May the odds be ever in your favor....
Suzanne Collins has achieved in illustrating a land of blood, sweat, misfortune, starvation and violence that would shake the reality of any comfortable suburban teen. Talk about a reality check for someone complaining about not having the newest fabulous jeans. Our heroin is Katniss Everdean, a bow hunting, fence jumping, braid wearing, strong girl who is concerned with keeping her little sister safe. In the colonies of Panem, government strictly distributes low amount of food to each family, but allows the option for children to put their names into a drawing or reaping as Collins has named it, for extra rations of food for their families. Every time their name is added is another chance they will be picked to enter The Hunger Games, a cruel to the death competition between 24 kids put on by the ruling class "the Capital". Along with the Cole miner's daughter Katniss, is a baker's son named Peeta., who is secretly madly in-love with Katniss. The love story is sweet and does not take away from the gritty reality and action of the story, and is also not overly sexual, which is appropriate considering the author's audience. The author does an amazing job of illustrating the contrast of the luxury and wealth of the capital versus the varying degrees of poverty that the other 12 colonies are in.