I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. There has been so much hype and now it’s been made into a movie, plus it is listed as a young adult novel. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Hunger Games is set in North America in the future, it is now the nation of Panem. This nation is ruled by the cruel Capital which keeps the twelve outlying districts strictly in line. Most everyone is hungry, they have very little, what they do have is controlled by the Capital.
Even worse than being hungry and doing without is that the Capital has devised the annual Hunger Games as a way to remind the districts of their place.
In the Hunger Games each district sends one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death. The victor gets a house and a fairly easy life, but first they have to survive.
Katniss Everdeen sees the Hunger Games for what they are, a death sentence and when her twelve year old sister Prim is called to be a participant Katniss steps forward and takes her place.
Never expecting to win the Hunger Games, Katniss just wants to cause as little pain to her mother and sister as possible. Everyone is required to watch the Hunger Games and the deaths are broadcast in vivid detail.
The arena is set up in a way that each contestant has to fight the others just for the basics like food and water. The Capital will also send things like fire or wild animals if they feel the contestants are too spread out and the audience is getting bored.
Katniss finds herself with Peeta, the other District 12 contestant. Peeta is the bakers son and gave Katniss bread when she was hungry, she feels like she owes him in some way.
The games begin and Katniss finds herself questioning everything. What are Peeta’s motives? Is her being nice to her so she won’t expect it when he comes in for the kill? After all, only one contestant can be the victor.
Katniss is torn between survival and caring for other people. She is not a killer and when the little girl Rue saves her life, Katniss must protect her, just like Peeta has been protecting Katniss. But at what cost?
Even though you know the outcome, you know who will survive, this story still keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps the pages turning.
I can’t wait to read the rest in the series.