The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a young-adult science-fiction novel that takes place in post-apocalyptic North America, now a nation called Panem, and revolves around the experience of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen while participating in the Hunger Games.

Panem is made up of 12 different Districts surrounding the Capitol, the central city holding the government and power.  Every year one boy and one girl from each district goes to The Hunger Games as a tribute, where 24 people fight each other to the death to be the victor and live rich for the rest of their lives.  When Primrose, Katniss' little sister, "wins" the lottery drawing for the girls of District 12, Katniss volunteers in her place.  Her journey through the Hunger Games is fraught with difficulty, sadness, and confusion.

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games.  I will definitely pick up the next book in this trilogy to see what happens next.  Katniss' background is sufficiently explained and described so that by the time the games start and all of the characters are well developed.  Throughout, Katniss explores what it means to have independence and freedom, and experiences a "big brother" type of environment.  Because it is based in a post-apocalyptic time the world also has a slight there-could-be-a-zombie vibe about it.  Darker, moody, like there is something hiding in the trees.  I read this entire novel in less than eight hours and was totally immersed in the environment of Panem.

5 out of 5 stars.