Could You Survive the Hunger Games?

Can you imagine living in a future world where everything is different?  Katniss Everdeen and her family live in an area called District 12, one of 12 livable areas in Panem, formally known as the United States.  Food is scarce and life is hard.  Still, Katniss enjoys hunting with her best friend, Gale, and she feels a sense of pride at being able to supply her family with food and a little money from the meat that she sells. Once a year, the annual Hunger Games are held and each district must send in two tributes, a male and female, to participate. Being a tribute may sound fun, but it isn’t! Tributes must get together for a televised game of survival where they fight to stay alive, and there can only be one winner. The tributes are picked by a lottery. The number of times your name is entered varies based on a handful of factors. When Katniss’s younger sister’s name is pulled out, Katniss is shocked and devastated. So, she does the only thing she can to save her sister, she throws herself into the Hunger Games. Does Katniss have what it takes to survive? Will she be able to handle the pressure inside the arena? With so many people fighting to stay alive and win the game, how will she know who she can and cannot trust? You must read this book to find out how everything plays out!

I got The Hunger Games as a gift, but I resisted reading it because the cover didn’t appeal to me and I thought the plot sounded like something I would hate. Boy, was I wrong! I absolutely loved this book and devoured it as soon as I started reading. Suzanne Collins creates a futuristic world with enough elements of our own world that I could easily relate to it, but it was different enough to capture my interest. I think the plot was fast-paced and riveting. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next and even tried to bring it out to dinner with my dad and read it under the table (it didn’t work). The main character, Katniss, is someone I would be friends with because she is strong, brave, and loyal. All important qualities!  I loved trying to imagine what I would do in each situation as I read the book. I think this story will appeal to boys and girls from the ages of 12 up. There is some violence in the book, which is obvious because of the concept of the Hunger Games themselves. I think children as young as fifth grade could enjoy the book, depending on their reading level and if their parents think it is okay. I have read a lot of spooky books, so this book didn’t bother me, but I can see how some kids might get freaked out. The best part- this is just the first in a trilogy! I must say I already finished them all. Once I started- I couldn’t stop until I knew how everything turned out.

Has anyone else read The Hunger Games?  Or read another book by Suzanne Collins? 

Happy Reading! ~L