The Hunger Games

I bought the first two books of this series for my niece Kirsten for Christmas last year. That night she went to her mom's house and everyone else scattered. So I picked up the book and thought I'd see what this book was about.
OH.MY.GOSH!!
OH.MY.GOSH!!

It.was.amazing.
The Hunger Games is the first book in the series.

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 districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Wither really meaning to, she becomes a contender. Bit if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The first time I read it on Christmas Day eve I read it in 8 hours. Eight hours that included going to a movie and out to dinner with the family. The next day I read the 2nd book in the series, which you'll hear about later.
The 3rd and final book came out last week and after I raced through that one (details to come) in 5 1/2 hours I decided to re-read the whole series and read The Hunger Games again in a little under 10 hours over 2 days.

I couldn't put it down either time, I was wondering how it would turn out, I was gasping at every turn and cringing at others. It.was.amazing.
It is a young adult book but there are so many themes running through this book, it would be a great book club choice, from Big Brother, governmental control, the cost and value of one life when compared to another and so many more.

Are you guys getting what I'm saying? It was AMAZING. READ.THIS.SERIES.
Stop what you're doing, put down the computer (ok, finish this post first....) go get it at the library, at the book store, download it to your reader whatever. But READ THIS SERIES.

Also, go team Peeta.