The Hunger Games

Since EVERYONE and their dog has heard about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I thought it was about time to read them. My ex-coworker begged me to read them last year so she could talk to somebody about them, but when she described them to me..... I wasn't interested. Here's the description of the first book in the series found on Amazon.com:

"In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing."

MY REVIEW: There is a reason everybody is talking about these books and it's because they are SO hard to put down. Yes the premise is a little gruesome, BUT they are wonderfully written and I LOVED the first book. Honestly, one of my favorite books I've read in a long time.