering for me (emotional/mental abuse and delusional paranoia behaviors), which is my own personal stuff affecting how I perceive things, of course. But it was pretty bad so it definitely diminished my enjoyment.
Loved this video!
The reasoning behind why you should still read the books is on point.
I bought the prequel a d dnf'd it, the original Hunger games trilogy is one of my favourite stories of all time. Like I said in a previous comment they are what got me into reading. But the prequel just didn't capture the lightning in a bottle that the original trilogy did
I love your intros!!!
Gregor the Overlander will forever be a personal favorite of mine. its a perfect middle ground between narnia and lotr, well thought out fantasy woth a modern and grounded twist. its not a classic due to its AWFUL marketing and distribution but i highly recommend those books for anyone (tho they are definitely trying to snipe that preteen/teen audience with overprotective parents)
I would love to become mates, I recon you would have a viable answer to any problem I have.
Could you do a video like this on Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series please?
Bridge Four!
My ten year old boy just finished the series-he loved it 👍
Also, I used to love reading all varieties of dystopia but not any more-probably due to the state of the real world at present 😬
Love the theme song!! 🤩🤩
Sweet sweep picking at the end there too 💪
Who’s the genius composer and musician behind it?? 🎸
YESSSS! 😂😂 finally someone mentioned the sweep picking. 😜 Thanks Nicholas!
I own the books for quite some time, have so many books to read. Right now i read the final book of The Dark Tower, say thankee. I wanted to finish the serie because I didn't want to forget the face of my father. Of course I can start the Hunger Games serie, but now i bought the complete serie of Harry Potter and Oregon plus alot of other books are waiting to be read on my bookshelf. Beeing a reader is so frustrating sometimes 😂😂😂. But holy shit you have such beautiful hair man it's fucking awesome 😎👍
The books are awesome! It is a shame people underestimate it because of the YA genre reputation. Anyway, I am excited that a new book is on the way🎉
The ballad of songbirds and snakes deals with heavy philosophical stuff, btw
Could you give the light novel, "Classroom of the Elite" a try? If you're skeptical because it is a LN you should check its anime first. And then give your thoughts, perhaps? And if you do decide to read the novels you should start from Volume '0' (It's the prequel).
This might sound crazy but I didn't see or read the hunger games and I saw the prequel and then read the prequel before watching the rest of the story and I liked the prequel more and want more of the early story 🤷🏽♂️
It is still strange to be how a book based on 12 year olds killing each other is considered YA.
But I do find it funny Peeta was a baker.
And yes, the death of Rue in tbe books was a lot more impactful in the books.
Gale as an emotional outburst - there seems to be some naming conventions going on here.
Cronk not the Rick roll hahahahahahaha
Your hair!!! Haha
I don't know if you are aware that the Hunger Games trilogy is taught in both the USA and Canada?
Love your videos and the hunger games, and I agree about the copycats bringing a bad name to ya
I also enjoyed the prequel. However, the movie trailer doesn't do the book any favors.
To be honest I don't like the fact that the Hunger games is even classified as ya, it's just an amazingly written story. Classifying it in such a way is going to stop so many people from reading it.
😂