The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Imagine an undetermined time in the future where North America has been completely ravaged by war, nature, and man's greed and you have the setting of this exciting YA dystopia. From what used to be the ashes of North America emerges the country of Panem - a country run by a totalitarian government, consisting of twelve, mostly poor outlying districts that provide goods and services to the decadent indulgences of the Capitol City (a future Rome if you will).

Every year, in order to reinforce its dominance over the inhabitants of the Districts, the Capitol hosts The Hunger Games, and each district is forced to supply one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in these ostentatious, scientist controlled gladitorial fights to death. When Katniss Everdeen, a poor 16-year old girl from District 12 (the poorest/weakest of districts) takes the place of her 12-year old sister in the games, she has little hope of survival. Surprisingly, she finds herself a serious contender in the games and as the story progresses she unwittingly becomes embroiled in political schemes, a love triangle between her childhood friend and a fellow contestant, and comes to symbolize a rebellion against Panem's dictatorial regime. What does fate have in store for Katniss as she's forced to compete and come to terms with her inner feelings?

The only thing I have to say is WOOOOOOWWWW - truly one of the best trilogies I have read in a while and although I do enjoy a fair share of books, those rare favorites are rare indeed. I believe Collins has written a winner. The story is fresh and original (or as original as YA fiction these days can be), Katniss is an incredibly compelling character and it's easy to empathize with her struggles. The writing is crisp, the plot well-paced, and the setting of the hunger games brutal but captivating. I loved loved loved it!

HOWEVER be warned! Those three "loveds" apply mostly to books one and two. I have expressed my opinion in other places on book three, and how I felt totally cheated by Collins. She didn't make the best use of the last book, and I felt she hand't maximized the impact the story could have had. As the final book it should have been climactic, and needless to say it was less than so, and Katniss did disappoint - her verve, those qualities that made me absolutely adore her in the first two books were absent in the last, and I also felt cheated because, in my opinion, Collins didn't settle the love triangle in a satisfactory way. I can't really critique much more without giving away what happens in the novel. My final word: just read it! You won't regret it, but you may not find the last book lives up to the first two.

*****5 Stars (only for books one and two)
***3 (book three)

The Hunger Games Trilogy Includes:
1. The Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. Mockingjay