It was only after hearing of the movie adaptation that I started to take a serious interest in The Hunger Games as I recall this book sitting on my shelves unread for such a long time. Now I'm regretting every minute I have to wait until the official release of the movie in March 2012.
Suzanne Collins' ever-so-popular series is set in a bleak world of poverty and death. Katniss lives in the weakest of the twelve communities where she spends her time hunting to put food on the table for her mother and little sister with the help of her closest ally, Gale.
Although most children dread the thought of having their name selected in the yearly lottery, Katniss quickly volunteers herself the minute Prim's name is chosen setting her up for a deathly competition that can only be compared to an episode of Big Brother mixed in with the Olympics. Also nominated this year is Peeta, a weakly son of a baker who now shares a most interesting relationship with Katniss after taking pity on her as a child.
The two are taken on a whirlwind trip of fine dining and even finer quality clothing as they make their way to life skills training where they are put to the test and ranked in order of ability for the entire world to see in a live broadcast. As only one of the twenty-four tributes will come out alive, Katniss knows her chances are slim but hopes her years of rabbit hunting will give her a slight advantage in the ultimate fight for survival.
I can hardly believe I almost passed up on reading this series, I was dead certain the post apocalyptic themes wouldn't be suited to me but sometimes you just can't disagree with the popularity of a book as this isn't just another dystopian novel rather an addictive ride that will you keep you on the edge of your seat right until the end.
FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS (Wowee Zowee!)
