The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

MY FAVORITE LINE FROM THE BOOK: "Already the boy with the bread is slipping away from me."

I was at home one day and saw a commercial on TV. This commercial was for, of course, the "Hunger Games" movie. When I saw it, I knew it looked kind of interesting.

I talked to my friend about it. "You haven't read Hunger Games yet?" she cried. "That book is amazing! You have to read it so we can go see the movie together!"

(Read my review of the movie at my other blog, Movie Reviews by Anna.)

So, of course, I read the book, because the movie did sound interesting.

It was the best decision I've made in my life.

From the first sentence, I was instantly captivated by Katniss Everdeen's narrative. District 12 became my home. My sister was suddenly called at the reaping, a system of picking children to be in the Hunger Games, an event shown on live television in which tributes fight to the death. The odds are not in her favor, so I volunteer for her. I'm suddenly facing death in a matter of days.

And only one tribute can win.

The Hunger Games was a breath of fresh air. It was the first book I've truly, deep down to my soul, connected with. If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to read it before you see the movie, because the movie is a bit different from the book, and to fully understand, you need to read the book.

SPOILER ALERT: Not to sound mean, but my favorite part was when Rue died. It was the sadness of the moment, the harsh reminder that another tribute died because of the evil, opressing Capitol.

The book deserves more than five stars. It deserves five million.

+++++ (5-stars)