The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book Summary

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 will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts

After seeing so much hype for this book I decided to give it a try. I was expecting to really hate it. It is not my usual type of read. The thought of children fighting to the death really disturbed me. As a mother, I thought this concept was completely wrong. Then I read the first chapter. I was completely hooked! Katniss is a young teen who is very strong and independent. She is a fantastic hunter who provides for her mother and younger sister, Prim. When Prim is chosen for The Hunger Games, Katniss steps forward to take her place. Prim is a delicate girl who would have not stood a chance at survival in the games. Katniss could not imagine life without her little sister so she takes her place. Katniss is whisked away along with Peeta, the baker's son to the Capitol to train and ultimately play the game, which is aired on tv much like our reality tv shows. I admired these kids for their bravery. There is a love triangle that seems to be unresolved at the end of this book but then we know there are two more books where I hope the love triangle will eventually be resolved. I appreciated that Katniss is a strong female lead character. The well-written plot is gripping but is also violent and brutal. One word of warning, make sure you have the time to read it because once the games begin you won't want to put the book down! Suzanne Collins does a great job describing postapocalyptic North America without weighing down the storyline. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series and see where the story goes. I highly recommend this book!

I purchased this book for my Nook and read it for the 2011 Just For Fun Challenge