The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press 

Publication Date: January 2008

Blurb: 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.


Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The moment Katniss volunteered to take her sister's place in the games,I realised that she would prove to be a strong female protagonist that i could respect. I really enjoyed Katniss' character as she was a realistic character who handled situations throughout the book maturely and reacted to situations in both a sensible and realistic way. I loved when she let her sweet and caring side shine through her cold and hardened exterior. This can be seen in her relationships with Rue and Peeta.

Peeta Mellark, the boy with the bread! I loved Peeta's character. He is a very moral, open-book, honest and selfless person. In the beginning of the book, i thought "Oh, this well fed baker-boy is not going to last two seconds in the arena!"....Woah, was I wrong! Peeta's cake decorating skills help him to camouflage and blend in to his surroundings in the arena to near invisibility, proving to be his greatest skill. 

I think the moment that made me love Peeta and Katniss's relationship was the night before the games when they are on the rooftop and Peeta says he doesn't think he has a chance in the games & that he wants to show the capitol that he is "more than just a piece in their games."

Haymitch! Although when I first met Haymitch, I thought him to be a drunken idiot , I see him now as a drunken genius! I liked his character a lot, and similar to  Katniss, he also has a soft side under his tough exterior.

Effie was a really fun spontaneous character! I don't know what to think of Gale this far  into the series  but i hope his side of the story is seen in the next book!

The plot of this book was so unique, and I can honestly say I had never read anything like this book before! I had never read a dystopia novel before and can I say what a first! This book had the most gripping plot, chock-a-block with twist and turns , and each chapter more entertaining than the last. This plot made it seem like a movie with so much action and violence, the dialogue was pretty awesome too ! This plot will stay with me and made this book an instant favourite!



Can i just say that I was blown away by the powerful writing of this book. The writing style was something i truly loved about this book and made it an addictive read. Each chapter left you starving for the next. Suzanne Collins really gets into the mindset of each character and makes them so real and vivid. 

Another thing that made this book epic beyond words, was the fact that in the future, the Hunger Games could become a reality if the world doesn't start to work together peacefully. I think that shocked me!
Overall, an immensely powerful and thought provoking, action packed, sprinkled with romance, perfect read that you would be crazy not to pick up!