The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Teen

Katniss Everdeen is a teenager living in District 12 of a land once known as North America, now known as Panem. The Capitol runs the land, surrounded by 12 districts and an area where the 13th was but was obliterated when an uprising occurred. As part of the punishment for the districts rebelling, every year a Hunger Games is held where two teens from each district are selected as tributes to compete in a gruesome game to last person standing. Each tribute is tasked with killing the others until they is only one left and it is televised for all to see.

When Katniss' younger sister Prim's name is pulled to join the Games, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Peeta, the baker's son, is picked to go with her and he has had a crush on Katniss for a very long time. The two play up the lovers angle trying to get sympathy from viewers because gifts can be given during the Games. When thrown in to the Games, the two require a lot of strength, courage, and determination to get through one of the worst experiences of their lives and make sure they come out alive.

I had a lot of trouble putting this book down at night because I needed to know what was going to happen to Katniss and Peeta at the end of the book. I was continuously surprised that there wasn't more anger from all of the tributes at being thrown in to this situation by the Capitol and the parents of the tributes didn't seem to care much either. The Games have been going on for over 70 years, why wasn't there another uprising to stop their kids from being slaughtered?

I really enjoyed Katniss as a character. She's just what young girls need as a literary character to look up to. I'm sure this will make a great movie.

First Line: "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

Rating:
(4.5/5)