The Hunger Games

I just finished re-reading one of the best books that I've read all year. It easily makes the top 5, possibly even the top spot. The book is called "The Hunger Games", and it's by Suzanne Collins. This is the first book of a Young Adult trilogy, but really it's a book that anyone would love. Kelli-Rae originally read it and lent it to me. I really apologize for how long this post is probably going to end up being. I usually don't like really long blog posts, but I'm pretty passionate about this book! So, it's going to be hard for me to limit myself on what I say!

Before I talk about the book, let me just give an example of how engrossing it is. My mom really enjoys reading, but she's never been someone that will just sit and read for hours on end and finish a book in just a few days. Typically, it takes her a month or so to read a book, especially if she's reading it during the school year. She's too busy with work and everything to read. She's never really understood how I sometimes would rather stay up all night finishing a book instead of sleeping. Also, if she isn't really interested in the book, she's not likely to finish it. I can't tell you how many books she has with a bookmark about 100 pages in, that she's never finished. Anyways, after I finished The Hunger Games, I told me mom what a great book it was, and she decided to give it a try. I believe that she started reading on a Thursday afternoon once she got home from work. For the next couple of days, I rarely saw her put it down! She would walk around the house carrying the book, and when she had a minute or 2, she opened it up just to read another page. She was done with the book sometime on Saturday. I have NEVER in 27 years, seen my mom read a book that fast! Especially not a book that's almost 400 pages long! If that doesn't make you want to think about reading this book, hopefully my description of it will.

The book takes place in an alternate reality. Imagine our country in the future. There have been wars, famine, natural disasters, and a completely and total breakdown of our government and country. What is left is a country called Panem, which consists of the Capital and 12 districts throughout the nation. While the Capital is very wealthy, the districts are very pour. There's no welfare system. You are completely on your own. And the laws are brutal. If you break them, you'll either be subjected to a whipping or more likely be killed. This is not a fun country to grow up in. The main character is a 16-year old girl named Katniss. She is quite the survivor. At the age of 11, her father is killed in a mine explosion and she becomes the soul provider for her mother and little sister Prim. Every day, Katniss and her best friend Gale risk their lives by breaking the law, sneaking under the fence that surrounds their district and going into the woods to hunt, fish, and gather plants and berries. Anything that their family doesn't need for food gets traded on the black market for essentials. Although life is far from pleasant, Katniss and her family are surviving well enough.

But then comes Reaping Day when everything changes. Once a year, the Capital holds The Hunger Games. It's basically their way of showing the districts who is in charge, and who has all the control. 1 boy and 1 girl (called Tributes) from each of the districts has to compete in the ultimate game of survivor. Only one of the 24 will leave the arena alive. Katniss becomes one of the tributes and now she is literally in the fight of her life. She just has to hope that her brains, and nerve, and talent will be enough to keep her alive. She also has to decided who she can trust, or if she can trust anyone. What are people's ulterior motives for what they say and do?

This book has everything! Action, suspense, mystery, friendship, romance, humor in the most unlikely places, and a great psychological element! Once you start reading, you can't put the book down. And then you come to the last page, where it says "End of Book 1" and you wish that you had a time machine to go forward to the day the next book is released! I can't even tell you how much I recommend this book to everyone! Also, as a side note. After I finished reading the book, I ended up having to find a copy of the audio book. It's a fantastic version as well. Also, the second book, Catching Fire, will be released on September 1st.

LOL, I did warn you that I am passionate about this book! I wasn't exaggerating!