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So, for the Big Read my school is kicking off at the end of the month, I’m reading Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.’ Everyone at our school will get a copy of the book, along with activities and journal entries to accompany the book. I couldn’t be more pleased at the choice of the book, I had heard so much about it and couldn’t wait to finish the book I was currently reading to start it. There were a couple of teachers who said that they weren’t going to read it, it was too much violence and gore. Violence has never turned me off, but I have to admit that I proceeded with caution. 

 

So far, I am in total love with this book. It is definitely a page turner, and I’m about halfway through it. I cannot put this book down. I don’t want to give too much away for the people who are still considering reading it, but I’ve give you a basic synopsis. It takes place in a dystopian future, in which a wealthy Capitol rules over 12 smaller, outlying districts. In the districts, people starve and scratch to get by. Every year a boy and a girl are selected (called tributes) to fight to the death in an outdoor arena to commemorate a rebellion by the districts against the Capitol that occurred decades ago, called the Hunger Games. The games are broadcast on live tv, and only one tribute can win. 16 year old Katniss, a citizen of District 12, is entered into the games by lottery along with her younger sister, Primrose. At the annual reaping in which the names are drawn from the lottery, Prim is selected to participate in the games. Katniss volunteers to take her place.

 

What follows is the most startling set of events that I’ve read in fiction a while. I can see why people are a little miffed at the content of the book, given that it is classified as a young adult novel and it deals with a sensitive subject, mainly, children and violence. But if you look past the superficial surface, you’ll find an excellent exploration of classicism and inequality. And that is worth reading about. 

 

Either way, this book is definitely worth reading. I adore Katniss, she’s tough as nails and doesn’t take any shit. If only we could say the same of Bella Swan… (*sigh*)