Hunger Games Triology

It has been a LONG time since I stayed awake most of the night because I didn't want to stop reading. Not since the final book of the Harry Potter series, have I put aside things I should have been doing, so I could finish a book. The Hunger Games books did this to me. My husband gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas, and I decided to purchase the first book sort of on a whim to figure out how it worked. Once I started reading, there was not stopping. With in 2 weeks I had read all three books, and it took me another week to just process the whole experience. Many of you have read the books, and are recommending them to friends, and I will add my voice to that recommendation. Before you decide to read these books however, there are a couple of things you should know. The themes are upsetting. There is a tremendous amount of violence. The dystopian future that Suzanne Collins has created is full of suffering and oppression. It becomes clear while you are reading that the story is going to reach an ultimate climax, but that the ending may not be the happy one that you are hoping for. Below are full story descriptions. I truly enjoyed these books, and I am looking forward to the movie being released in the fall. Feel free to offer you comments in the comment section of this entry.

Reader beware...if you decide to start reading these, you won't be able to stop until you find out how they end!

Hunger Games
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Catching Fire
(SPOILER ALERT - do not read the description of this book before you read the first book!!!)
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Mockingjay
(SPOILER ALERT #2)
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.