The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Release Date: September 14, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Source: Bought
Interest: hype
Challenge: None
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before -- and survival.
I think I'm probably the last person to finally get around reading this. The book has like 600 some five star reviews on amazon, the debate of Team Gale vs. Team Peeta reigns supreme on my twitter. It's the series that just won't go away.
And now I understand why.
I must admit, when I read the summary, I wasn't intrigued, when I saw the cover... still not intrigued, saw all the positive reviews still not... went to ALA Chicago, where the coveted Catching Fire arcs flew off the table like million dollar bills (is there million-dollar bill?)... I didn't get one, and I really didn't care. (I KNOW! Don't judge)
But I finally sat down to see what all the hype was about, I didn't think it would be able to live up to it all, but it did and then some. I'm not going to do a conventional review, because honestly I don't have anything to add to the discussion, just look at this as another reason why you should read it if you haven't.
I'm not sure what makes this book such a great one. It has all the elements of a great literary work, alluring characters, riveting plot, remarkably written... but what makes it so great? I wish I knew.
It was addicting, and I was the unsuspecting victim.
Read it.
That is all.
(ETA: sorry Lenore... forgot to mention.. I'm Team PEETA!)