HUNGER GAMES
Suzanne Collins

Everyone wants to see a fight to the death, but no one wants to be in one.

Katniss, a 16-year-old girl in Suzanne Collins’ novel “Hunger Games,” volunteers herself to be the female sacrifice for her district in order to take her little sister’s place. She is forced to fight to the death among 23 other teenagers in a set up arena controlled by the dictating Capital.

This jaw-dropping, tear-jerking, violent, nightmarish journey for survival is brought to life by Collins’ colorful characters and taste for realistic violence. The reader follows Katniss as she fights to be the last one standing in hopes that she can go home to her mother and best friend, Gale.

Throughout the slaughter, Katniss has to take advantage of a potentially romantic relationship with a fellow competitor in order to stand a chance at winning.

Collins’ creativity is what makes this book so good. She has excellent character development and her writing style creates an edge-of-your-seat experience.

Collins lets the reader get inside of her characters’ heads and captivates her audience with their tragic stories and headstrong courage.

The book ends on a huge cliffhanger with a potential love triangle and unanswered questions.

VERDICT: Now is a good time to get into this trilogy because the second book, entitled “Catching Fire,” comes out on Sept. 8. I highly recommend this page-turning, intoxicating story that left me yearning for more.