The Hunger Games

Despite my initial response, somewhere along the lines of "this book's font is too big for my level of reading", I dusted my literary hubris and continued to read past Katniss's hunting ventures, the reaping calls, the preparation and the thrill of the hunger games. Like a base on acid, the subtle romance between Katniss and Gale then Katniss and Peeta and the desperate loyalty even among "enemies" makes the Hunger Games peculiar. Romance in a fight to the death? Trust me though - I wasn't able to put the book down and ended up reading it in one sitting!

Great read for young teens through adults. It is an enjoyable edge of your seat page turner but also offers some deeper meaning if the reader is looking for it. It is set in a similar dystopian landscape as Brave New World and explores some of the same themes that Lord of the Rings does. This first book (of the trilogy) can stand alone as a great novel but I highly recommend the other two as well!