The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I sometimes read "young adult" novels when they've garnered a lot of buzz, just to see for myself if they are worthwhile as well as popular. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised--the Harry Potter series turned out to be well written, imaginative, and compulsively readable. Sometimes I am left dumbfounded--the Twilight series (I read only the first one) turned out to be poorly written, hackneyed, and totally silly. I know that many adult women are fans, which I can't understand at all. Whatever.

This is the first novel of a series that is also wildly popular. And it is A-OK: not as well done as Harry Potter by a long shot but 10 times better than Twilight.

One plus--the premise is interesting. The ruling class of a future America each year demands a tribute of one young man and one young woman from the twelve subject districts to take part in televised games in which participants kill each other until only one remains. This is not particularly original: Think of mythology and Theseus and the labyrinth with the Minotaur. Think of the gladiators in the coliseum in Rome. Think of Death Race 2000. Think of Beyond Thunderdome. Most chilling of all, think of the television series Survivor. When a culture becomes degraded, one signpost must be the public's interest in watching scenes of violence and death. True, nobody is killed on Survivor, but would ratings soar if someone were killed? I'm just saying....

Another plus--this book has a point to make. Is it enough just to do what it takes to survive? Or is it important to stay true to yourself and your values?

A third plus--Collins does a credible job of creating an alternative world, gradually and unobtrusively introducing the reader to the realities of existence in this America of the future. Her writing is direct and simple, showing skill in delineating character. The pace is exceptional, creating a building suspense.

One interesting aspect of the novel is the "created" love interest between the main two characters, generated to attract more sponsors. Have you ever seen a television reality show which seemed to have a "created" love interest to attract more viewers? Enough said....

One reason I read this book was to see if it would be a good book for my 10-year-old granddaughter. Although the reading level would be acceptable, I do feel that the violence, particularly toward the end, might be disturbing to her. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and above. Adults could enjoy it, too, even if it is a bit simplistic.