Ahhhhh. The Hunger Games. When I first glimpsed the title several years ago, I thought, “A game about starvation? That’s an unusual plot.”

But Suzanne Collins’s book supplied far better reading than anticipated. In fact, it deserved to be a movie (which it now is). Collins provided enough action to keep me entertained and enough drama—and yes, romance—to make the violence more than just senseless killing.

The Hunger Games are a punishment on the downtrodden people of Panem, the government’s brutal reminder that rebellion holds consequences. Every year, a 12 to 18 year-old boy and girl from each of Panem’s twelve districts are chosen by lottery to fight each other for survival in a massive bio-arena.
This year, it’s poacher Katniss’s 12 year-old younger sister, Primrose, is picked to represent their district. Desperate to save Primrose, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss and the other competitors from District 12 are taken to the Capitol, where they and the other combatants are trained and treated lavishly—until the Hunger Games begin. (Cue ominous music.)

Inspired by the gladiatorial combat of Rome, The Hunger Games offers no shortage of violence. However, the bloodshed is never over the top and only a few deaths are described in detail. Often, the deaths are poignant as the children and teens conscripted for the Games realize they are dying. The action is paced well, keeping a good balance of action, scheming and quiet drama that is similar to Survivor.

Suzanne Collins doesn’t limit herself to violence, though. Even amid the struggles for survival and dominance, romance and drama appear.

I won’t spoil anything, but this isn’t Twilight. There is no love at first sight for Katniss, and no real closure at the end of the novel. Only a budding love triangle recalls Twilight.

One of the best things about The Hunger Games is the characters. Collins has a knack for creating flawed but engaging individuals—the protagonist of a previous Collins novel was a berserk warrior afraid of blood—and she doesn’t disappoint here. Katniss, her opponents, her alcoholic mentor, even minor characters who only appear for a few lines—all seem alive. They interact, squabble and rebel.

Rebellion—the small acts of dissidence that people use to resist a sadistic government—provides one of the main themes in The Hunger Games. From the moment that Katniss places flowers on the corpse of an opponent—something that almost brought tears to my eyes—to the defiant ending, rebellion threads throughout The Hunger Games.

I’d like to find a reason to give The Hunger Games less than five stars—just so I don’t get too predictable—but I can’t. The action is awesome, romance is capable and not overly Twilight-ish. The Hunger Games earns five out of five stars.

There’s still time to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins before the movie premieres. Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or the Book Mark.