Hunting, feeding a family, staying out of trouble, and most of all surviving is Katniss’s whole life. After North America became a dictatorship, the county of Panem was formed and from that 12 districts were created. Katniss, a 16-year-old girl, struggles to keep her family and herself alive in District 12, one of the twelve districts controlled by the Capitol of Panem. Katniss despises the Capitol because of how poorly they treat the districts and because of the Hunger Games, an annual event that punishes the districts after when the districts rebelled against Panem. She ends up competing in the Hunger Games after bravely volunteering to save her sister - something not many would do. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a book with hardships to face and many thrillers to come.

When I heard of The Hunger Games I was not very interested because I had judged the book by its cover, and it's a lot different from what I normally read. My sister recommended this book to me because it’s one of her favorites.  After reading a few chapters, it was extremely hard for me to set the book down. The characters were well-written and background stories were set up nicely. The end of the book is shocking but also leaves the reader wanting to know more about what happens. Each twist and turn makes things even more intense so by the end the main character’s lives will be very interesting to look into.

This dystopian novel is a thrilling book to read. It's futuristic and adventurous. The Hunger Games is a whole different novel series that will pull anyone into this kind of genre. It will shock anyone to their core, because of the different lifestyles the citizens have and the dark turns that take place. The time period is not exact but leaves a few “what if?” questions for the readers. It left me with a few questions, wondering if this was going to happen in the future or if this is already happening to us and we just don’t know it. It's almost as if it's an alternate future for North America if too many global disasters, wars, and corrupt governments become the new norm.

After the first book, Collins expands into the characters' lives and the aftermath of the 74th Hunger Games. All three novels in the trilogy are good at sharing important lessons such as; what having post-traumatic stress disorder could be like, dealing with a corrupt government, coping with losses in life, and standing up for yourself and loved ones. It shows that regular people can make a change for the better just like Katniss who was an ordinary girl that ended up changing so many things.

The Hunger Games is an excellent read because of the characters and the challenges that they face throughout the novel. Suzanne Collins creates a complicated and messy world and presents a unique take on the fallout of democracy.  Suspense is built slowly but steadily which keeps the reader invested in the storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has become one of my favorites. I loved how Katniss went from not believing in herself and how much of an impact she had, to doing a lot more than she would ever imagined all because she volunteered to save her younger sister. It truly shows that we should step up for what we believe in and to not think so little of ourselves. “...there are much worse games to play,” a fitting quote from the dystopian novel The Hunger Games. Thrust into the game of life or death, Katniss Everdeen must survive a brutal competition or suffer the consequences of losing her family and possibly her home.