The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Full of action, tension and romance, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is one of the best teen novels out there. The dystopian novel tells of how two star-crossed lovers fight for their lives in The Hunger Games, a gruesome gladiatorial contest where the only rule is kill or be killed.

The novel opens in the small village of ‘District 12’ where Katniss, a teenager, must break the repressive rules of The Capital so that she and her family can survive. By hunting illegally, Katniss is just about making ends meet, but when her little sister is randomly selected to compete in the Hunger Games, Katniss’s life changes in a second.  Unable to send her sister off to certain doom, Katniss volunteers herself in a sudden surge of panic, desperation and love. It is at this point in the novel where we see the true Katniss Everdeen, a young girl willing to sacrifice herself for her sister.

Alongside Katniss, Peter Mullark is also selected to compete in the Hunger Games. He has a secret crush on Katniss that promises to either strengthen or weaken them in the contest. As the games begin, the tension rises to boiling point with Peter almost losing his life and Katniss a hair’s breadth from getting her brains splattered all over the floor.

As the Hunger Games progress, the merciless organisers from The Capital have a number of nasty tricks up their sleeves. Will Katniss be able to adapt and survive? Will she be forced to turn against her kinsman from District 9 and slaughter him like an animal?

Although Collins’ novel is a gorefest worthy of any true horror fans, it also prompts the reader to consider issues of inequality and corruption in the real world.

To conclude, The Hunger Games is a real attention grabber, and most readers will struggle to put it down. With a movie coming out later this month, it’s certainly hot property right now.

*****

Kane Hawkins