the tale of the girl on fire.

I am hearing of more and more people reading, or recommending, Suzanne Collin's hit trilogy "The Hunger Games."
Which makes me so incredibly happy, because after Harry Potter, it's probably my favorite book series.

Let me give you a quick synopsis of the first book!
Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old girl who lives in futuristic North America, which is now a country called Panem. The country is split into 13 districts, and is ruled by The Capital. Panem and The Capital were established after a great war broke out. For a while, the Capital was able to rule the thirteen districts. As time went on, the districts grew weary of their rulers and revolted. At the end of the war, District 13 was destroyed and The Hunger Games were established. The Hunger Games is a yearly tournament where a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are picked from each district. They are placed into an arena, where they are forced to fight for their lives, while their families and friends back home are forced to watch the bloodbath. After Katniss steps up to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games, Katniss and her fellow tribute Peeta Mellark's lives are forever changed.

I first heard of the series last spring from a friend. She told my best friend and I about them one day while sitting in my car before theatre, and we were both intrigued. I picked up "The Hunger Games" shortly afterwards, and fell in love. I quickly finished the first, and then moved on to "Catching Fire." When I heard that the third wasn't going to be released until August, I was so angry because I wanted to know what was going to happen NOW.
So, as August approached I pre-ordered "Mockingjay", and bought the first two books. Sadly, because Wal-Mart hates me, I didn't get the book until almost a week after it was released. But I finished it in less than a day, and was left speechless.
Then I heard there were plans for a movie, and I almost died.

Whenever people ask me for a good book recommendation, I tell them about "The Hunger Games." My own brother, who hates reading, read the first book for his book report AND LIKED IT. Another one of my friends hates reading, but after I read him (yes, I read it to him. He's really lazy) the first part, he went out and bought himself a copy! I've been trying to get my sister to read them, but she's harder to convince.

So, why do I recommend these books so much?
It's not because the writing is so incredibly skilled and refined, like Shakespeare or Dickens. It's meant for a teen audience, so it's not going to be a difficult read.
It's not because it's a love story and I want to find out if you're Team Peeta or Team Gale. Yes, it has a love story in it, but that is not the main point of the book. (But, in case you guys are wondering, I am totally for the boy with the bread <3) And for the record, The Hunger Games is not the next Twilight. Too completely different plots, better developed characters and much better writing.

Why I recommend these books, is because it tells a story of a world that is so realistic and all-too-possible that it terrifies and fascinates me. The characters are real, and have a way of getting inside of you and making you cry or cheer for them. It leaves you guessing until the very end how Katniss will or will not survive. It's a book about loss, violence, government, power, independence, love, strength, and overcoming obstacles.

So, to everyone who has not read "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, I highly recommend it. If you decide it's not the right book for you, I have plenty of other recommendations you might enjoy! :)