Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The fictional book The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a fantasy story about a 16 year-old girl named Katniss who must fend for herself in a 24-person “fight to the death” competition. In her country, this annual competition pits a boy and a girl from each of the 12 “districts” within the nation. This country, located in present day North America (but far in the future), televises this competition nationwide for all citizens to watch. Katniss is one of the unlucky few to get randomly selected for these Hunger Games, along with a boy named Peeta from her district. The two of them embark on a journey to the “Capitol” of their country where they train with the other competitors for the Games. Finally, they must enter the Arena where the Games are being held and figure out a way to survive on their own. With various weapons and a demanding environment, all competitors must find a way to kill one-another, yet be the last one alive in order to win the Hunger Games.

The book was told in Katniss' point-of-view, and her character was very well developed. Her opinions and past experiences gave her much credibility throughout the book, which is key for a first-person perspective. This made me want to keep reading well past just the first chapter. After the first half of the book, however, the plot became extremely predictable and it turned into a love story. I was hoping for more of a riveting, anguishing climax to occur, but the ending is what was seemingly “supposed” to happen all along.

I would recommend this book for girls more than guys because it is told from a girl's perspective. I was not able to connect to Katniss extremely well, but a female reader might find her narration more enjoyable. As far as the overall story, I would recommend this novel to any reader who enjoys fiction, but is not looking for a thriller necessarily. It was a very easy read, and it was enjoyable at times, but in the end it did not completely fulfill the exemplary reviews that I heard about it before I cracked it open. - Kosta L., class of 2012