I read a lot, and the books got popular. This typically makes me expect the worst. I blew through the first one, and reading the second one quickly.

They are entertaining thus far, and actually very good books. The characters are written well, and the action and story pacing so far seem to match an ideal book/movie transfer, especially since much of the premise involves them being televised. Really easy format to make into a movie.

Book 1 and 2 so far seem distinctly seperate books. I am actually surprised book 2 has had such a good story so far, but the way this world is set up, they should all be dying by the end of book 2. There is no salvation in the world portrayed and I almost am sad to know how disappointed other readers were with book 3, since book 2 being good surprised me, so far.

What truly amazes me is that this story is overtly socialist in message, and calls upon the personal responsibility from one human to another to drive the changes required for a better world.

Pretty much the opposite of the willful disobedience towards a more equal society is what I see in 2012 America. So the popularity of the book is either not a single Republican (at least as far as what that means right now) or social problems are easier to come to terms with in fake books.

That or there is an overlap in the people who read and also are dissatisfied with our current state of affairs.

These first two books are almost as anti America as can be. Too bad Anti-America now means trying to make the lower class better. It basically illustrates the difference between upper and lower classes, and how for people to be absurdly rich requires other people to be slaves.

The blunt message that is somehow popular either illustrates a blind audience, or the obvious disconnect between the FOX news viewer versus the reader who is waiting on this movie.

Or we can read books that illustrate the ideal, while voting in people like Gingrich who are doing their best to promote hatred and inequality.

I either need to be fascinated by this, or cry.