The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I read this one again JUST FOR YOU squeezies!  Okay, really, I have this unhealthy obsession with re-reading the books in a series just before the next book comes out.  Which in the case of The Hunger Games Trilogy is in just ONE MONTH (August 24)!!! Seriously on pins & needles over here... thank goodness for Amazon pre-order: Mockingjay!  This review may seem a little rushed only because I am FORCING myself to write it before I read Catching Fire (again).  I wanted to jump right into it.  True love shown right here peeps!  The Hunger Games is not like any other book I have ever read.  In fact it's not like any other book I have ever read two or three times.  I knew the plot, I knew the characters, I knew the ending and I could still not put the dang thing down.  Okay- I am pregnant and have a 1 & 3 year old, sleep is very, very important to me - but not as important as this book!

First line: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

The book is set far into the future, not important how far really - but it does give scary insight on what the world could become.  It's ridiculously barbaric - but it has parallels to things gone wrong in our world now.  Katniss Everdeen is the heroine, a 16 year old girl who struggles everyday to keep herself, her younger sister, Prim, and mother alive. She is skilled with a bow and arrow - trained by her father, who died when she was just 11 - and illegally hunts in order to barter, trade and feed her family.  Her world is called Panem and it consists of a controlling central Capitol and 13 outlying districts.  As an exhibition of their control the Capitol forces 2 tributes from each district to compete in the annual hunger games.  Katniss finds herself heading to the arena as the female tribute for district 12.  I should mention that the 'games' are a fight to the DEATH of children aged 12-18, therefore "ridiculously barbaric."  Every value or belief you have ever possessed is challenged by the way Panem is ruled, and the games operate: religion, culture, government, entertainment, education, economics, fashion, trends, even life and death.  

I cannot begin describe the emotions you experience as you read.  Some novice book reviewist I am! But really, if you haven't read it, crawl out from underneath your rock and get 'er done!  You'll be glad you did!