The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is my first re-read of the year. I actually read this series last year for the first time and loved it. I decided to pick it up again, because the movie is being released on March 23rd (check out the trailer below). 

The Hunger Games takes place in the not-too-distant future on the ruins of North America in Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. The districts live in relative isolation from one another, and the majority of the population barely has enough to survive. Katniss Everdeen is from District 12, the poorest district in Panem. After the death of her father, Katniss becomes her families sole provider, often sneaking into the woods illegally to hunt with her best friend, Gale. The inhabitants of the Capitol live opulent lives off the spoils of the surrounding districts. The districts are strictly controlled and even the smallest of infractions can result in strict punishments from the Peacekeepers. 

Panem originally had 13 districts, however District 13 was destroyed after it attempted to overthrow the Capitol. Now as a reminder of and punishment for this failed rebellion, the inhabitants of the districts are forced to participate in The Hunger Games. Each year, two young people - one male and one female - are selected by lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a competition where 24 contestants are sent into an arena and must eliminate each other while the rest of the country watches. 

This year "the reaping" has a special significance for Katniss - it is the first year that her younger sister, Primrose, will be eligible to participate. Although the odds are in her favor, Primerose is chosen to be one of the District 12 tributes. Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place, and she and her male counterpart, Peeta, set off for the Capitol to face the greatest challenge of their lives.

Katniss and Peeta find themselves pitted against fierce competitors, some of which have spent their young lives training for the chance to participate in the games. Both of them struggle to maintain their identities and humanity, while being forced to make tough decisions and survive.

The first time I read this book, I had a little trouble getting into it, or at least that is what my review on Goodreads says...I can't seem to recall why and I don't really mention a reason in the review. I can say that I definitely enjoyed reading The Hunger Games for a second time. I love the premise behind the story, and since I read the books for the first time about a year ago, enough time has passed that I didn't remember everything that happened in the book. The chapters that tell about the games were still exciting and action packed, and I still really liked the character of Katniss.

I'm curious to see how it will translate onto the big screen, especially the casting, as I pictured some of the characters differently in my head. If it is anything like the book, it promises to be an action packed film. I just hope that they didn't deviate too much from the original story.

My original plan was to re-read The Hunger Games and move on to something else, but I find myself hooked again and have decided to re-read the series in its entirety. It's that good! On to book two - Catching Fire!