The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a piece of dystopian literature where the future has turned horribly wrong. Instead of everything being really advanced and new, life is how it used to be back before technological advances bettered our style of living. Life in District 12 is difficult. After Katniss lost her father to a mining accident, her mother was distraught by grief and Katniss was forced to step up and provide for the family. She learned how to hunt and trade for basic needs. Things take a drastic turn when Katniss volunteers to participate in "The Hunger Games" in order to spare her sister. The games consist of 24 children between the age of 12 and 18 fighting to the death while the rest of the population watches for entertainment. Katniss has learned how to hunt and kill for food, but now she knows she is depending on these skills now in order to survive.
This dystopian novel raises a lot of questions. First, could human beings mess up so horribly that the this world actually becomes a reality? These Hunger Games are comparable with all the reality TV shows out there these days. People tend to watch others go through some pretty awful experiences on these shows, including lies, backstabbing, and betrayal. Could a show where people fight to the death be that far off?
One theme that is evident in The Hunger Games is, "Should one go along with some thing just because it's "The Law?" Where is the point where people will start rebelling against governmental control? Katniss rebels in her own way, but most just go along with everything. There tends to be a lot of brainwashing in this story, with a majority of the population believing that the Hunger Games is a big spectacle, a big sporting event, even though it is clearly morally wrong to watch young children try to kill each other in any way possible.
The Hunger Games by Susan Collins will keep you reading with excitement and will leave begging for more!
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