The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

my daughter has been after me to read this for quite some time.  She raved about this series for the longest time.  I figured it was about time I got with the game.

The date of the selection for the annual Hunger Games is approaching, and sixteen year old Katniss is concerned that this will be her year for selection.  How will her mother and sister survive without her when she dies; only one combatant in the game will survive.

I was quite impressed with the depth of the main characters Katniss, Gale, Peeta and even Rue.  They were so real that I could almost imagine what they were thinking and doing when the story wasn't centred on them.  We learn little bits of information about the other eleven districts, but it is enough to leave me wanting more.  I am left wondering whether the clues that Katniss and Peeta have learned are far more than Capitol wants them to know.  Will Capitol seek to silence them.

The nation of Panem is split into twelve districts which each have a resource that is needed by Capitol.  They are isolated from each other, both by geography, but also systematically by Capitol, which controls all the transportation outside of each district.  This leads me to think that Capitol is no longer as strong as it was at the end of the war.  They use the terror of the Hunger Games and near starvation as a very effective means of controlling the populace.

I'm looking forward to reading Catching Fire and learning how Katniss and Peeta deal with life as victors once they return to District 12. 

Suzanne Collins website
 Scholastic website for The Hunger Games

Review by Shannon (daughter) at Illusion-esk

This is my 27th book for the Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge hosted by Rachelle at Bibliobabe.com.  Two new contests to win books have been added, check them out.