Author: Suzanne CollinsWebsite: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Reviewed By: TIKM Book Review
text from jacket:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Acclaimed writer SUZANNE COLLINS, author of The New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.
review:
Wow. As silly as this may sound, I actually don't even know how to start this review with any other word than "wow".
I read an article in Time Magazine last year about The Hunger Games and was immediately intrigued. My initial reaction from the description of the book was that it was going to parallel Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, because of the fairly similar concept of selecting individuals for a "fight to the death". Admittedly, this made me a little nervous because I was wondering how the book, labeled in the young adult category, would detail something as barbaric as a human lottery. Comprised of adventure, suspense, politics, love and plentiful action, this is not what I would call the typical "young adult" novel and my nerves were ill-advised because once I started reading The Hunger Games, I literally could not put it down.
Writing from 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen's point of view is part of what makes this book so poignant. As the reader, you follow her life in District 12 (one of the most poor and lowly of all districts) where she must hunt and scavenge every day just to provide food for her family. At the yearly selection of candidates for the Hunger Games, Katniss is shocked that her little sister, who is just barely twelve, is chosen as the District 12 female for the barbaric tournament. She hardly thinks twice before offering to take her sister's place and it is here that the adventure begins as she heads for the Capitol to fight to the death in the Hunger Games.
Upon first glance, the synopsis appears that it would involve a substantial amount of blood, guts, gore and savagery. I'm not saying that it doesn't, at points, include those things, but when it does it does so minimally and focuses mainly on Katniss, her resourcefulness, her fiery spirit and her fierce will to survive no matter how the odds are stacked against her. It is her never-ending determination and her ability to remain true to herself that cause Katniss to develop deep alliances and the spectators' undying support.
And though her determination and character are awe-inspiring, is it enough for her to win in the most barbaric of games? I can't recommend enough that you read this book to find out. Whether you are teen, adult, or anywhere in between, you will not be disappointed by the message this story brings.
I highly recommend this book because I highly love this book. I might even be so bold to say that it is one of the best books I have read in a long time! It blew me away and I'm so happy that I listened to the little voice that said, "Who cares if it's a young adult book? Buy it! Buy it NOW!"
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