The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I am not one for writing reviews, because I think I am horrible at them. I cannot seem to properly express how I feel about a book . I am afraid that I am doing a terrible injustice when I try to channel my emotions and put them into words.

Yet, I will try this time and see how things go. I am doing this because I think that this book is amazing and even though it has been weeks since I finished it...I am still thinking about it. Because of that fact I think that it merits some words of praise on my behalf. So here goes.

I believe that this book should have a disclaimer: "Warning: This book is not for the weak of heart."

The premise for this book is based on a dystopian society set in the lands that were once the United States. The author cleverly avoids the questions of how and why things have changed, and one does not ponder this fact because this story engages you from the very first page. It pulls you in and makes you gasp for breath, it makes you cry and it really makes you think. How far would you really go to survive?

16-year-old Katniss lives in District 12 of Panem and volunteers to represent her district in place of her younger sister, in the Hunger Games, a televised reality show where two representatives from the 12 districts, ages 12-18, fight to the death. These games were the surrender terms that were set by capitol when the districts were defeated after waging a war on them. BRUTAL!

For being targeted at a YA audience, this book is surprisingly brutal, but in a good way. There is violence, murder, betrayal, and everything else inherent in a gladiatorial fight to the death. That said, "The Hunger Games" was absolutely riveting. Collins does not pull any punches in saving beloved characters from horror and pain, and she also occasionally pulls the rug out from under your feet. Plus, there is a twisting romance that pulls your heart in different directions. In true series preparation the ending ends on a cliffhanger, making me yearn for book number two, and you know this will lead to something big for Katniss does something that would never go unpunished in her world. There will definitely be repercussions...

This book is just amazing, plain and simple. Read it.