The Hunger Games

"And may the odds be forever in your favor."

This book was originally recommended to me when it was first published. However, I just couldn't see how a book about teens killing one another would be one that I could not only like, but really enjoy. How wrong I was!

Taking place in the future (but not something I would classify as a science fiction story), the United States is now a place where "The Capitol" rules the "districts" with an iron fist. To proof its power over and over again, the Capitol conducts a competition every year between the districts. However, the word competition is not strong enough to convey what is involved here. Two teenaged "players" are chosen from each district (one male, one female) and they are placed in an Capitol designed arena. There can only be one winner, and that winner is the one person who ends up as the sole survivor in the arena. Now, if you are like me, you will think this may not be your cup of tea, however, I highly recommend that you, too, give this series (as Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy) a try.

This generation's "1984" or "Brave New World", "Hunger Games" is a story that warns about the consequences of allowing political authority to rule unchecked, and how a hedonistic society can be the downfall of us all. In author Suzanne Collins' hands, this heavy sounding topic is not off-putting at all, in fact, she wields such an artful way with words, that she has us despising the Capitol, but at the same time, reading each detail of death with intense fascination. Drawing us in with the imperfect main character of Katniss Everdeen, we cannot help but root for her to end up as the victor in this brutal killing game.

Even knowing that this was only the first in a series, I had no idea just how the end would turn out. An enjoyable read, and one that I hated to put down, this story had me smiling, grimacing and tearing up as I saw the world through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen.