Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book reviews

20 July

Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games (#1) Format- Paperback Source- Self-purchase Synopsis: (From Goodreads) In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.Review: I picked up this book because I heard it was being turned into a movie so I chose to read it as part of a Goodreads challenge and I must say this is an amazing story.The Hunger Games is an annual fight to death where one boy and one girl are chosen across twelve districts and have to fight to survive. Katniss, 16 years old volunteers to take her younger sister's place and accepts the death sentence in the hope of providing food for her family. Peeta is the other name drawn from District 12 to enter the arena. Katniss recognises Peeta as the baker's son who she has owed since she was a child and Peeta knows Katniss very well, he has been unable to keep his eyes off her since their childhood. Only problem is they are being thrown into an arena where there will be only one winner, they need to work together to survive but they can't be too trusting because at some stage only one of them will survive.This story is really quite concerning- a bunch of adolescents forced to kill each other off in an attempt to survive and return home to their family. Fortunately Collins has a unique way of making something so disturbing so enthralling and from the very beginning I was completely engrossed. The romantic aspect between Peeta and Katniss certainly softened the plot and was a good distraction from the truly horrific storyline.I am really intrigued to see how this story will be adapted as a movie, because I am certain that adolescents killing each other will be quite controversial but the author has created such a vivid movie-like book, I think it will look great on the big screen. The sequel Catching Fire and the third book in the series Mockinjay are also available.