Review Detail

Sometime after the world as we know it ends a new nation
called Panem emerges. Panem is divided into 12 districts, and one Capitol.
Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and little sister. Since
her father died in a mining accident she has had to fight everyday, breaking
laws and risking her life just to keep her family fed. Once a year the Capitol
holds The Hunger Games, where one boy and one girl over the age of 12 from each
of the 12 districts are thrown into an arena. At the end, only one person is
still living, and they are the winner. To decide who goes, each district holds
a Reaping. At the age of 12 you automatically get one ticket added to the
Reaping hat. If youre poor and cannot get food to eat, you can trade more name
tickets for grain. That means you now have a better chance of being called out
at The Reaping, and sent into the unknown to fight for your life. After Katniss
sister is pulled out of the Reaping Hat, Katniss volunteers to take her
place. The boy that is called out is Peeta, the son of a baker (get it? Peeta? Baking?),
and the boy Katniss credits with saving her life after her father died. Suddenly
they are hauled away from their family and taken to The Capitol, where the rich
people of Panem live. After a week of training, preparations and ceremonies,
The Hunger Games have finally begun. Since only one person can win, that means
either Katniss or Peeta has to die. Or do they?

In a world where Twilight is considered the best YA novel
ever, I am very happy to see The Hunger Games get so much attention.  It is a great example of what a YA novel
should be. It is unique, creative, and makes you think long after youve
finished the book. The plot is gripping; you hate having to picture these kids
killing each other, but you also want the main characters to win! Typical of a
YA novel is has much gooey romance to win over the stubborn sci-fi readers. The
ending is both inspiring but worrying. My only 
complaint is that the author could have been a tad bit more creative
when naming the characters. It reminded me of those celebrities who name their
kids wacky things like Zuma and Pilot. But once you get over that, you wont
want to put this book down.