The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  This one is from a trilogy as well (a lot of the books I read are in series), and I'm sure most of you have heard of it by now. It's getting pretty popular, and, as you may know, the movie is coming out in March (on the 23rd, to be exact). I am very excited for it, because Suzanne herself has been helping with the script, casting, and a lot of what goes on. So hopefully it won't stray too far from the book.

  Anyway, here's what it's about:

  In the remains of what once was the United States, a nation rises up- Panem. Panem consists of 13 districts surrounding one glittering, beautiful Capitol. But one day, the Districts rebel against the Capitol. They are defeated easily, though, and to make an example to the other Districts, the Capitol bombs District 13 and sets up something called the Hunger Games. All 12 Districts are forced, every year, to send 2 Tributes each (one male, on female) to compete in the Hunger Games. What could go wrong? Oh yeah. It's a fight to the death. And it's broadcast to every single television, nationwide, for everyone to see.

  Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old girl living in the poorest section of one of the poorest Districts (D12). She provides for her family by hunting (illegally) in the forests of District 12, and trading at the Hob (the black market of District 12). When Reaping Day comes, Katniss fears for herself and her hunting mate, Gale, because each of them have their names in the poll many more times than they should have. But when the name of the unfortunate person who has to compete in the Games is called out, it's not Gale. It's not Katniss. It's her sister, Prim. In a flurry of panic and compassion for her little sister, Katniss volunteers to go to the Hunger Games in her place, a death sentence.

  And the male Tribute by her side is none other than Peeta, a boy she's known -but not spoken to- for most of her life. It had to be him. It couldn't have been anyone else. It had to be the boy who had saved her life. The odds were definitely not in Katniss' favor.

  Will Katniss win the Hunger Games? Or will she be just another dead Tribute?

  This book changed my life. I probably say that about all the good books I read, but this one... it gave me a new perspective on human behavior. What I mean is, it made me realize how twisted our world is. I mean, come on, we're not that far from sending criminals (which could change to children!) to fight to the death in a nationally broadcast event. If it would bring in ratings and cha-ching, you know we would do it. I realize that you  like to deny that we, as a human race, are on a long and horrible downward spiral. But- look at how we treat people who have nothing to do with wars, let alone the people who are involved with them. We are animals. Underneath this skin and behind these intellectual minds, we are nothing more than savage and carnivorous animals. But I digress.

  This is a great book (and series), and I recommend it (again) to anyone who likes to read (and even anyone who doesn't). It sucks you into the vortex of "WOW" from the very first chapter, and keeps you dangling by a thread over the valley of suspense until the very end. Katniss is a character that I think has a lot of good morals, and you can really get inside her head as she is infuriated by the Capitol and slowly starts to see Gale and Peeta's theories come to life.

  Awesome book, awesome series. Insert awesome-sauce stamp of approval here.

Thanks for reading~

~Shay~