I was in the doctor's office when I read

the last few pages of Mockingjay, which was a problem, as it made me cry despite trying to keep from doing so. I think the third book was the quickest read for me, given that I was doing it as time permitted, but it moved fast, no doubt due to all the action. Like the Harry Potter series, there's an aspect of the story that is a coming-of-age tale in the midst of war. There's also an epilogue that basically gives you some of the good in the ruins of the bad. But in the The Hunger Games trilogy, the story is told in first person, so you get a real sense of how an increasingly complex situation transforms the main character and those around her. It is grim at times, and yes, there is violence and people die, horribly, too--but there is a sense of 'this is reality; this is no worse than real life can be'. In the book the character Peeta must keep asking himself the question, 'Real or not real?' The characters and the reader have to make their way through lies, plans within plans, and decipher motives. Suzanne Collins has done a superb job in the development of the story and the main characters, and the term Hunger Games turns out to mean far more than just the televised spectacle of the first book. This is the first series in awhile that really riveted me. I really hope the second and third books are translated well to film, as well. I highly recommend all three books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.