The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is fiction in the young adult genre. As soon as I started reading, I found myself unable to put it down. I literally finished the book in about 5 hours on night.

Its combination of nerve-racking tension, thrilling action, and engaging love story kept me up until the wee hours of the night. I was surprised at how completely engrossing the plot was.

When the book opens, North America as we know it has been destroyed and is now divided into 12 districts, ruled by an oppressive government located at the Capitol.

Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, takes her younger sister’s place as one of 24 “tributes” selected every year to participate in the Hunger Games.

The Games pick children from ages 12 to 18 (a boy and a girl from each district)  and put them against each other in a fight to the death in a giant, treacherous arena.

Katniss must not only survive the Games, but deal with a romance between her and another tribute from District 12, all the while deciding if she is willing to kill strangers her own age as a pawn of an oppressive government.

The Games provided a backdrop to one of the most enthralling plots I have ever read. Katniss constantly battles thirst, fire, hunger, wild animals, injuries, and other teenagers for survival. She makes and loses friends, and I became so attached to her and her fellow tribute from District 12 that I was dying to find out how the book ended.

While the plot is mainly what drives this book, the creativity of this future world and the concept of the Games also impressed me. In addition, the characters are all very strong and exhibit character development throughout the book.

There are two more installments to the book that I can not wait to read as soon as I can borrow them from my friend. The ending of the book makes you want to read the next one and see what happens to the District 12 winners and their newly found romance.

Overall, The Hunger Games was an excellent, enthralling read that I highly recommend. It was a fantastic book with a wonderfully creative plot.