The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Image taken from The Book Brat.

So my sister told me one day that I MUST read the Hunger Games Trilogy. Admittedly I was skeptical at first (I am usually skeptical of current mainstream fads), but I was surprised to find that these books are actually quite good!

The first installment takes us on a journey through the dystopian world of Panem, otherwise known in our current geography books as North America. All humankind living in Panem are separated into districts, all of which are lorded over by the dreaded dictatorship of the Capitol. Every year the Capitol hosts a reality TV show entitled "The Hunger Games", which is one of many measures the Capitol has taken to keep the various districts under control. Two people from each district is selected to participate in the games, which is a violent strategy game designed for the contestants to hunt and kill each other. There can only be one winner.

This is the world in which Katniss Everdeen live, along with her mother and younger sister. When her younger sister is selected to participate in the Games, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. And so Katniss must try and survive and win the games, so she can return to her family when it is all over.

Fans might be upset with me leaving out so many important details in my summary, but I think it best to tell just enough information to have readers of this article want to know more, and what better way to know more about what happens in the story than searching out the book for oneself and reading it?

Loyal readers of this blog would have noticed that the majority of books I like are ones that make me think, and with the Hunger Games, this is no exception. As disturbing as the environment of Panem is, it is not too far from resembling the way our own world is becoming today. Avid fans of the trilogy would notice the commentaries the book implicitly makes on the current fads and trends that are slowly making our society become more selfish and conceited. In a world where people are caring less about others and thinking more of themselves, in a world where the love for humankind is slowly diminishing, the messages in this book is extremely relevant for our day.

For those of you like me who are skeptical of maintream trends, do NOT let this discourage you from reading this book, as it is definitely a good read!