[To see an updated review of when I re-read it in 2013 before the release of the films click here.]
Wow. I have no other words for this book.
How do you sum up something this intense? I wanted to cry within the first five chapters and was completely riveted and did not want to stop reading (and didn’t). The novel is a conglomeration of science fiction writers throughout history, from H.G. Wells, George Orwell, William Golding, and even Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and modern reality TV.
The Hunger Games is a dystopic novel about the US in the untold future where there were thirteen districts (thirteen colonies anyone?) and the capital. The capital won some sort of long-standing battle against the rebellion and completely obliterated one of the districts (13 – unlucky!) and indentured the other twelve. Each year the 12 districts have to send one female and one male competitor to the Hunger Games. These games, televised on national TV are a deathly battle where only one person can survive and they have to kill or be killed by the other 23 competitors. The quirky (seems to be my new word) characterization of the novel provides many brief respites from the seriousness of the task at hand and the oppressive government.