The Hunger Games

Name: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis:

Sometime after the world as we know it ends a new nation called Panem emerges. Panem is divided into 12 districts, and one Capitol. Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and little sister. Since her father died in a mining accident she has had to fight everyday, breaking laws and risking her life just to keep her family fed. Once a year the Capitol holds The Hunger Games, where one boy and one girl over the age of 12 from each of the 12 districts are thrown into an arena. At the end, only one person is still living, and they are the winner. To decide who goes, each district holds a “Reaping”. At the age of 12 you automatically get one ticket added to the Reaping hat. If you’re poor and cannot get food to eat, you can trade more name tickets for grain. That means you now have a better chance of being called out at The Reaping, and sent into the unknown to fight for your life. After Katniss’ sister is pulled out of the “Reaping Hat”, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The boy that is called out is Peeta, the son of a baker (get it? Peeta? Baking?), and the boy Katniss credits with saving her life after her father died. Suddenly they are hauled away from their family and taken to The Capitol, where the rich people of Panem live. After a week of training, preparations and ceremonies, The Hunger Games have finally begun. Since only one person can win, that means either Katniss or Peeta has to die. Or do they?

Review:

In a world where Twilight is considered the best YA novel ever, I am very happy to see The Hunger Games get so much attention. It is a great example of what a YA novel should be. It is unique, creative, and makes you think long after you’ve finished the book. The plot is gripping; you hate having to picture these kids killing each other, but you also want the main characters to win! Typical of a YA novel is has much gooey romance to win over the stubborn sci-fi readers. The ending is both inspiring but worrying. My only complaint is that the author could have been a tad bit more creative when naming the characters. It reminded me of those celebrities who name their kids wacky things like Zuma and Pilot. But once you get over that, you wont want to put this book down.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Name: Living Dead Girl
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Rating: 5/5

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Synopsis:

Three days before her tenth birthday she went on a field trip to the aquarium. This is the day her life ended. Now, five years later she is Alice. Her “dad” is Ray. But she is not a little girl anymore, and Ray only wants a little girl. She knows he must kill her and find a new Alice. The thought excites her. She can’t wait to finally go home. The question is; when is it going to happen?

Review:

Living Dead Girl is both gripping and highly disturbing. Author Elizabeth Scott takes a subject matter that is highly unappealing to other YA authors and turns it into a short but beautiful piece of work. The short chapters and rushed dialog forced you to feel a part of what Alice was feeling. You could clearly picture her sadness, her hopelessness and her greed. Though it seems like the decisions she makes are horribly selfish and cruel, you can understand why she feels this way. The ending was both happy and sad, and leaves you with a lot of things to think about. The story itself reminded me of The Collector by John Fowls, a book that holds a permanent position on my “favorites” shelf. Living Dead Girl will be placed next to it. It is a near perfect novel in my eyes. Due to the graphic nature of the story it is not for everyone though. People who have experienced trauma in their life may be “triggered” by the events that take place. I also think the author should consider publishing a version that has a reading guide at the end, as some teens may not know how to gather their thoughts when the story ends.