The Hunger Games

Wow!  I just finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  It was so good, I don't know if I could do it justice to write words about it.  You need to go get this book and read it!

The Hunger Games is about a futuristic place called Panem which is where North America used to be.  The area is divided in to districts that are ruled by "The Capitol".  The districts are barely surviving, having to ration food, and work for the good of The Capitol.  Each year, each district has to give up two children (age 12 to 18), one boy and one girl, for the Hunger Games - a competition devised to keep the districts in line by reminding them that The Capitol has the power, and also for entertainment purposes.  The contestants in the Hunger Games are put into a large outside area called "the arena" where cameras follow their every move. It is like the most brutal form of reality TV.  In the competition, there can be only one winner, every other competitor must die. 

The main character is a girl. Katniss, from District 12.  It is a heart wrenching story of how she competes in the Hunger Games, doing what she has to in order to survive.  She has to constantly weigh survival against humanity, and love.  This was a fantastic book that pulled me in immediately and has yet to release it's grip on me, and I am finished the book.  The description of the places and the way the characters feelings are made known without having to spell them out made this book a real page turner. The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy. The second book, Catching Fire is already out.  I cannot wait to read it!

Happy Reading!