Reality TV Gone Wrong

Angelina Benedetti has a column for Library Journal called "35 Going On 13," and in November 2008 she compiled a list of the year's best teen fiction for adults. Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games was on the list and the premise sounded intriguing.

In the distant future, the United States no longer exists, having been replaced by the nation of Panem, which is made up of 13 districts and the Capital. When District 13 rebelled, the Capital destroyed it. To keep the other districts in line, the Capital requires participation in the Hunger Games each year. One boy and one girl from each district are chosen in a drawing every year. They are placed in an arena where they must survive while hunting each other, while the rest of the nation watches on TV, placing bets on their chances. The last one left alive wins the freedom to go home. This year, Peeta Mellark and Primrose Everdeen are chosen from District 12, but Katniss Everdeen steps in to take her younger sister's place, knowing that Prim would never survive. Katniss is a fairly skilled hunter, having to find food to feed her starving family, so she is fairly certain she can survive the wilderness. But she is not very strong or skilled at combat, so her chances for defending herself aren't as good. Katniss and Peeta team up, pretending they are in love with each other, in order to win the viewing public's support and increase their chances of survival. But when the game begins, nothing is what it seems. Alliances are forged and broken, and no one can be trusted. The harsh elements, lack of food, frequent injuries, and constant fear of death take their toll as Katniss struggles to survive so she can return to her family.

I don't read a lot of young adult novels, but I thought this was an exceptional read. Collins creates a world that is shocking and fascinating at the same time. Her detailed descriptions of the arena make you feel like you are right in the middle of the Hunger Games. Katniss is an interesting and likable character, full of spunk and a drive to survive. Her fate, as well as Peeta's, makes for an engrossing, edge-of-your-seat story.