While reading The Hunger Games, it is hard to not notice the differences in the way people live in Panem.  The dystopian country is made up of twelve districts and one Capitol. The structure is set up to benefit the Capitol and its citizens, all at the cost of the twelve districts. The actual Hunger Games are just another way the Capitol tries to control the districts by forcing each of them to sacrifice two children for the games. Only one child will win, while the others will all die in this fight to the death.

The setting of the book makes you think about where your place would be in this dystopian world. It also makes you think about how first-world countries act and how they are looked at by the rest of the world. Are we like the people in the Capitol and the rest of the world like the districts that work to serve us?  

Once the games begin, it is hard to put this book down.  But the lead-up to the games provides an interesting story as well. The author goes into depth about the main characters, describing how they transform from being scared kids to smart players who start developing a strategy to win the game.

Written in 2008 by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games was immediately popular with teen readers. The story follows the main character, Katniss Everdeen, as she volunteers to compete in the games in place of her sister, Primrose Everdeen.  The book had a huge impact on girl readers and the future of stories with girl protagonists. It even had an impact on girls' interest in archery as the character of Katniss is an expert archer. It was the first book in a trilogy that later was made into a movie series and became a cultural hit.

The Hunger Games does a great job of exposing how the wealthy and powerful stand on the backs of the less privileged.  It also does a good job of showing how a young person put into this position internally deals with it.  The book does this by diving deep into the inner thoughts of Katniss. We get to see her internal struggles play out before us as she copes with having to play in the games and survive. Each decision and action she takes is not easy and it is all put in front of the reader to experience along with Katniss. A great example of this is when Katniss is tempted to go back to the starting point of the games for “the feast”. There, she can get the medicine she needs to heal Peeta. But by going there, she risks being killed by another player. In another part, Katniss has to think of how to survive without food or water while hiding in the trees from a pack of players below. Both situations allow the reader to get into the thoughts of Katniss.

However, not everything in The Hunger Games is enjoyable to read. The violence involving children is disturbing and heartbreaking.  The way players win the games means everyone is going to die except one child winner. 

But overall, the story in The Hunger Games is exciting and full of action. It is a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. You may even find yourself reading it late into the night after you go to bed!

If you are looking for a thrilling dystopian novel that also makes you think about your place in society,  The Hunger Games is a great choice.  It has action and intense moments of quick decision-making. But it also makes you think about how our society uses poorer countries like the Capitol uses the districts.  I give it four and one half out of five stars.