"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Book cover, courtest of Wikipedia

               When I first saw Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" on the list of Fantasy titles, I questioned why it would be there and not under science fiction. The setting is mundane and modern and there isn't any magical or magical creatures - altered animals like the mockingjay and the mutant hounds are described as creation's of the capitol's science. Then I began to think about it in the sense of Star Wars: there is science and it plays a large part in the book's setting, but the book never really goes deep into how the science of the setting works, much how Star Wars had X-Wings and lightsabers but spent more time talking about how the Force works than how R2-D2 can show holograms. The setting isn't science fiction or straight-up fantasy, it's Science-Fantasy.

                If you've seen the movie, you might be wondering why you would even need to read the book. Like many movie adaptations, "The Hunger Games" film leaves out many scenes that help expand upon the setting, such as Katniss Aberdeen's past and what happened to her father, why the Mockingjays and other altered beasts exist in the world, and much of Haymitch the District 12 advisor's suggestions to Katniss and Peyta the Baker. The book also has many descriptions of the awful ways in which the capitol oppresses the districts in order to keep them in line and discusses the mysterious District 13. Reading the book allows the interested reader to learn more about characters they have come to love in the movie, especially Katniss. You also don't want to miss the goat story; it's adorable.

                "The Hunger Games" is definitely an exciting book that is sure to take a firm hold of the reader's attention. It also has a strong message, suggesting that even a seemingly simple situation like "survive at all costs" can be remarkably complex and morally ambiguous. To the reader who hasn't seen the movie though, beware that this is an extremely violent and dark story, featuring the deaths of many children and teenagers. Perhaps because it does involve young adults so intimately is why it can be especially frightening: teenagers can imagine themselves trapped in this situation and adults can easily imagine the fear of the families of the main characters. If you do enjoy this book, it is Book One in a trilogy that is available on shelves.

This book has won the following awards:

2008 Publishers Weekly "Best Books of the Year"
2008 The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008"
2008 Cybil Winner
2008 School Library Journal "Best Books"
2008 Booklist Editors' Choice
2009 Golden Duck Award in Young Adult Fiction
2011 California Young Reader Medal

If you enjoyed "The Hunger Games," be sure to check out its sequels "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay".

If you enjoyed reading "The Hunger Games," you may be interested in the movie, now available on DVD. Enjoy the official trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FovFG3N_RSU

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.