Book Review

In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, that question doesn’t need answering; it’s obvious the worst are already in charge. In this near-future world, freedom doesn’t exist, only the Capitol’s twisted idea of entertainment: The Hunger Games, where teenagers are thrown into an arena to fight to the death until only one victor remains. Katniss Everdeen already has a hard life, and when the Reaping comes, things get even worse, especially when her sister’s name is pulled from the bowl. What will Katniss do? Is there anything she can do?

Let me tell you, this book… It’s brilliant in the saddest way. It has everything: action, danger, family, and heart. It shows how punishment can be grotesquely disproportionate to the crime, and reads like a warning, a loud, flashing sign of what could happen if the wrong people hold power. We’d do well to heed that warning so something like this never becomes possible.

I read this book in about a week (impressive for me), and it even made me tear up at times. Collins writes with purpose, only writing these books when something needs to be said about the world. There’s some dark humor scattered through the book, and a few heartwarming moments that give you a break between the bleak parts, so it’s not just doom-and-gloom.

This obviously gets 5 out of 5 bread loaves. If you like dystopian fiction or you enjoy books that make you furious at fictional governments, read this one. Just don’t get too attached to the characters (I can’t promise who survives).

May the odds be ever in your favor.