The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival

THE HUNGER GAMES is not at all what I expected. First thing, I love the plot; it brings something new to the young adult market. And I haven't been this excited about a book since the Mortal Instruments series. The whole idea of North America being overruled by Panem and being split into districts is intense.

Katniss is such a fierce and likable heroine. She's headstrong and does everything herself. She doesn't whine or wait for others to do her hunting for her like a distressing damsel. She's a powerful main character and I'm glad the novel was told from her point of view.

Peeta, Gale, and Rue were all amazing characters. They brought different things to the table and each had distinctive qualities that set them apart from the others. Their relationships with Katniss were all different and crucial to the story and who they were. I enjoyed reading about them tremendously.

Despite what some other reviewers have said, I don't think that the novel was too detailed or full of too many adjectives at all. I mean, I've read a couple of books with too many details and I could hardly read through them, but this novel? I don't think so. Imagery plays a big role in this novel and without the full descriptions Suzanne made, it would be harder to imagine the settings and surroundings.

THE HUNGER GAMES is a fast-paced novel that's sure to keep you on your toes. I loved every sentence of it and can't wait for the sequel in the trilogy: CATCHING FIRE, out in September.

Ratings:

Writing: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5