The Hunger Games

If you haven't heard of the novel "The Hunger Games", you must be living under a rock. I suggest you crawl out from under said rock, get in/on your preferred method of transportation, and head to any retail location that sells books.Then you need to buy it, take it home, and read it. Seriously.

Okay, okay, I can't actually force you to do that, but I can urge you to! I don't even care that it's considered a "young adult" novel. I can't remember the last time I novel made me happy, sad, anxious, and angry all within a few pages. Here's a synopsis of the riveting novel that I can't put down:

     Set in the future, The Hunger Games takes place long after natural disasters, war, disease, and famine destroyed society as we know it. From the ruins of North America rose the nation of Panem, which consisted of a powerful Capitol ruling over thirteen surrounding Districts. The Districts didn't like the Capitol’s oppressive rule very much and soon rose up together in a rebellion.
     The results were disastrous. The Capitol quelled the uprising in twelve Districts and completely annihilated the thirteenth. As punishment, the Capitol created the Hunger Games. Each year, every District must send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve to eighteen as tributes. The tributes then fight each other to the death in an arena until only one person is left. These are not normal arenas. Armed with immense technology, the Capitol creates natural terrains that are enormous and range from forests to deserts to arctic landscapes. They can control the weather, climate, and even alter the terrain while the Games are in play. All this while the Games are televised across Panem, for the entertainment of the Capitol and for the sorrow of the Districts. This is the Capitol’s ultimate tool of fear, to keep the Districts in check so they can never rise up in rebellion again. It says, “Look at what we can do. We can take your children and make them kill each other while you watch. And you can’t stop us.”

I'm not quite done the book, but am very close. Definitely before this weekend's over. I did come to the best part though, so at least I know the outcome of The Games.

If you hadn't heard about the book, you probably also have not heard it's already been made into a movie. I'll definitely be going to see that one next month when it arrives in theatres.

That's all I have to say. If you want a good read, just go buy the book (or ask to lend it from me!). It's less than 400 pages (of large print) and is a good, "clean", read. Enough said!