The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I apologise - I started The Pillars of the Earth, but found it far too big and lengthy to even attempt to finish it, so I stopped. I will pick it up at some other point, maybe when I have a little more time and can put my heart and soul into it (it will definitely need it! haha).

So, onto another book:

I didn't know about it at first - I first heard about it from Tumblr, when everyone kept posting images of the film that is coming out. I'm a sucker for books that are made into movies, and I knew I needed to read it before the film came out.

I bought it on Trademe, and devoured it the minute it came in the post.

Let me start by quoting the blurb: "It's a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed."

Let's face it - it sounds a bit weird at first, but give it a chance. It is not what it seems. The pictures in your head are formed every page you read. I gave it a chance, and I adored it.

It's quite a different book. It's not my usual thing - for example, the blurb on the back states it to be a very violent bloodbath of a book. But really, it has so much heart and soul in it, in the characters especially. Our heroine, Katniss (yes, strange names are everywhere in this book - try Effie, Haymitch, Foxface, and our favourite boy Peeta) is a tough girl from District 12 who has to deal with her own demons as well as fight against others in the arena. She's got spunk, that girl. She's rough around the edges but has a soft sensitivity to her.

The writing style is akin to other Young Adult novels; fast-paced with easy dialogue, which made it so quick to read. I didn't mind this. I thought it was well-written. Collins left out any detail that would be too much which I appreciated. I also picked up a negative tone, especially with the themes relating to government, in which may see our characters pitting themselves against the ruling state, the Capitol. Of course, the writing could have been better in some places but for a young adult novel, it was satisfactory.

The romance between Katniss and her fellow District 12 "tribute" is what made the story so interesting for me. The romance was not overdone, or idealised - there's nothing like cheesy lines to ruin a story. I enjoyed the way they obviously cared for one another, but struggled over the whole concept of the game to truly show it. Peeta is everything Katniss is not, so they complement each other so well. The "Boy with the Bread" and the "Girl who was on Fire".

It will be interesting to see what the next books ('Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay') have in store - I can't give anything away about the ending of the book (OH MY GOD) but I think the next books will be very different!

8/10.