The Hunger Games-Dystopian Science Fiction

Every year, the capitol of the nation of Panem, holds The Hunger Games in which 2 children from each of the twelve districts, ages 12-18, fight to the death on live t.v.   The games have two goals:  one is to amuse the citizens of the capitol and the other is to remind the districts of their subservience to the capitol due to their past failed rebellions.  Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and sister.  Her younger sister, Prim, is now 12 and eligible for her first “reaping”.  At that time, unbelievably, Prim’s name is picked as the girl representative for district 12.  Katniss cannot stand the thought of her sister being in this contest and knows she would not survive.  Katniss steps forward and takes her place.  The competition that follows is intense and surreal and pushes Katniss to the very edge of her humanity and sanity.  Her fellow district tribute is Peeta, the baker’s son.   She likes him and owes him a favor from the past but also knows that for her to win, he must die.  Since her mentor Haymitch, is a reluctant supporter and often drunk, she knows that she must use her hunting and tracking skills and her own wits to survive.

The intensity of this dystopian book makes it a fast read.  Readers will be anxious to delve into the second and then third books as fast as possible. The unforgettable character of Katniss is equally appealing to boys and girls due to her strength and desire to overcome and survive.  There is some romance in the story but it is not overdone and fits in well with the rest of the story’s action.  As Katniss works through the problems and situations in the games, readers can ponder her decisions and discuss if she made the right ones or if she could have done something differently.  I certainly hope that discussions happen at home or at school because The Hunger Games begs to be discussed on many levels.   However, I would recommend this book for teens and adults and not younger readers since there is a lot of violence and disturbing events.  

This is the first book of The Hunger Games trilogy.  The other two titles are Catching Fire and Mockingjay.  The author has also written the five books in the The Underland Chronicles.