The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Trilogy #1

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. 



Set in a futuristic society, this book centers around a 16 year old girl named Katniss who lives in one of 12 districts surrounding a control obsessed capital named Pandem. Each district has a specialty in production, but most cannot reap any of the "fruits" of their labor as everything is claimed by the capital. Katniss keeps her family alive with the help of her friend Gale by hunting outside the district's fence, an offense that warrants an immediate death sentence if they are ever caught. The book starts on the day of reaping, the day where the capital chooses two of each district's children to fight to the death in an arena. By some cruel twist of fate, Katniss's little sister is chosen. Katniss immediately takes her sister's place and has no expectations of survival, as the games show no mercy.

Katniss has many flaws, but it is her underlying strength that captivated me. I admire her courage and determination to survive, which started long before she was thrust into the games. Her depth is amazing as she can be quite selfish at times, but the epitome of selflessness at others. I hated to see her make decisions always in a calculated manor rather than allow herself any emotion. However, this just shows one of the many consequences of survival in such a society. The will to survive at all costs can be such a nasty thing that twists and changes people. The phrase "kill or be killed" just doesn't seem to be quite accurate. Even if someone kills for their own survival some part of you dies anyway. It will irrevocably change them.

I wasn't going to review this series because the book blogger community is seriously overloaded with reviews on the series. However, after reading the books, I've decided that they really do warrant an opinion. I've always enjoyed dystopian books, with some of my favorites being George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and surprisingly considering the story centers around the burning of books, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Now, I'm not sure if I can really say if The Hunger Games is truly up to the caliber of these books as I have not read them in years, but it did remind me of them. That being said,  The Hunger Games is dystopia at its best, or worst depending on how you look at it. I'm not sure why these type of books suck so many people in, myself included, but dystopian books always seem to cause a stir. Perhaps it is that small part of ourselves that would wish for a utopia and these books show the more likely outcome of someone trying to create such a society.

This book was shocking, graphic and shows the cruel side of human nature.  It will suck you in almost from the first word, and is probably one of the most thought provoking books I have read in a very long time. You will find yourself rooting for the characters even though they are in a hopeless situation. It is definitely a must read!

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The Hunger Games