Monday, March 30, 2009

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.

1 comments:

Melanie said...

I really need to read this book. I've read so many good reviews, and Catching Fire is coming out in a while!

 
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