The Hunger Games

By: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Teen Fiction
Stars: 5 out of 5
America is no longer the 50 states we have been divided into for the past hundred years. It is now called Panem, an America now in ruins with a Capitol ruling over twelve outlying districts. To remind the twelve districts of the Capitol’s power over them they hold an annual Hunger Games where one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen from each of the districts has to participate to the death in an arena set by the Capitol. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl who has made a living off of surviving in her district. When it is time to choose a girl from district twelve to go to the annual event Katniss’ sister Prim is chosen, a twelve year old who is naïve in the ways of hunting and surviving. In a fury of emotion, Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place thus becoming the girl representative from district twelve. Thrown into the arena with twenty-three other opponents, some strong having made it their duty to win and others who are weak using wit to their advantage, will Katniss be the last one standing?
From the moment I picked up the book and read the first two chapters, I could not for the life of me put it back down. I spent half of a day starting and finishing this book. It was recommended by a coworker (I work in a bookstore so coworkers recommend books to the rest of us coworkers all the time) and from her explanation it intrigued me and I was not disappointed. Suzanne Collins has written an edge-of-your-seat novel with twists and turns and suspense waiting at the end of every chapter that you say to yourself, “I’ll read just one more chapter to find out what happens” and yet you end up finishing the book. The first in a trilogy, this book is certainly a must read. I know I cannot wait to get the second one and the third comes out in August.