2012 Book 4 - The Hunger Games

I have never heard of this book till the Hollywood movie hit the cinemas a couple of months back. I was duly informed by a fellow avid reader that this novel comes highly recommended. "You will enjoy it!"....I was promised. My interest was mildly piqued when I saw that this Hollywood blockbuster had achieved quite a following....(close to the "Twilight" proportions). Eye Candy?? Yum!!

So what is "The Hunger Games" about....

We are placed in the future, in the country of Panem (where the countries of North America once existed). The surviving human race are mostly split into 12 Districts, each functioning with a special purpose and all working under the direction of the highly advanced metropolis and privileged few known as the Capitol. Life is hard and the people in the districts are living in perpetual poverty. To keep the districts in check (and for sadistic entertainment purposes), the Capitol throws an annual event known as "The Hunger Games" where one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18  are selected by lottery from the 12 Districts to compete in a televised reality show where the objective for the contenders are simple.  To Kill or be Killed. Only 1 child can be declared a victor and return home....the last one standing  breathing.

Wait...wait....wait a minute...................This plot reminds me so much of another Japanese movie - "Battle Royale". And boy, did I hate that movie. Grotesque!!!

This book and I....we are not getting onto a good start.............

Jamie's Rating: 4.0 out of 5
From the rating, you can safely say that I'm a convert. I finished the book in less than 48 hours and was rather pleased that I did not suffer from "Battle Royale" blacklash. In fact, there were a lot of emotions in play within this book which was able to draw the reader (aka me) in. The movie was also rather enjoyable (Eye Candy!!) but once again, for a truly immersive experience, reading the book is still the best way to go.  
Other book reviews:http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-The-Hunger-Games-by-Suzanne-Collins-3431912.php http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/productreviews/fr/The-Hunger-Games-review.htm
For more information on battle royal, please click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale