Set in the future, this is a dark tale of survival. In what used to be North America exists Panem, where each year there is a lottery that plucks everyday citizens to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Everything is filmed, every moment watched by all (the ultimate Big Brother).
Katniss, a skilled, tough 16-year-old chooses to take her sister's place in the Games, and she begins a journey of calculated moves, multiple motives, possible love, and murder.
Appeals: page-turning plot, tale of survival, futuristic setting, strong characters.
If you enjoy the futuristic tale of survival, you might also enjoy Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, 1984 by George Orwell and How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff.
If you enjoy The Hunger Games, be sure to catch part 2 of the trilogy: Catching Fire.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. 2008. 374 pages.
