This book has been on best seller lists for a while. I always
thought about reading it, but when I looked at the description I decided it
wasn’t for me. Then I was persuaded to give it a chance. I’m glad
I did. This is one of those books you pick up and can’t put down. (I finished
it in a weekend.) The best part is The Hunger Games is part of a trilogy so I
get two more books to read!
The Hunger Games takes place a few hundred years in the
future, yet it seems set in the past. The country of Panem is dictatorship
controlled by the Capitol. The surrounding 12 Districts support the Capitol,
providing all their resources in order for the Capitol to live in a gluttonous
manner. As a way to remind the Districts who’s in charge, the Capitol hosts an
event in each where the Districts are forced to send one boy and one girl to
compete in a game for survival that is televised across the country. The only
way to win is to kill everyone else. If it sounds barbaric, it is. It kind of
reminds me of the show Survivor, except these people are not being voted off;
they are being killed off.
Katniss comes from the worst District with no hope of
winning. But her upbringing secretly gives her an advantage over her foes. Who’s
really her ally? Who’s her enemy? The competitors are faced with the challenge
of balancing survival versus humanity. There’s suspense at every page as
Katniss takes on her competitors and the elements in a struggle to make it to the end.
The author does a great job creating a world that is easy to
understand. For the most part, it’s believable and you want to know more. There’s
a bit of love intertwined throughout the story, but is it part of the game or
true feelings? I think the author does a wonderful job of captivating the
reader. This is one of my favorite books of the year. I cannot wait to read the
next one, Catching Fire.
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