The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

by Suzanne Collins

[nannah]

Well jeepers, how do I start?



I'd had many people recommend this book to me, so in the beginning I had to try and force myself not to judge it. When I just started I started with a bit of skepticism, because though it was good and interesting, it didn't blow me out of the water.



But wow, just after I was thinking that, I got lost. I just got lost in this book. I don't normally like the first person present tense for a novel but Suzanne Collins made me forget about that. The characters were perfectly human--Katniss's character and tumult of emotions (especially regarding Gale and Peeta) is just undeniably, enjoyably human.



And the book itself is paced to absolute perfection and the juggle between Katniss's thoughts and the Katniss she wanted/needed to portray to the audience watching the Hunger Games was balanced very well and added to the book that level of depth that is so often missing from young adult books these days.



Plot, characterization, pacing, this book seriously has it all. You can go into it with doubts or with high expectations--you'll be amazed and craving more at the end of it, I swear. One of my new favorites!