I have to stop getting stressed about the right amount of stars each book deserves, but I cannot help feeling that 3 is a misleading number for this one. The Hunger Games is actually almost perfect in its own way: it's a page turner, it has interesting characters that defy (gender) stereotypes, just that little added social commentary that makes you feel there is actually a point to the story, and, in my case, it makes for a great distraction from writing a PhD.

This last one surprised me with a less-than-happy ending. The rhythm is a bit slower than the others, and all the 'good characters' come out of it a little battered. I liked this: individuals can only so much when the overall system is so rigged. Suzanne Collins killed her (our) idol, and I wasn't expecting it.