Product Description

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #915 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. She has to be; she's representing her District, number 12, in the 74th Hunger Games in the Capitol, the heart of Panem, a new land that rose from the ruins of a post-apocalyptic North America. To punish citizens for an early rebellion, the rulers require each district to provide one girl and one boy, 24 in all, to fight like gladiators in a futuristic arena. The event is broadcast like reality TV, and the winner returns with wealth for his or her district. With clear inspiration from Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and the Greek tale of Theseus, Collins has created a brilliantly imagined dystopia, where the Capitol is rich and the rest of the country is kept in abject poverty, where the poor battle to the death for the amusement of the rich. Impressive world-building, breathtaking action and clear philosophical concerns make this volume, the beginning of a planned trilogy, as good as The Giver and more exciting. However, poor copyediting in the first printing will distract careful readers - a crying shame. (Science fiction. 11 & up) (Kirkus Reviews) --New

Customer Reviews

Younger Readers Get Lucky!
This is a really good and well-written story and, as others have said, pretty well un-put-downable. I know it's aimed at teenagers and all I can say is lucky teenagers!

Set in a dystopian future, the heroine, Katniss Everdeen, comes from District 12 - formerly a coal-mining area of the Appalachians. The former US has disintegrated and the 12 districts are now ruled by a cruel and dominant Capitol, based somewhere in the Rockies.

Katniss has grown up independent; her father was killed in a mining accident, her mother withdrew into herself, so Katniss had to learn to not only look after herself, but her baby sister as well. However, the skills she had to learn to feed herself and her family hold her in good stead when she is recruited into the annual Hunger Games, played for the enjoyment of the Capitol and to re-inforce the Capitol's dominance of the Districts.

The first 20 or 30 pages were, I thought, a bit slow, but then it quickly picks up and becomes really engrossing. Yes, I suppose there are hints of 'Lord of the Flies', but it also reminded me a bit of 'Logan's Run' - a story of revolt against a tyrannical government, of solidarity amongst friends. It's also the story of a fourteen year old girl, hardened by her family's mishaps and the cruelty of the society she grows up in, who can't see love when it is offered to her.

The abrupt ending leaves plenty of scope for the next book - and I'm truly tempted to look out for it when it's published. Also, I think maybe that this has sorted out a few Christmas presents - for this year at least!

Highly unique and unforgettably good
Reality television is one of those things that I personally despise. When the concept was first introduced, I could understand the excitement people felt for it, I could appreciate the (then) originality of it and I could understand why the public were crazy for it. But all too quickly, I tired of it. It became a horse that was flogged to death, and subsequently, I grew to loathe it and the (frankly) one-dimensional aspect of it.

Having said that, The Hunter Games by Suzanne Collins, is an outstanding work of literature. It creatively takes the reality TV subject and puts such a unique spin on it, portraying it as a fearsome, nightmarish event that threatens the population. The idea alone has merit but Collins' writing style makes this just so captivating, in-depth and utterly enjoyable that you'll find it VERY hard to put the book down.

The Hunter Games is a reality show that perfectly reflects the nightmarish future setting that the author paints. Society is ruled by the Capitol, a government that keeps the peace and crushes any kind of rebellion by forcing the children of its neighbouring twelve districts to compete in a battle royal to the death. The games are broadcast live over the span of several weeks. And only one can be left standing at the end.

And I thought Big Brother was bad...

Enter Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old living in District Twelve who looks after her mother and little sister Prim. The Games are upon society again and the Capitol are choosing participants. To Katniss' horror, her little sister Prim is chosen to compete. Knowing that she will surely die, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the giant death match.

Why did I enjoy this novel so much? The first reason was the central character of Katniss. Suzanne Collins writes the whole events as they revolve around her, and that's the primary reason why The Hunter Games works. The first-person narrative is pulled off superbly and we get a fantastic insight into Katniss' mind. Reading her reactions, thoughts and development throughout is brilliant and adds such a human touch to what is a dark and nightmarish story.

The way Katniss second-guesses herself, who to trust and everything else is true to human nature and how any normal person would react if put in such hell. It's all handled in credible fashion, as is how Katniss fares in combat and the strategies she comes up with.

Collins truly makes Katniss a multi-layered leading lady. She's such a intelligent, capable and kind-hearted girl, with so many things haunting her. Her past, her hatred for the Capitol oppressors, her difficulty in determining what's fact and fiction in the reality show, her compassion and having to face the consequences of her actions...she has such depth going for her. Because of her background, you can't help but give her sympathy. And in quite a few ways, you can relate to her.

Aside from having such a rich central character, The Hunter Games also has a wonderful selection of supporting characters, fellow competitors and antagonists, each with unforgettable personality and depth. Interactions are plentiful with nice dialogue to boot. Plus there're enough conversational moments to balance out the action and events as they unfold.

Another reason why Collins' book is a triumph is because of the pacing. I am not kidding when I say that the pace the book goes is perfect. The book is divided into three parts. Instead of diving straight into the action, it wisely delves into things like the selection of the participants, preliminary interviews and TV preparation, sponsors, make-up etc. After the preparation and hype, the story goes straight into the games themselves, detailing all the horror, suspense, action and whole life-and-death scenario. Before finally covering the final moments of the contest and the very bitter-sweet aftermath. The reality show concept is handled so creatively and adds much to the presentation.

Suzanne is such a skilled writer. She really is. She doesn't waste a single word and reels you in with even the simplest stuff like the characters having dinner and being exposed to such a luxury lifestyle, as opposed to the poor, working-class living conditions they come from. The way characters suffer and die evoke all the right kind of emotions and the rules of The Hunter Games, the sponsors and reality show format behind it all, are utilised completely fairly and equally. It makes the whole idea all the more believable. Suzanne also presents the story the correct way by making it tense and keeping you on edge at all times. When something big and bad does happen in The Hunter Games, it's what you were dreading and still manages to be terrifying. And the way Collins handles the transitions from scene-to-scene via Katniss' perspective is beautifully executed.

And the ending? It works. It's totally in-keeping with the whole atmosphere of the book's scenario and stays true to the painful fact that there's no real happiness whatsoever to be found before, during and after the Games for Katniss and all whom she loves. Without giving too much away, there's obviously a sequel in the works and judging from such a strong start, Suzanne Collins is going to give us a cracking series.

The Hunter Games is the kind of book that is ideal for teens. For a children's book, it's certainly dark and haunting, yet stays away from being too violent, unsuitable and off-putting. And that makes it all the more enjoyable, not just for younger readers, but definitely for adults as well. I loved every moment of it. It's a great, great novel that's become one of my favourites. For children/teenagers who are starting to read more and more, The Hunter Games is something I would highly recommend. For everyone else, grab a copy. It's really worth it.

Could not put it down.
The 74th Annual Hunger Games are soon to begin. The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. In the new country of Panem, in the ruins of North America, each year as punishment for a rebellion and as a control mechanism, the Capitol forces each of the 12 provinces to draw names of a male and female tribute. The tributes are drawn from all people between the ages of 12 and 18. They receive training, are assessed by the game masters and then the betting begins. The games will be televised and are required viewing for the whole nation.

The draws are not exactly even though. You can choose to enter your name extra times, for yourself and for family members to receive a terse, a grain and oil supplement from the government. Thus enters our heroine Katniss Everdeen. She is entered this year 20 times as she is 16 and taken the terse every year, for herself, her sister and her mother. Her close friend Gale has his name in 42 times, but this is the last year he is eligible. Then Katniss has the worst fear hit - her younger sister Prim (short for Primrose) is drawn with her 1st and only ballot. Katniss then does the unthinkable; she volunteers to take Prim's place.

Katniss Everdeen knows that she has at least some chance of survival in the games. She has been secretly hunting in the woods and feeding her family since her father died years earlier. She hunts and gathers what she can with her friend and hunting partner Gale, in the woods beyond the fenced border of District 12. Yet even so, most believe she has just given up her life for her sisters.

Katniss and Peeta Mellark are the tributes from District 12 for the 74th annual hunger games. As they travel to the capitol they have two mentors - Haymitch Abernathy the only surviving Hunger Games winner from the district and Effie Trinket the Capitol's representative in the district. They will each in their own way try to help them to survive both the Capitol, to win favor with the citizens who can sponsor them in the games, and then the games themselves.

This book is very well written, the scenes sharp and crisp, the world believable and detailed. The characters become real as you read. You reach the end and are left hungry for more, which is what you will get as this is book one in a trilogy. The only drawback in my opinion is the lack of a map. I keep hoping for a map of Panem, with the 12 districts, the mysterious destroyed 13th district and the wilderness area's between them. Maybe it is just a guy thing, but I wanted a map. In this book Twenty-four are forced to enter the game zone but only the winner survives. You get a sample online. You can read chapter 1 online but it will only whet your appetite for more. There is also a video trailer for the book you can find online. This is a great Sci-fi book and would make an excellent movie.

(First Published in Imprint 2008-10-31.)