"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl, and the sole provider for her family. She lives in what might once have been America; now it is merely a country divided into 12 poverty-stricken provinces and presided over by the evil Capitol. To remind the people who populate the provinces of their subjugated state, the capitol holds a yearly event called “The Hunger Games.” A boy and a girl from 12 to 18 years of age is chosen from each district. After a short training period, the tributes are thrown into an arena and forced to fight each other to the death. The event is televised and everyone, including the contestants’ parents, are forced to watch it.

This year, Katniss is the tribute who must fight in the arena for the warped entertainment of the capitol. 

Quite frankly, I had a hard time reading this book. It wasn’t that the writing was bad. (In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed Suzanne Collin’s style.) It wasn’t even the violence. It was because Suzanne Collins writes so vividly that I felt like I was Katniss. It was as if I was the one who was in that arena, killing and waiting to be killed. I was the one with the hopeless feeling in my chest, and the raw determination to somehow survive. I was the one watching children being slaughtered. Sometimes I became so involved in Katniss’ emotions that I had to put the book aside. At the end I was left with the depressed feeling in my heart that is ultimately what Katniss feels at the end of the book. 

Over-all, Suzanne Collins does an excellent job of subtly yet openly infusing her views and opinions into the pages of the book. I did not agree with all of those views, but I still had to admire how she was able to express what she believes through a science-fiction novel.

In conclusion, I’d have to say that this book is very well-written and will provide you with an exciting, heart-throbbing adventure, but if you dislike books with dark, heavy content or get very emotionally involved with the characters, “The Hunger Games” might not be for you.

Note to Parents: This book is not for younger readers.