Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
From the publisher's website
****
I actually read this book because I was asked to do so by my mother for her students. I had seen it before in the stores and on other book sites and heard the rave review but didn't think I'd really like it all the much.
I was so wrong.
The Hunger Games is an excellent book. It has action, adventure, romance and best of all a protagonist, Katniss, that is actually enjoyable to read about.
From the beginning the book sucks you in. You're pulled right into her world and her daily life, as she tries to survive in world where surviving is really all you can do. You meet her family and friends and just when you start to like them and feel comfy the whole world tilts.
For me the Games are the most fun part. Everything leading up to them is great but the Games are when things get better. It's here that you meet her competitors and here where everything begins to change for her.
At the risk of saying too much I will say that the Games are amazing. The way everything is described and the plot twists and turns that pop up keep you turning the page, excited to see what happens next. And the world that Collins has built is intense and smart.
But truly best part of the book is Katniss. She is by far one of my favorite female protagonists. She's smart and tough and she fights fiercely for those she loves.She isn't concerned with her looks, or playing games or caught up in boys. Her main focus is surviving till tomorrow. And even when she's in the Games, she still manages to stay true to who she is.
****
The book itself is well-written, with a solid, and varied group of characters, a fast pace and a enough drama and suspense to keep you coming back for more. Luckily for all of us the series is a trilogy, with the sequel Catching Fire currently on bookshelves now and the final book Mockingjay set to be released on August 24th, 2010.
My rating: 5/5. I highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone who is looking to for something good to read.It's exciting and action-packed and it's a book that makes you think.
Anything else: I am firmly on Team Peeta (which probably doesn't bode well as I have a history of loving sinking 'ships). Also if you want to see more from Suzanne Collins, visit her page http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
For more reviews check out Reality Bites...Fiction does it Better
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