The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Amy says:  Unlike my last review, I actually paid for this book.  Shocking, I know!  A friend had been talking incessantly about it and her self-proclaimed addiction to its characters on Facebook, so I had to see what all of the fuss was about.  And  while I didn't feel the need to update my status after every chapter (I was a little embarrassed to admit that I was reading a Young Adult novel), I will admit that I devoured this book in a weekend.  

The author created a plot that was intense from the very beginning.  Being introduced to the main character, Katniss, right as she was thrown into a competition for her life left me no choice but to attach myself to her immediately.    I love reality TV (something else I am a little embarrassed to admit) and following Katniss through the competition gave the book  a reality TV feel (think Survivor), which made it that much harder for me to put down.

Like I said, I read this book in basically 48 hours.  But the fact that the author used children, some as young as 12 years old, as competitors in The Hunger Games totally disturbed me.  I found myself on the verge of being sick to my stomach in some chapters and had to remind myself that it was all make-believe.   While that is a testament to the talent of the author, I would think twice about letting a young reader read this book.   

I have since read "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay," the other two books in the trilogy, and will review those in future posts. 

Amazon's synopsis 

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts.  Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games.  Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch.  When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place.  She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.