 The Hunger Games has received critical acclaim . 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 , while allegorically rich , the book sometimes does not realize the allegorical potential that the plot has to offer and that the writing " described the action and little else . " Time magazine 's review was also positive , stating that it " is a chilling , bloody and thoroughly horrifying book " and praising what it called the " hypnotic " quality of the violence . In Stephen King 's review for Entertainment Weekly , he compared it to " shoot @-@ it @-@ if @-@ it @-@ moves videogames in the lobby of the local <unk> ; 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 " and that the love triangle was standard for the genre . He gave the book a B grade . Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal praised the novel , saying it is " exciting , poignant , thoughtful , and breathtaking by turns " , and called it one of the best books of 2008 . Booklist also gave a positive review , praising the character violence and romance involved in the book . Kirkus Reviews gave a positive review , praising the action and world @-@ building , but pointed out that " poor copyediting in the first printing will distract careful readers – a crying shame " . Rick Riordan , author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series , claims it is the " closest thing to a perfect adventure novel " he has ever read . Stephenie Meyer ( author of the Twilight series ) endorsed the book on her website , saying , " I was so obsessed with this book ... The Hunger Games is amazing . " 
