I've tried to find this discussion on the internet for quite some time now but I always just end up finding threads/sites about whether or not Suzanne Collins ripped off Battle Royale. But that really is a different discussion entirely. Anyway, which one do you prefer and why?
Personally, I have to go with Battle Royale. For me it had more emotional depth, all of the 42 contestants are at least given some development and I often felt as though I was there with the characters when they died, perfectly understanding what they felt. I also feel as if Takami understands human psychology more as well, the reactions of all of the contestants seem like things real 15 year olds would do if they were thrown into the game as well and besides, the lighthouse scene has got to be one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever read. One thing which kind of frustrated me was the number of romances between the characters, there seemed to be a few too many for it be realistic but then again I adored the romance between Shuya and Noriko, Takami made me believe that despite all of the atrocities happening around them that their romantic feelings for one another could still develop.
I did enjoy the film version of The Hunger Games, but I didn't care for the book at all. I felt that Collins kept shoving into our faces how awful the government are. I also felt that we never really got to see Katniss as a 16 year old in the game, reacting to deaths of humans around her which frustrated me a little. There was also no where near as much character development as there should have been. Aside from Katniss, Peeta and Rue, many of the others are literally just numbers. No background information, no development and they aren't even given a name so I couldn't care at all when most of them died. For me it felt as if Collins just expected us to be sad because they were children being killed. I understand this has much to do with it being written in the first person, but I wanted to see how other contestants were reacting to the Capitol and the games as well because for me, this would have made it a much more compelling read.
Finally (sorry for the lengthy post) Battle Royale stuck with me for a very long time after I had finished reading it, but after I had finished The Hunger Games I just put it down and moved on to the next book. Anyway, what do you all think?