The Hunger Games

Last night I finished book one of The Hunger Games trilogy. This was one of the fastest reads I’ve ever read. I could not put it down. It is full of action from start to finish. Each page drives the story, so you never feel like you’re just dawdling on a conversation for conversations sake.

The story takes place in the future where North America no longer exists (and most likely the rest of the world). The land has been split into 12 Districts controlled by the “Capitol”. To enforce their power, The Capitol holds The Hunger Games. Every year, one boy and one girl from each District between the ages of 12 & 18 are randomly selected to take part in the nationally televised Hunger Games: A survival fight to the death. Last one standing receives a life of riches.

It’s a brutal story. I had to really remove my brain from it a bit so I wasn’t constantly questioning how society could let something like this happen and actually enjoy watching it. To openly watch the slaughter of children and bet on it and have it be this grand televised event, like the Olympics or something. But, it does take place in the future and, really, with reality TV and torture porn being in mainstream theaters, how far away are we really from this sort of thing?

I do recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. I had to force myself through the first two books of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and have had no desire to pick up the third book. Hopefully the rest of The Hunger Games books hold up.