A while back I picked up The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I was creating a book list of post-apocalyptic books for teens, and I came across this one. I've heard a lot of praise from readers about this book, but never really looked into it. After reading the description, I had to try it.
The book is set in a post-apocalyptic America. War, drought, fire, and famine has left the country wiped out over-taken by wilderness. The remaining humans are secluded in a large Capitol City, with 12 districts scattered throughout the country. Life in the Capitol is rich and privileged, where existence in the districts is harsh, poor, and labor intensive.
Every year the Capitol holds the Hunger Games as a way of asserting control and intimidation over the districts. All the children between the ages of 12-18 in each district have to submit their names in a lottery. Both a boy and a girl from each district are selected and will be sent to the Capitol to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunter Games are all about survival. In this "kill or be killed" battle, twenty-four kids go in and only one will come out as the winner.
I was immediately hooked by this book. As some people like to point out, the plot is very similar to some other books or movies, but this story is well-written, intense, and still very unique.
2 comments:
Have you read the Manga Battle Royale yet?
No, but I've seen the movie. That was one of the stories that people were criticizing the book for copying. I'm not sure if the author was familiar with Battle Royale or not, but it is very similar. Either way, I still like this book. Have you read Hunger Games?
It also reminded me of The Running Man.
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