The Hunger Games

I've always been interested in to read this book because in every bookstore that I have been to, it's always prominently displayed. I searched about it online and found myself wanting to read it more. The only thing that stopped me from buying this until now was that it doesn't have a paperback edition yet, and I have to save up to buy all P759 of it.

Synopsis:

The book is set in Panem, a some kind of post-apocalyptic North America. It has its dominating Capitol surrounded by 12 districts. Decades before the story began, there was a failed rebellion among the districts to overthrow the unjust Capitol. As punishment and as a reminder of their the power over the districts, the Capitol created the Hunger Games.

74 years on, the Games continue. A boy and a girl, aged 12 to 18, from each district will be drawn in a lottery to play the televised Game. They will be placed in a huge outdoor arena to kill each other. The last kid standing wins. Of course, the book's protagonist, Katniss Everdeen from District 12, was entered into the games, and we see her fight to death along with his male counterpart, Peeta Mellark.

Strategy is everything

Review:

It's a book about killing. Expect it to have blood. Although as brutal and bloody as hell as it was, you won't feel so disgusted by the deaths: part of it knowing that there could only be one survivor by the end of the book, and part of it is rooting for Katniss all throughout the Games. As long as it's not her death, you can deal with it.

With a female main character and a female author, the book at some point is bound to be, well, girly. Specially in the parts where they have to prepare Katniss in front of Panem, very much like a beauty pageant. We also have Peeta. A guy. With Katniss. A girl. From the same district. Both trying to be the only survivor and hoping that they won't be the ones to kill the other. What a love story.

The story is filled with action and a lot of heart-pounding moments, but as it goes, it gives its readers some breathing rooms in between. Underneath all the violence and the love story is a hint of the bigger picture of rebellion against the Capitol through its Hunger Games, which is just plain wrong in every possible way.

A very very good read. Easily a perfect 5 out of 5.