The Hunger Games

I recently read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This young-adult utopian fiction book is told from the point of view of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen. Every year, as punishment for rebelling against The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death. Katniss ends up having to participate in this death trap.
            The story is told in first person, from Katniss's point of view. When Katniss's younger sister, Prim gets selected Katniss "volunteers" to take her place. Katniss and Peeta, the boy from the extremely poor, poverty ridden district 12, are quickly taken away to The Capital, where they will receive a week of training before entering the unknown arena where they fight until only one of 24 is alive. During the week in The Capital Peeta and Katniss, to Katniss's dismay, pretend to be in love so that both of them will get sponsors, people who donate money and supplies. In the arena Katniss proves to be a great huntress and forms allies with 12 year old Rue from District 11, when Rue tragically dies and a rule the both tributes as they are called from a single district can both win. This means the Katniss and Peeta who are in "love" can both make it. Then Katniss goes and finds an injured, almost-dead, Peeta and nurses him back to health. Then they take back the rule and expect Katniss and Peeta to fight. Instead they take poison berries and as soon as they eat them they change back the rules. Luckily Katniss and Peeta hadn't swallowed and they spit them out and they both survive. This book is targeted to young adults, but people of all ages read it. They author keeps you interested by twisting plot twists. It is very effective as most people can't put the book down.
            The Hunger Games is a very high quality book. It is written very well and keeps you very interested, even people who hate reading would enjoy this book. I think that this book should be a required read for kids and adults of all ages.\
Shelby DiSorbo
December 18, 2013
Rating****4/5