Gladiator + Reality TV = Hunger Games

"The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins."

Katniss has been keeping her family safe for years, hunting for food and selling the meat for money. Her mother and little sister Prim need to be protected since her fathers death years ago. When Prim's name is read out as the girl tribute for district twelve, Katniss doesn't hesitate, she volunteers to take her place.

Suzanne Collins has crafted a bleak world, in The Hunger Games. With little hope for the people of the districts, who are forced to play this game for the amusement of the Capitol, forced to watch the unfolding events as child after child is killed in the arena; the districts are at the Capitol's mercy.

The characters are engaging. Katniss is fiery and innocent all at once. Her temper, both quick and unforgiving, makes her fun to inhabit as a reader. But her compassion and innocence make her so compelling.

This book took me on a ride. I was so enthralled by the story, in the outcome and the lives of the characters, that I felt drained when I was done. My desire to inhabit this world created by Collins was strong, and I look forward to reading more about the Hunger Games.