The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

5/5 Brilliant.

This book took my breath away. It was original, fresh, and clever, despite the fact that it was using a time frame and idea that's been done a thousand times over - a future, post apocalyptic world. The story was driven by politics and selfish desires of a cruel government in a future America where one can never know if it'll be their child that is given as a tribute to fight in the fatal Hunger Games against their own people. I was totally captivated by the world that Collins created, seeing very few, if any, flaws or seams in the structure of this setting. I felt it was real, that it could truly happen, and the characters brought it to life in a way that I'd never seen before. The characters were very, very real to me, very deep and passionate human beings that I could understand and relate to.

The action and the unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. This book has soul to it, but also so much suspense that it's enough to drive one crazy while reading it as they can't turn the pages fast enough. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an amazing, original, unique, and totally thrilling read. In my opinion, this is one of, if not the, best book written in 2010.

See Also: Catching Fire, Mockingjay