Why Did I Resist??!?!

All of my publishing and librarian friends had been urging me to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for a very long time now. I'd heard about how good it was, and how popular it was with its teenaged audience, and I had a very vague idea of the basic concept. Strangely, though, I never got around to reading it. Finally, I was given an advanced review copy of the sequel, Catching Fire, and figured it was about time for me to read Hunger Games. I can't believe it took me so long to discover this wonderful book!!!!! I don't want to tell you too much about the plot, but I will say that it's set in a post-rebellion United States that has been divided into 13 different sectors. In an effort to avoid future rebellions, the government requires each sector to send one boy and one girl each year to the Hunger Games, where they will fight to the death until only one person is left. If this sounds horrible, it kind of is . . . but in a really gripping and moving sort of way. I cared about all the characters in this book, I was on the edge of my seat from all the action, and I'm very excited to read the next book. I'll just be sad when I have to wait until sometime next year for the third book in this trilogy.