The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games (#1)
Publisher: Scholastic
How Received: bought
Click here to see Nicole's review.
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 will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Wow. That was pretty amazing.
Before reading this, all I've ever heard about this book is that it's the most amazing thing ever and that I'm despicable for not having read it yet. I've had SO many friends pressuring me to read this book that it's quite insane. I think that by having the hyped up reviews and suggestions a book usually falls short of the fame when I finishing reading it. The Hunger Games nearly was the same until about three quarters of the way through.
I felt for most of the beginning that it was pretty slow and bland. I also didn't want Katniss getting too close to Peeta because I loved Gale. They seemed to be well suited together. However, I soon found myself angry at Katniss for being mean to Peeta. Gale simply became an annoying obstacle in her mind after that.
[SPOILER ALERT]
The only thing predictable about the whole plot was that I could from way before they entered the arena, that Peeta and Katniss both would somehow win. The whole berry idea was brilliant. It's like a secret way of shaking your fist at the Capitol and telling them to shove it. (I'm sure, if I lived in Panem, I'd have been dead long ago. I have too big of a mouth to keep quite about things of that magnitude.)
The whole romance part of the story absolutely killed me. I wanted Katniss to shake off the whole 'It's for the audience' crap and realize that Peeta's not faking it. C'mon, Katniss is made to be this really observant and sharp girl. She realized Peeta's motives of giving her the bread ages ago. You think she'd figure it out! (And you'd think she'd fall in love too, because he's just downright awesome.)
The only thing that bothered me through out the book was how Katniss would go off on tangents in her mind. Sometimes it seemed pointless.
[/SPOILER ALERT]
ANYWHO. Needless to say, I love it. I stayed up past midnight reading it and I didn't even get out of my bed in the morning until I finished it. I'm am so hungry for the second book that I might throw a fit if I don't reach a bookstore in time. (No pun intended.) Five ( or more) stars worthy and definitely recommendable.
