Grab a seat, take a bite.

Novel: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA Science Fiction

   I finally got the hunger! After seeing this book pretty much everywhere I went, I finally decided I needed to read it after a co-worker of mine gave me such a rave review on it. I'm normally not super hardcore into science fiction type novels but I feel like my interests are expanding in this genre especially after finishing this book. I'm currently sinking my teeth into the second novel, "Catching Fire," but realized I really should be reviewing the first since it's a staggeringly intense reading experience! I like to start off with two things, the artwork because I adore anything pertaining to visual art, and the writing style of the author to give you guys a taste for how the book is written. At first the artwork appears pretty masculine for my taste, I think this is why I strayed away from it when I initially saw it sitting about all over bookstores.  The layout is very nice however, it definitely grabs your attention and I love the fact that all three of the books stay true to keeping the same design but are broken apart by color. It definitely makes the appearance of my bookshelf look pretty! The writing style is very easy to read and understand. You definitely won't get bored and it's very easy to catch onto the story right from the start.

    The Hunger Games is a novel set in the future where the country of Panem, what used to be North America, is divided up into thirteen separate districts and ruled by one, which is the wealthy class, and is referred to as the Capitol. Each district produces something essential in providing for the Capitol's comfortable lifestyle. The beginning of the book introduces to us the main character of the novel, Katniss Everdeen. She lives in District 12, one of the thirteen districts, which is known for its coal mining. In just the first few pages we learn that she has awoken to a day they refer to as "The Reaping", she had lost her father in a coal mining explosion, she illegally escapes into the forest which is Capitol territory in order to hunt for animals to provide for her family, and she despises the Capitol. That's a lot on your plate in just a few pages! This is just the start!

    You will get lost in the world that Collins has created. The districts have real people suffering from starvation and death. They have absolutely no say in how the Capitol runs things. The Capitol has all the glitz and glam and high tech futuristic electronics to captivate your imagination. The country has been broken down into only two classes, you are either a lower class citizen struggling to survive in one of the districts or a high class citizen enjoying a glamorous life at the Capitol. Here's where the story gets crazy...so what is "The Reaping" you ask?! The Reaping is when the Capitol draws two people from a lottery, a male and a female from each district, and throws them into an arena to fight until the death. The last one standing wins a year's worth of food for their district and becomes a Victor for that year's Games. The Capitol treats this like a sporting event, watching the chosen few, picking favorites based on strength, talent, and intelligence, and televising it for the entire world to see. Katniss's younger sister Prim had been chosen for the Games, but Katniss has stepped in to take her place. She will have to fight to the death to make it out alive. One versus 23...

"May the odds be ever in your favour."

    Katniss will now leave behind her family and her best friend Gale, whom is her hunting partner. They are best friends and claim to be nothing more, but you almost sense an underlying passion that they each have for one another whether either of them admit it or not. Katniss must also face a fellow District 12 member, Peeta Mellark, whom we find out has been in love with Katniss since he had first saw her in District 12. All the select participants get sent to the Capitol where they are pampered, trained to survive and receive guidance from a former Hunger Games victor, whom acts as a mentor and tries to keep one of his district's tributes alive in order to win the Games. With so much at stake you can't help but read on to unravel all the excitement this book has to offer! So what's at the Capitol and why is this such an enchanted place to live...

• Crazy futuristic technology! You press a button to get instantly hot food. You take a shower and are dried off and clean in mere seconds. There are special force fields around to prevent people from wandering into particular areas.
• Food, food, and more food! They have everything to eat there and then some! All the Hunger Game participants are encouraged to eat until they can't move! They will need to eat because once the Games start they will need it for strength and to keep them nourished until they are able to provide for themselves in the arena.
• Crazy fashion! Metallic makeup/tattoos, over the top hair colors, and wild outfits with feathers and gems! The people of the Capitol even dye their skin different colors as a fashion statement! They have state of the art technology to clean, buff and beautify all the Hunger Game contestants until they come out sparkling for the start of the Games.

The Characters

• Katniss Everdeen- the main character and narrator of the novel. She is the heroine and is not afraid to fight for what she believes in when it comes down to saving the ones she loves.
• Peeta Mellark- the son of a baker whom is chosen to participate in the Games along with Katniss of District 12. He is head over heels in love with Katniss but must deal with facing her in the arena knowing that only one person will walk out of it alive.
• Gale Hawthorne- Katniss's best friend and hunting partner. Katniss begins developing feelings for Gale over time and is unsure whether these feelings are mutual with how he feels about her.
• Haymitch Abernathy- Katniss and Peeta's mentor for the Games. He is a lousy drunk who is never really focused 100% of the time on developing his tributes but he is good hearted and makes multiple efforts in giving them advice on how to make it out of the arena alive. He was a former Victor himself.
• Primrose Everdeen- Katniss's younger sister. She is sweet and wishes only for her sister to fight for her. She was picked to participate in the Games until Katniss stepped up to take her spot.

The Overall Show

    Each participant basically needs to give the audience of Panem everything they have inside and outside the arena. The Capitol wants them to put on a show! Build a personality that the audience will love, tell a story that make them sympathize with you, and have outstanding costumes that make them never want to take their eyes off of you. These are all essential in preparation for entering the arena. The higher the audience rates you the better advantage you will have in terms of getting special gifts that may help get them out of a bind once the fighting has started. Katniss and Peeta sure do know how to enthrall the audience. From their fancy ensemble to their charming mannerisms, these are sure things to win the audience over. It is rather their incredible story, of an unheard of romance between two tributes in a Hunger Games event, that has the audience captivated and rooting for their love to remain strong through it all. Will their love survive? Who will make the ultimate sacrifice in the end? There can only be one winner...

    This book is about making a stand and being a leader. It's about following your heart and making sacrifices for the ones you love. I also want to point out the fact that all this is about a girl! A girl who provides for her family, has suffered a loss with her father's death and who has a hatred for the Capitol. This isn't some masculine macho book about men fighting to the death. No. This is a book where the tough, gritty hero is a sixteen year old girl who does everything she can to survive and deal with starvation and love and the twisted games of the Capitol.  Every other typical female character is usually the damsel in distress who is waiting to be saved and swept off her feet by prince charming. This is quite the opposite, it's empowering and goes to show you that females fight with passion and ferocity when they are put to the test. Katniss says what she wants and handles everything her way. Will she have the strength to survive the Games, defy the Capitol, and remain true to herself through it all? Pick this book up and start reading it now if you haven't yet!

Read it before it's too late. The movie hits theaters March 23, 2012. Let the countdown start now...

-Twiig