Purchasing Info: Suzanne Collins Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble

Book Blurb:

“In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.”

My Thoughts:

The Hunger Games gives us a look in a possible future of the society and world we live in today. We follow Katniss about a century after environmental catastrophes have changed the face of North America and the former United States is now Panem, a nation divided into 12 districts and a Capitol.

Katniss lives in district 12 and has been taking care of her mother and little sister since her father died years ago. Living in poverty, Katniss relies on unconventional methods to feed her family with the the help of her best friend Gale.

74 years before the Districts rebelled against The Capitol and lost. As a lesson to its citizens The Capitol holds The Hunger Games every year. The Hunger Games are a reality show where 2 children of each district enter an arena and the last one left alive will be set for life. Yes, you read that right, the last one left alive! They have to kill each other!

I have to say I was pleasantly surprise by how amazing this book is. Suzanne has created such a believable world and characters that is just so easy to get lost in their lives. It is shocking and disturbing to realize how credible is this tragic future created by her. How easy it is to believe that our utter disregard for the Earth can lead us to such a life and our society’s love for reality TV and obsession  with perfection can lead us to a society as such described in The Capitol, where people look like freaks by over using plastic surgery.

I fell completely in love with Katniss. She is such a great heroine and you can’t help but root for her every step of the way. Her love and devotion for her sister is heart breaking and seeing her putting herself on the line so that her little sister doesn’t have to go the brutal Games is an inspiration.

There is also romance in this book and what every fan of this series is going to ask is which Team are on? Team Peeta or Team Gale?

The Hunger Games is a must read for any YA lover out there. Its fun, emotional, entertaining, politically engaged, disturbing, action packed, it has got it all. I did not put down this book for a second! If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, what are you waiting for?

I give The Hunger Games 5 out of 5 Bookies!