Hunger Games Book Review

Hunger Games is my favorite book of all time. It’s intense and captivating, and hard to put down. It’s about two groups of people that, in the past, were at war. One group wanted freedom, the other wanted power. The second group won, naming themselves the Capitol. They separated the other group into villages, called districts. There are twelve districts, and they’re far apart so the people can’t come together and try fighting against the Capitol as one. The Capitol feeds the districts little, and gives them jobs such as mining and agriculture. They ban hunting, wielding or possession of any weapons, and even punish speaking out against the Capitol. Any sign of rebellion is crushed.

The main character of the story is named Katniss. She’s sixteen years old, and very spirited. Ever since her dad died in a freak coal-mining incident, her mom withdrew from her and her sister Primrose, leaving Katniss in charge of the well-being of her family. For a while they starved, and when it seems that they can’t last any longer, Katniss takes drastic measures. She finds a way through the fence surrounding her district, hunting each day –an offense punishable by death.

Many people die in the districts from starvation, and are docile, willing to do what the Capitol says. All they want is to survive. They have no fire left in them to rebel again, despite their hatred of the Capitol’s rules and methods. Regardless, the Capitol wants to be extra careful. Once every year, one boy and one girl ranging from ages twelve to sixteen from each district are chosen to enter the Hunger Games.

Starting from age twelve, their name is entered into the drawing once. When they turn thirteen it’s put in twice, fourteen, three times, etc. The contestants from all the districts are trained, and then put into an arena to fight to the death. The districts are not enemies, but they have no choice but to kill or be killed. This is how the Capitol ensures their crippling hold over the districts. In the story, Katniss goes into the arena. It’s a story about how she survives, friends she makes, a bit of romance, and a whole lot of twisted adventures. It’s an awesome book, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good action story.
I give it five out of five stars.
-SJ
Author: Suzanne Collins
Type/Genre: Fiction: Fantasy/Sci-fi
Purchasable at: Borders – Around $15.00