The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 5 Stars!
Amazon link-  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

To sum it up: In the ruins of a place once known as North America, lies the nation of Panem- a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen, to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead, and for her, survival is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity, and life against love...


Holy.
Freaking.
Crap.

The Hunger Games... *moment of silence* ...there are just no words. Why is it, we have such a hard time writing reviews for books that we absolutely love? I'm having a heck of a time trying to sum up my thoughts and feelings on this book, and I'm sure once I finish, I won't even begin to do this story justice. The Hunger Games was something I would have never even thought about picking up. To me, it was just against my romance fanatic rules- I just didn't read books that weren't strictly revolved around romance. It just doesn't happen with me. Which is why I'm shocked to say, that I lived and breathed this book, from the moment I read the first page. What I was most surprised to find in this novel, was that through all of the violence and sadness, there was actually a great deal of love. Love of family... love of friends... and even on a romantic level as well. I found myself caught up in such an engrossing story and world, that it was to the point where I was almost certain Panem actually existed!

The Games that took place, is fast paced with not a single dull moment! I literally found myself holding my breath on a number of occasions to see what would happen next. The description of each and every scene was unbelievable, and left me imagining them as if they were happening right before my eyes. The concept of the story is fascinating, and the characters are even more so.

Katniss is one heck of a main character, who spent most of her years growing up as a provider and protector, in such a brutal world. She truly epitomizes the word "heroine", with her courage, perseverance and resourcefulness. I absolutely marveled at her strengths and depth, which only served to make her more realistic. ...Apart from Katniss, I really connected with Peeta on such an emotional level as well... *sigh* ...he comes from a more privileged background, and as a result, doesn't have her survival skills, but his absolute best asset is his pure heart.

I envy Suzanne Collins- the way that she can take an idea completely out of the blue, and create an entirely new world is an absolute gift. She has a way of creating pictures of events that make you feel like you're actually there. The Hunger Games is a perfect mix of romance, buried in action and conflict. Collins describes it well, putting me into that world and letting me marvel in it without drowning me in needless paragraphs of description. Be warned: once you start this book, you're not going to want to stop- I literally finished it in a matter of hours. It truly is a fast-paced riveting page-turner, that will keep you guessing about the final outcome up until the last! Now, I'm off to book two, Catching Fire!


PS: I absolutely can't wait for the movie to come out in theaters on March 23rd... let the countdown begin! ...and while you're waiting, why not enjoy a sneak-peek picture of who's going to be starring as Katniss, Gale, and Peeta! (*sigh*... ohh Peeta... ♥)