This was not so much a biography as expected, but more a joining up of different articles on Suzanne Collins. I found it difficult to read overall, but I did appreciate the effort that went in to collating the information. However, I would not recommend this book and did not really enjoy the read. It felt very choppy and was hard to follow in a lot of places-- it did not feel authentic, that is.

Thank you so much to NetGallery for this ARC and for giving me the chance to provide an honest review.

First of all, doing a biography on someone without consulting this person is not the way to go. Then, the fact that Suzanne is being compared to JK Rowlings, a known transphobic author, and Yarrow, a zionist one, is sitting wrong with me. Like, you are really going to compare Suzanne, writing against war, to these two?
That did it for me, I dnf it. I didnt like the way it was written neither, like it’s an article or something and not a biography.

I initially judged the book too quickly, especially when the author was compared to other well known writers. The first chapter felt a bit daunting, but it quickly caught my attention, especially when I began learning about Suzanne’s background and how her and ger families experiences with war and how they inspired her work.

I found both her writing process fascinating as well as her family dynamic. She would write for hours at a time, while her spouse took on the role of stay-at-home parent. It astounds me that, despite her success, Suzanne remains a very private and reserved person. I was also impressed to learn that she began her career writing for television programs.

I especially enjoyed reading about how her books were adapted into films and the extent of her involvement in the process.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the collection of quotes at the end, especially these:

"I don't write about adolescence. I write about war for adolescence."

"I think it's very uncomfortable for people to talk to children about war, so they don't—because it's easier not to. But then you have young people at eighteen who are enlisting in the army, and they really don't have the slightest idea what they're getting into."

These quotes are a testament to Suzanne's depth of knowledge and life experience, both of which are powerfully reflected in her stories.

An interesting read, very informative & feel the author really did their research on the topics included in the book, thank you to netgalley for sending this to me

Thoroughly enjoyed this book as a big The Hunger Games and Suzanne Collins fan. It’s a very quick read and collates information about Suzanne Collins’ life and THG franchise. Super fascinating to learn more about Collins.

Thank you Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for an ARC in exchange for a book review.

The hunger games is one of my absolute favorite series. I liked this because I got to learn facts about behind the scenes and about the author. There were a few typos, but overall a good book.

A great insight into how Suzanne Collins wrote the hunger games and how it became such a success. I loved reading about her writing process and finding out how she started writing. A quick interesting read

I liked it and it was very informative. I learned a lot and was entertained. A lot of the information about her life and writing I did not know. Which was a suprised as a big hunger games fan.

The Hunger Gamesmaker is an autobiography of author Suzanne Collins—the brilliant mind behind the Hunger Games, a literary masterpiece about a bleak futuristic dystopian world with a fierce heroine, a believable romantic plot, high stakes combat, social criticism and PTSD representation. Collins takes to heart writing what she knows and loves. Her family has a long military history, dating back to WWI, and grew up with an active duty military father. Between her father’s stories of the reality of war, an idea to blend reality TV with war footage and combining the Just War Theory (about when a war is ethically just) with YA literature, the inspiration and concept of the Hunger Games series came to be. This book was very interesting, especially if you are a Hunger Games fan and would enjoy reading the background and inspiration of this series. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Thank you Riverdale Avenue Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

As an avid Hunger Games fan, I rejoiced at the release of the new book (which I still haven't read!) and decided to do a full re-read of the original three books before moving on to the prequels. I was immersed in this universe all over again and asked myself why I did not re-read these books earlier! When I saw this book available, I had to read it.

“Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Gamesmaker” is an amazing overview of Collins’ life and influences on the Hunger Games universe. I found it very interesting how her father’s military history came to shape the way Suzanne perceives and writes about war. I have never thought long about it, but it truly makes perfect sense how the story unfolded. All the characters seemed very believable, and this second time around, I came to understand Katniss a little bit better. Having this backstory of Suzanne’s life enriched the experience as it made me see Panem in a whole new light. It’s a must-read for the fans out there!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

It is a solid 4 star. Its a quick read and entertaining. I loved learning about Suzanne Collins & her life as well as her journey to writing The Hunger Games series. I also loved learning about how she handled each challenge that was thrown her way. As someone who doesn't like the spotlight and hides from it, I definitely connected with her on that. Overall this was an amazing story and would read it over and over.

An amazing book for fans of the Hunger Games series and Suzanne Collins!
A perfect chance to get a glimpse into her life!
Very good pacing!