The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Copyright: 2008

Number of Pages: 374

Rating:9 out of 10

Why I Picked This Up: Well, my literature teacher sang high praises for this one so I guess I just had to try it!

Imagine a world where every year, there is a televised event called the Hunger Games, where two kids from each district across the country fight to death. Imagine having to enter in the lottery that decides the contestants a dangerous amount of extra times just to get food for your family. Imagine being forced to participate when you are the poorest and most untrained kid in the entire games. This is the life of sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen. And it's not an easy one. After her sister, Primrose, was chosen to participate in the Games, Katniss boldly volunteers to take her place. Suddenly, Katniss is whisked away from her poor lifestyle to having personal coaches and stylists. At first Katniss is the underdog. But struggling to survive isn't a new way of life for Katniss and all of a sudden she becomes competition. The Games begin and Katniss has transformed from a predicted loser to a major threat. To see if Katniss survives or not, you have to read the book, but trust me it is definitely worth it.

The Hunger Games has something for everyone. There is the fast-paced action that comes with the intense competition. There are tales of cunning tricks, raw fear and friendship in the most unlikely places. Moral dilemmas come into play. Political analogies are made. And what book would be complete without a juicy love triangle? The Hunger Games truly has it all.Suzanne Collins has taken a most interesting concept and turned it in to a revolutionary story that I believe will prosper for years to come. At first, the plot is seemingly outrageous, but as the book continues the story and characters become more and more real. I must warn you, the ending is a real cliffhanger that will leave every fan of the story wanting more. Luckily for us, this book is a trilogy, and I have no doubt in my mind that the other two will be just as worthwhile and epic as the first.

Katniss's description of the District she lives in:

Our part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, is usually crawling with coal miners heading out to the morning shift at this hour. Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, many who have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails, the lines of their sunken faces. But today the black cinder streets are empty. Shutters on the squat grey houses are closed. The reaping isn't until two. May as well sleep in. If you can.