The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the future, in that area that was once North America, the nation of Panem exists with its Capitol that dictates every aspects of life in the surrounding districts by harsh and cruel means. One of the worst punishments inflicted upon the districts following a failed rebellion is The Hunger Games, a reality game that is in essence a fight to the death and one boy and one girl from each District must compete in the games each year. Sixteen-year-old Katniss dreads the day of the reaping because each year the number of slips containing her name that go into ball from which the contestants are drawn grows. This is the first year that Katniss’ younger sister Prim is eligible to compete, however, Katniss does not worry about her chances as she has refused to allow her sister to accept food and grains that would earn her additional slips. When Prim’s name is the one that is drawn from the ball, Katniss finds herself volunteering to go in her sister’s place. Katniss is saddened when the male contestant ends up being Peeta, a young man who Katniss credits with her life because she knows that the odds of even one of them surviving against competitors from other districts who have been training for this moment their entire lives is slim.

The Hunger Games is a powerful and gripping novel that is tense and dramatic. Katniss’ fight to retain her humanity as she struggles to remain alive will captivate readers. The graphic violence and the overall horribleness of the situation make this story not for the feint of heart. The relationship between Peeta and Katniss make the plot even more difficult for readers and it brings up very difficult and thought-provoking questions that will keep readers thinking long after the book is finished. Readers who make it to the end will anxiously await the forthcoming sequels.