The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Katniss lives in the bad part of town, in a poor district where life is hard for everyone. Her father was killed in a mining accident, her mother and sister struggle to make ends meet, and Katniss sneaks out into the woods to hunt to keep the family alive. Then, when her little sister is randomly selected to battle in The Hunger Games, Katniss makes the ultimate sacrifice and volunteers to go for her. Now she must fight for her life against 23 other teens on network TV with the entire nation watching.
A less gory knock-off of the Japanese book/manga/movie Battle Royale, this is science fiction teens will love. While it certainly has a high death count, the descriptions are kindly vague and not graphic enough to upset any but the most tender of readers. Still, the book is disturbing and challenging and I would not recommend it for pre-teens. But it has a great mix of survival story and possible romance that will grab readers and keep them hooked. I can't wait to read the sequel!