The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2010, Paperback, Reprint)

Bought this book on a recomendation from a girl at work. Great read from cover to cover. The action takes place in a not so far away future setting. North America has collapsed and people are desperate to live. Killing for food becomes a problem and a new totalitarian government intervenes. To remind the people of the time prior to their reign they hold a yearly event called the hunger games. Fasten your seat belts and get ready.

I finished this book in a day, it was fantastic! It had me hooked from the first chapter! It's about a girl in a sort of post-apocalyptic world, where one powerful capitol rules over twelve "districts", which are essentially small territories. And once a year the capitol demands two teenagers, called "tributes", from each district to compete in the Hunger Games. It's a heartwarming story, but also a very dark story. Every chapter is exciting, and every turn of the plot leaves you unable to stop reading. A fantastic book for anyone.

The story takes place in Post-Apocalyptic North America in what is now the country of Panem, consisting of 12 districts. Each year, two children between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games where there will only be one winner. When Prim, the 12-year-old sister of Katniss, is chosen to compete, Katniss, age 16, volunteers to take her sister's place and save her life. Katniss and Peeta are chosen from District 12 to compete with 22 other teenagers chosen from the remaining districts. Throughout the process of prepping for the Games, Katniss sees things about her government that she had never seen before, however this is derailed when Peeta announces his love for her on live television to everyone in Panem. Lines are crossed and many battles are fought in the playing field of the Games filled with traps, vicious animals, and the hatred of the other contestants.



This novel offers a new plot unlike any that I have read before. It connects government conspiracy with the idea that love triumphs all with the importance of family, but isn't revolutionary, overly sappy, or too dramatic. This story could be compared to the TV show "Survivor". However, instead of simply being voted off the island, you are stabbed, shot or beheaded by another player. Thankfully, it was not overly gory. I did however find it heart-wrenching to read about the deaths of characters that I could relate to. It starts out with a quick pace and only gets faster and more intense the farther into the story you get.


I found it extremely hard to put down, so be sure to set aside a good amount of time to get lost in the story. I found myself rooting for Katniss to survive the whole time. This novel does an excellent job of getting you to contemplate the "Me vs. Everyone Else" survival mentality that exists within all of us.

I bought the book because I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. It was fast reading and riviting. Hard to put down once I had started it. The characters, although futuristic, were believable. Can't wait to see the movie and read the next two books in the triligy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. There are not many books today that I can sit down and read for long periods of time. This book was constantly in my hands, because I had to know what would happen next.