The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I have been meaning to read this book for the past year or two and it just never happened. First school and work got in the way, and then I just forgot! I finally got my hands on it and absolutely loved it. 

The story is a science fiction/dystopian genre based in what used to be North America and is now called Panem a post-apocalyptic country with 12 districts that are controlled by the "Capitol." One way the Capitol shows that they hold the power and control all is yearly each district must name one boy and one girl who will fight in the hunger games; a game to the death with the one survivor being the winner. 

Katniss Everdeen is the main character followed throughout the novel and I truly fell in love with her and what she stood for in such a controlled society. I am a huge fan of novels like this, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and even the great classic 1984 by George Orwell. I actually felt all the characters were well developed and held their own throughout the book. 

When I originally started to read this I thought how morbid the premise really was, and it still is, but I got over it and read it like it was really happening. I think most dystopian novels hold this type of morbidity or cruelty we find so offensive and horrible, but there are a lot of things in life that are horrible and become the plot of a novel. I still feel it is a very appropriate book for teens, it isn't overly descriptive or gory. I would even recommend for some younger mature readers (ages 12 and up). Collins is a captivating writer and I look forward to reading and reviewing the next two books.