The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Welcome to the 74^th annual Hunger Games. “And may the odds be ever in your favor!”

The dreaded Hunger Games. North America as we know it is no more. In its place is Panem, and its twelve districts ruled by Capitol.

But it wasn’t always that way. There used to be 13 districts, but the thirteenth district made the fatal decision to rebel against the Capitol. Thus it was destroyed, and to punish the rest of the districts, Capitol created the Hunger Games. Each district must send two tributes between the ages of 12 to 18 to the Capitol every year for the games. The twenty-four tributes are paraded around and interviewed on TV before they are set loose in the arena. Inside the arena the possibilities are limitless. The goal? To be the last one standing. To the victor goes a life of ease, wealth, and glory. To all the losers—death. There will be various geographical and environmental challenges facing the tributes, but the greatest challenge is the other tributes. The entire ordeal is broadcasted for all of Panem to see—to see their own children kill each other for sport.

Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12, possibly the poorest of the twelve districts. She lives in the Seam, a poor mining community but helps her family pull through by hunting illegally with her friend Gale. Trading their game, they manage to survive and get the food and necessities they need. Katniss was pushed to take extreme measures to ensure survival after her father died, leaving her mother completely stricken. But with her young sister Prim to feed and look after, Katniss knew she had to do something so her family wouldn’t starve. Becoming proficient with a bow and arrows, Katniss became a hunter and gatherer in the woods beyond the fence, where she met Gale. But her skills do not stop her from being entered every year to be a possible tribute for the games.

The seventy fourth Hunger Games draw near, and Prim will be entered for the first time. Katniss already knows the drill, and has her name in the drawing far more times than Prim, since she had to put extra slips in so her family could get food and oil. But luck is against Katniss and despite having only one slip in the drawing, the girl tribute selected from the large glass bowl is Prim. Desperate the save her sister and spare her the horror that goes on in the arena every year, Katniss steps up to take her sister’s place.

Fate is not kind to Katniss that day; the boy tribute is Peeta, the baker’s son—someone Katniss actually knows. But there are no volunteers to replace Peeta, so the two are shipped off to the Capitol where they’ll be prepared for the games. With volunteer tributes from several districts that are trained for the Hunger Games, Katniss knows the chances of winning are pretty slim. But Katniss knows she has to try, because Prim and her mother are still waiting for her at home.

Despite all the hunting Katniss has done, and all the preparation she is given before she enters the arena, Katniss is not ready to face the horror, barbarism, and cruelty in the arena. But there is something else waiting for Katniss in the arena—something Katniss is in no way ready for.

The Hunger Games was an amazing book! All the reviews that I read were true—I could hardly put this book down! The Hunger Games is direct, no-nonsense, and a truly enthralling book. It captures your attention and never lets you go! It was an absolutely fantastic book and I can hardly wait for more! I highly recommend this book to all readers; you won’t be disappointed! It’s well worth a read and The Hunger Games will leave you wanting more!