The Hunger Games Trilogy: Part One

Like most people, I have been hearing wind of a new movie coming soon that everyone is all fired up about.  This movie, called "Hunger Games", has a lot of people excited, and this excitement in turn aroused my curiosity about the trilogy that the books are based on, so I headed on down to my local Barnes & Noble to buy them (Yes, I actually went to a bookstore and bought some books - still not a big fan of the e-book downloads).

Strangely, I had trouble locating the books in the bookstore, but eventually found them in the Teen Book section.  This may trouble some people, but I have realized that a large portion of great fantasy and science fiction books are located in this section, deemed too mature for young children, but too immature for adults.  Either way, it was a treasure trove of new book ideas, so I was excited.  I quickly located all three books, entitled "Hunger Games", "Catching Fire", and "Mockingjay" in order.  The books were prominently displayed within the section, which at the very least indicates that Barnes & Noble thinks that people are buying them, so my hopes rose as I carried them to the purchase counter.  After buying them and a few other books I discovered while in the section, I rushed home to read them.

The first book, "Hunger Games", is described in the book jacket (which I didn't read prior to maintain the suspense) to take place "In the ruins of a place once known as North America."  The book is set after some type of war, and starts out in the area now known as the Appalachian Mountains (referred to in the book as District 12).  After some background story, the plot line of the book reveals that after the war, North America is divided into districts, with a central capital located somewhere in the former Rocky Mountains.  Each of these districts is required to send one male and one female to fight in the so-called Hunger Games, an apt name because participation means salvation from a tough life, as well as gifts to the winner's home district for the year following a victory.

This book is a post-apocalypic version of Ender's Game in some ways, and features intrigue, pulse-pounding action, intrigue, and a plot that will leave you eagerly reaching for the second book.  I hope that the movie can live up to the book, which was phenomenal and is definitely a recommended read.  As always, I do not want to give away too much within the blog, beyond telling you that "Hunger Games" is a must-read.