The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
by Suzanne Collins
by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 374
My rating: A+
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.
Every year the citizens of Panem, the ruins of what used to be the United gather together to watch 24 tributes compete in the Hunger Games. A boy and a girl are chosen from each of the 12 districts. They compete for the chance to be wildly rich and famous, leaving behind their destitute existences. The only catch? There can be only one survivor. 16 year old Katniss doesn’t seem like the she stands a chance at staying alive. She’s smaller, weaker, and less prepared than many of her fellow fighters. There just might be a few surprises up her sleeve, though. She has heart, determination, and she’s intelligent. That, along with the help of some unlikely friends, she just might stand a chance.
I’ve heard such amazing things about this book, but I was a little leery of reading it. Normally, dystopian literature isn’t really my thing. Suzanne Collins did such an amazing job with this book though, that it may have changed my views on it. The descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I was right next to Katniss the entire time, wanting to reach out and help her. There are a few surprises thrown in to shake things up, and an interesting relationship with a boy named Peeta. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Catching Fire. I have the audiobook on hold at my library, and I look forward to Mockingjay too. I’m sure it will be just as good.