The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?
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.

Katniss is a determined young woman who lives with her mother and her younger sister. When her father died in the mines of district 12 and her mother suffers from depression, Katniss is forced to step up to keep her family alive. She will cross many rules punishable by death to keep their bellies full and will learn quite a few tricks along the way. When the time for the Reaping starts (A draw to choose which girl and which boy will fight to death in the Hunger Games), Katniss will have to sacrifice her life to protect her sister. The Hunger Games is nothing like you’ve ever seen, 12 girls and 12 boys fight in an arena and the last one alive wins, the whole thing is a deadly reality TV show to force the district folks to remember who has the ultimate power: The Capitol.

I already owned the first two books in the series, and they have been waiting there for quite a while and with the upcoming release of the last book in the series, Mockingjay, I thought it would be time to read them. And am I glad I did? YES! My friends always teases me saying if there’s no vampire in a book, I don’t like it. Well The Hunger Games sure proved them wrong. This book is about simple teenagers fighting day after day to remain alive. They are slaves to the Capitol’s cruelty and must leave a part of their humanity aside if they hope to make it back home, and I LOVED it.

Katniss or Catnip as Gale calls her (I just love that nickname!) is strong and fierce. She always fought hard to stay alive back home but The Hunger Games is nothing like she ever faced before. Pushing her limits and hanging to her humanity, Katniss’ journey was amazing, heart-breaking and hard to bare. She is forced to fight against Peeta, the unlucky boy drawn on the Reaping day, even though he saved her life once when they were younger. Haymitch, who won the games about 25 years ago, will be Peeta’s and Katniss’ coach, he works from outside the arena trying to keep them alive.  He is an interesting character to say the least, he’s a drunk and lonely wolf bumping through life until P & K gives him a reason to sober up and fight. The sober part is temporary, but they say you can’t show an old dog new tricks =P. Cinna, Katniss’ fashion designer also got thumbs up from me. I love that he is a simple and talented man in the crazy Capitol. He is quiet but oh so attentive, and his help will do a world of difference for Katniss. Of course there’s always dark and sexy Gale back home. Partner in crimes for years, the Hunger Games will now split them, will their relation survive?

The Hunger Games series is one of a kind and I strongly suggest everyone to give it a try. You find yourself sucked in the story, rooting for your favorite tributes and you won’t be able to stop ‘til it’s over. I’m glad I already had the second book at home (I’m already halfway into it) and that the third is releasing next week because I wouldn’t have been able to handle the wait. In a sentence, The Hunger Games isn’t only a fight to death, it’s a fight to keep your humanity and hopes of freedom.

Read an excerpt (1st Chapter)

 

Hunger Games trilogy:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

 

Book Stats:

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press (Oct 1 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0439023483

ISBN-13: 978-0439023481

 

Book Source: Personal Shelf

Posted by Tynga at 00:00

 Review, Scholastic, Suzanne Collins, young adult  6 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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