hungergamesTitle: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Summary:
Living in war torn and food deprived District 12 Katniss Everdeen is a young girl trying to survive the oppressive rule of The Capitol. Presiding over the District with an iron fist the Capitol has not only restricted access to the outside world by fencing citizens in but also limited access to a variety of life saving rations.

In an attempt to thwart tyrannical rule Katniss regularly endangers her life to sneak out past the cage to hunt and gather. Knowing this risk is the only hope her mother and younger sister Prim have against starvation and death she boldly defies Capitol law to better their lives as best she can. Kat doesn’t stop there, though, because she collects enough on these outings to trade a portion of her fresh kill for a variety of other life saving items (primarily bread).

Daily life in District Twelve moves along this fairly predictable pace until residents are required to gather for the Capitol’s yearly “celebration”. The Hunger Games, widely thought by the citizenry to be punishment for having lost the war with the Capitol, is more a dangerous fight for survival than a party of any sort. It is at this moment that the District Twelve Tributes (one boy and one girl) are chosen to play in The Games that the reader will begin a most compelling journey.

Opinion:
In a society where reality programming reigns supreme readers should feel somewhat comfortable with the main premise of this novel. The Tributes are but twenty-four tiny fish swimming in a barbarically dark bowl where morality is pitted against the basic instinct for survival. Readers are simply one of the outsiders looking in completely enthralled by the complexity of character and plot.

This book was spectacular in a myriad of ways not the least of which was the vivid imagery. Collins writes so eloquently that the reader is transported directly into The Seam where the District 12 lower class lives. We could smell the rancid air, feel the dirty grime on our skin, and hear the rumbling stomachs as if we were standing in the center of town ourselves.

The scenery was so clearly painted that physical locations became characters of the story as much as were Katniss, Peeta and the many people they encountered. District 12’s darkness in contrast to the shiny brightness of The Capitol was so profound readers couldn’t help but be struck by how misleading their characterizations really were. You see, while the citizens of District 12 were certainly suffering they were still inherently happy because they were together. On the other hand even though it appeared that The Capitol’s populace was happy, that is all it was the appearance of happiness to maintain a State sponsored image.

Even so, the most compelling character of the novel is Katniss. A young woman of such an impressionable age she’s faced with more than the usual pre-teen questions of what boy she should date, what fashions she should wear, and whether she should skip class or not. Here she was the breadwinner, doting sister, best-friend, coveted love and figurehead all at such a tender age. She’s hot tempered, outspoken, strong-willed and, despite the vulgar circumstances she’s thrown into, resoundingly tender and caring. Readers root for her from start to finish.

Surprisingly it is all of these traits that turn the readers eyes towards a focus on love. Among all this gore and savagery a great many people love Katniss. It is the love of her family that sustains and motivates her. The love of her best friend Gale that helps her fight to get back to District 12 to see if things aren’t strictly platonic. The adoration and respect of new colleagues when Cinna and his team of publicists help transform Katniss into the image of whom she’ll portray in The Games. Then most significantly the real and abiding love of a boy interested in her for more than friendship.

The beginnings of this love story are strung through a heavy and dark story. The trip readers take is not an easy journey but one that is well worth the effort. In forewarning readers need to be prepared to handle heavy themes. It questions morality and focuses on aggression as a way to not only punish but to entertain as well. Specifically, the actual Hunger Games pit children against children in a violent and brutal challenge for survival. Death is seen closely and described in detail on several occasions throughout.

In the end the reader will find that while themes are dark and sometimes violent the beautiful prose and characterization from which they are derived makes the ride edge of your seat exciting.