Book:The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins
Young Adult
Scholastic / 2008
Hard Back / 374 Pages
Series The Hunger Games #1

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 Primrose, 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.

I picked this book up because 2011 Blogger Recommended

What I liked the Most? OMG – the surrealisticness of the book

What I liked the Least? The Hunger Games

Review: From the very beginning of the book I was hooked and I can’t believe how long it took me to read this. I’ve seen it on the shelves of every book store I’ve gone to and even some of the “regular” stores (aka Target, Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter) but I couldn’t bring myself to read a book that fractured America and turned it into a joke. Then I accepted (well since I didn’t sign up it’s probably not the right word but oh well) the challenge over at A Novel Challenge and it was the first book, and I am so glad I did.

I am amazed – truly amazed. At the end of the year I was having a talk with BF about some of my co-workers (and the TV shows they watch, conversations they have, yadda yadda) and I made the comment that to them every little twist in someone else’s life was fodder to their imaginations. I was talking about all the reality TV shows they watch and getting so charged about Real Housewives, BB or Survivor. I wonder how far is it to stretch to go from literally back stabbing your best friend on TV to really stabbing your enemy in the back for ratings. As scary as the thought it, it could happen.

This book is full of fantastic, wonderful, breathless and indeed brutal moments.

Recommended to: Someone who can handle darkness

Best Quote: “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.”