before even being academic and snooty about literature that isn't even meant to be literary and accomplished... even the wikipedia criticism is hedged in disclaimers that basically says "this is a hype load of bullshit".
The Hunger Games has been well-received by critics. In Stephen King's review for Entertainment Weekly, he praised how the book is addictive and also compared it to "shoot-it-if-it-moves videogames in the lobby of the local eightplex; you know it's not real, but you keep plugging in quarters anyway." However, he stated that there were "displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults", that the love triangle was standard for the genre, and that the reality TV "badlands" were similar to Battle Royale, The Running Man, and The Long Walk. He gave the book an overall B grade.[1] Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series) said, "I was so obsessed with this book....The Hunger Games is amazing."[24] Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal praised the novel, saying it is "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns". The review also called it one of the best books of 2008.[25] Booklist also gave a positive review, praising the character violence and romance involved in the book.[26] In a review for The New York Times, John Green wrote that the novel was "brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced", and that "the considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins's convincingly detailed world-building and her memorably complex and fascinating heroine." However, he also noted that sometimes the book does not realize the allegorical potential that the plot has to offer and that the writing "described the action and little else".
now there's some book-sleeve one-liners! stephanie meyer said it was "amazing"! well that just about settles it.