The Hunger Games series

Reader: Aniko
Books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I just read the most amazing series. It's meant for high school students, but I am totally obsessed with THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy. All of the teachers on my floor have been reading and raving about the books and since I'm the only one of my coworkers who normally likes science fiction and dystopias, I figured I had to try them out. (even if you normally don't go for sci fi-- this is pretty awesome!)

The series is set in a dystopian version of the US far in the future. Each of the 12 districts that make up what used to be the US sends one teenager of each gender to the capitol, Panem, once a year. These adolescents fight to survive each other and the elements in a televised competition that allows for only one to remain. These competitions, "The Hunger Games" serve to keep the districts submissive to the capitol, to annually remind them of how much the capitol controls them. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, represents her district, a particularly poor one, after she insists that she takes her sister's place in the games.

The books are impossible to put down once you start. I loved that I never had ANY idea what was going to happen next. It's so gripping! I literally read each one in a day, one after another, within three days.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Well, I resisted this one for as long as I could, even after my book club decided to read it. I found I could not put it down, but then I remembered why I am always disappointed in mysteries--the denouement is almost never satisfying. I found that to be the case with _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_, but I did find that I really liked the main character (of the whole trilogy, Lisbeth Salander). My book club mates insisted that the first book is merely the prelude to the real story, and so I read on. I really had trouble putting the second book of the trilogy down, and so I recommend it if you are looking for something to pass the time. It's quite violent, so it's not exactly pleasant reading, but it is definitely gripping. It deals with violence against women, and I would really like to hear from someone who knows about that issue whether it's a serious and helpful treatment of the problem or not. My friends tell me the third book is the best, and so I guess I'll read on. Has any one else tackled these?

Amy