The Ninja Reviews...The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Have you ever imagined how it might be to live in a United States where you can't rise above your birth? Where your life is dictated by the district you live in? Where the Capitol rules everything?

In The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins imagines a terrifying and fractured country called Panem. This North American dystopic country is divided into multiple districts, with the Capitol being at the center of it all. Each year the Capitol flexes its muscles and collects 24 participants, 1 boy and 1 girl, from each of Panem's 12 districts, to enter into The Hunger Games. The privileged view the The Hunger Games as entertainment, while the people of the districts feel the dictating hand of the Capitol gripped neatly around their throats. All citizens are forced to watch The Hunger Game participants -reality TV style- as they kill each other in order to win the game and be the last one standing.

In the coal mining district, when Katniss Everdeen's younger sister Prim is chosen as the female participant, Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place. Next, 16-year-old Peeta, the son of the local baker, is chosen and both he and Katniss must take their Hunger Games training from the only surviving District 12 Hunger Games winner -the town drunkard. Peeta seems to lack any skills, though he seems to be very good at playing with Katniss's heart. Katniss, however, has fierce survival skills and wins the public's respect, which makes her a powerful rival to the other participants.

Told through Katniss's loyal, loving, and logical mind, The Hunger Games is a novel full of non-stop twists and turns which leaves the reader anticipating the next book, due out at the end of this year. The Hunger Games is both satisfying and addicting!

Recommended for all teens. This book is a 2009-2010 Lone Star book. I also highly recommend the audiobook version of this novel.