Bring on the Games (The Hunger Games)!

Sometimes I really appreciate it when an author writes a book and that's it. I may have said this before. Just one book and not a whole series that can drag on and on. That said, sometimes there are series SO good you don't want them to end because you have become so attached to the characters. "Twilight" was one (though I'm not happy with "Breaking Dawn"), Harry Potter, of course and... "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.

"The Hunger Games" is an absolutely unputdownable trilogy. If you have not read this chillingly realistic futuristic post-apocalyptic story, let me give you a brief lead in: Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old girl who lives with her mother and sister in a place called District 12 one of 12 areas under the control of the evil Capital, which keeps its citizens oppressed and starving to keep down rebellion (District 13 has already been obliterated). Once a year, the Capital "reaps" a boy and girl from each community and pits them against each other in a fight to the death which is televised as an entertaining reality show. The winner, or last left alive, becomes a celebrity. Katniss has been the main support for her mother and sister since her father died in a mining accident. She is a skilled archer and hunter. I'll only say that Katniss takes the place of her little sister who is the chosen girl for the 74th Hunger Games.

Katniss is an incredibly strong female lead and Suzanne Collins' writing is so descriptive you feel like you are right there on the journey towards the arena with her. There's suspense, there's scary stuff and there's even ROMANCE!

 What's great about "Mockingjay's" release is it now allows new readers to sit down and enter the world of the "Hunger Games" and read them all the way through, like watching a great TV series on DVD without the ads! 

The Goodwin Library book club will be reading the whole series and the 6 new members (so far) have not read them before, so I can't wait to have some great discussions as we progress! Come join us! We'll ILL a copy just for you!