The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins that tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in poverty-stricken District 12 of Panem. Set in what is assumed as futuristic North America, the ruling Capital chooses teen tributes, one girl and one boy, from each district each year to participate in the Hunger Games as punishment for their part in an uprising against the city decades before. This televised event, in which 24 teenagers fight to the death in a controlled arena, varies each year by participants, location, and rules. However, when Katniss' sister is selected in the reaping, she volunteers to go in her place. With her fellow district member, Peeta Mellark, they are forced to compete in this battle to the death using their survival skills and wits to navigate the dangerous game field and defeat their opponents. Alliances are formed with moral dilemmas regarding loyalty and justice are faced during the competition. Katniss is a powerful and sympathetic character with a gripping and exciting story line illustrated through vivid prose. The supporting characters are equally developed, with high suspense maintained through the end of the book. In my opinion, The Hunger Games was a compelling and thought-provoking read difficult to put down, and left me anxious to read the next novel in the series.