The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Reality Show or Science Fiction

This book is about regular kids that are forced to fight to the death by their government.
Time—some time in the Future. Something has happened in the world so that North America is now made up of thirteen districts presided over by one government. . The districts don’t like how the government runs things and so revolt. Twelve of the districts are defeated and the thirteenth is destroyed and held as an example that the government is in charge. To remind these districts each year that the government is the boss, each district is required to choose one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in The Hunger Games held each year. The games are broadcast on TV and each person in each district is required to watch.

Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old who lives in District 12. After her father dies, she feeds her family by sneaking into the forbidden woods with her friend Gale. The two hunt game, fish, and glean fruit, veggies, and herbs. They eat the food but they also use it to barter for basic necessities. When the reaping, which is the choosing of candidates for the hunger games takes place, Katniss’s younger sister is chosen. Horrified, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The second candidate from District 12 is Peeta. He is the baker's son. Peeta is not Katniss's friend, but after her father died, he was very kind to her. Imagine her conflict, when she now faces having to kill him in the competitions.Will either one of them survive long enough to have to kill their District’s candidate?

I can't wait to read the second exciting book in this trilogy.