Monday, November 22, 2010

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It's been awhile since I've had a book in my hand that I COULD.NOT.PUT.DOWN. This is one of those.
North America as we know it has been wiped out. In its stead is the Capitol, its corrupt government, and the 12 districts into which the remainder of the country has been divided. Hunger, oppression, and desperation rule. In order to remind its subjects of the power it holds, the government holds the Hunger Games once a year. Each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a fight to the death, with one victor who receives prestige and riches for him/herself and his/her district. Katniss Everdeen, in a twist she certainly didn't expect, ends up volunteering to be a part of the games, and what follows this action on her part is a brutal game of survival.
Sounds uplifting, right?
You may be put off by such heavy material, particularly in a young adult work of fiction. However, the author beautifully weaves in such themes as friendship, love, loyalty, courage, honesty, and integrity. The author, herself, admits that she has an ulterior motive beneath the brutality of the subject matter: exploring the effects of war on young people.
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-author.htm

BOTTOM LINE: It is a stunning read, and I'm anxiously waiting to get my hands on the second installment in the trilogy.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Ordering it now to read on the I-Pad. Matt too....never reads...that's cool...but to be able to offer him sometime he will most likely enjoy and to see him read it...and to be able to have a conversation about it....sexy :)

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