The Hunger Games

{image via babble.com}

It seems like everyone is talking about these books.  Suzanne Collins wrote a young adult, dystopian {if Utopia is the ultimate in good, dystopian is the ultimate worst possible scenario… I’m telling you this because I have a huge vocabulary and I had never heard this word before, I am not sure how that is possible, but it’s true} trilogy about North America in the future.  The continent is divided into a ruling city called The Capitol and twelve ‘districts’ labeled 1-12.  The first book in the series is The Hunger Games.  It’s a story about a 16 year old girl named Katniss who takes her sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games, a televised set of games where two children from each district, one boy and one girl age 12 – 18 fight to the death.

What did you just say?

Yes, 24 children fight to the death in an outdoor arena until only ONE remains and the entire continent is required by law to watch.  It’s just another way The Capitol keeps control over the twelve districts, you know aside from basically starving them, making them live in abject poverty, and under soul crushing conditions.

When I read the synopsis in Target, I *almost* put the book back on the shelf.  I felt completely disturbed and sick to my stomach at the thought.  I couldn’t believe anyone would recommend something so totally heinous.  Why are all these people talking about this?  Why would anyone read something like this?  I decided to purchase it, read it with the full intention of hating the book, and figure out what the big deal was. 

This is not my kind of book.  At all. 

But I didn’t hate it.  I liked it, though I am still a bit horrified to admit that. 

I am not sure how Suzanne Collins did it, but somehow, someway you look beyond the sickening, awful Games.  You become invested in this girl.  Her story, her courage, and the supporting characters suck you into that world without dwelling on the stomach churning concept of what is actually happening.  It isn’t like you are numb either, you care about these characters.  The plot moves quickly from the lottery how the ‘tributes’ are chosen, to the training, to the actual games which comprise most of the story, to the aftermath of the Games.  There is just something that makes you think every step of the way.

I’m starting the second book, Catching Fire, today.

Have you read The Hunger Games?  Are you going to read it?