The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a book written for teens about survival and romance. The tale is set in a fictional North America in a future time when there are 13 districts under rule of “the Capitol.” These districts rebelled and fought a grueling battle, and in the end, their masters won and destroyed the 13^th district for their mutiny.

The background is pretty gritty as are the details learned of the war as the book goes on. The story begins in a time where the war is over and an annual competition, The Hunger Games, is hosted by the Capitol, where each district sends a boy and a girl between the ages of 13 and 18 to fight to the death. The novel is focused on a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen who takes care of her grief-ridden mother and younger sister, 12-year-old Prim. When Prim is chosen to be her district’s tribute in The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. There’s a lot at stake throughout the entire book, which really adds an edgy quality. Katniss is not without her own set of skills in this competition, as she is a hunter who manages to feed her family day after day, having mastered archery and survival skills.

The book follows Katniss throughout the games and has many dimensions to it, as many characters constantly influence the heroine’s decisions. Reading this nailbiter of a story with original plot twists and turns, you won’t want to put it down. While the ending does leave some questions to be resolved, many questions are answered, leaving the reader satisfied, that is, until the next book.