The Hunger Games

I put off reading The Hunger Games because I wanted the whole trilogy to be out before I dove in. But since the last one comes out in a matter of weeks, I gave in and read the first book….and WOW! Intense! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series! As with Witch & Wizard in my previous post, this novel shows a possible future world that is frightening but also seems entirely possible. A great addition to dystopian YA lit!


Summary: Panem, the nation in what was once called North America, is a beautiful capital city surrounded by twelve districts which it keeps in line by forcing each one to send representatives – one boy and one girl – to take part in the Hunger Games, an annual fight to the death that is televised on the national TV channel.

When Katniss’ sister, Prim, is chosen to participate, Katniss steps up to take her place, knowing that she will probably die. Her survival skills and attitude quickly make her a favorite to win this year’s games. But in order to win, she may have to sacrifice her morals.

This book is full of great characters, and you grow to care for some of them even though, due to the premise of the book, most of them are doomed. The death scenes are gripping and, sometimes, upsetting. As I read this I really felt Katniss’ struggle to stay true to herself without making herself into an easy target for the other competitors.
Themes:
Totalitarianism
Family
Justice
Age Appropriateness:
Grades 7 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: yes, yes, yes. (After all, it’s a fight to the death!)