The Hunger Games
Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games. New York: Scholastic.
Summary
In Panem, what is left of the United States, every year a televised spectacle occurs. Children, a boy and a girl from each of the twelve districts, are pitted against each other in a competition to the death. They must be the last one standing in order to be declared the winner. Katniss Everdeen takes on this role as District Twelve's tribute, and the embarks on a journey that will change her life and the future of Panem forever.
Impression
I absolutely loved this book, however the death and deception is not something I would recommend my elementary age students read. The futuristic world that the author has created is believable, although as inhumane as one could imagine. As a reader you have nothing but compassion for Katniss and Peeta, her fellow tribute, and contempt and loathing for the Capitol and those that put on the games each year.
Review
Grades 9-12. This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance.
Booklist. (2008). 105(1)
Library Use
1. This is a book to recommend to interested readers who like this genre, or the author's other series Gregor the Overlander.
2. In appropriate grade levels this book can be used to compare styles of government or to promote discussion on how America ended up the way it is in the book.
2. In appropriate grade levels this book can be used to compare styles of government or to promote discussion on how America ended up the way it is in the book.
