Katniss lives in an unfair society; the poor and unfortunate people are famished and weak and must work for the rich to supply them of all their needs. Every part of the country was split into districts apart from the Capitol, where the rich people resided. Each district had a job and must also supply two random tributes to the Capitol for the annual hunger games. The hunger games started after the districts were made because of a large uprising that caused a war amongst the districts and the capitol. The hunger games was a competition made for the Capitols enjoyment to get a message to the districts. The two tributes from each district would have to fight to the death with the other districts in a large arena until only one survivor remained. Unfortunately, at the reaping (where they pick the tributes) Katniss’ sister was called, what with Katniss do, will she be able to help?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is an amazing novel. The book is incredibly thrilling and keeps you on your toes. However, even though it is very action packed it also makes you think, and the book is filled with a rich history and thought-out lore. Each character is unique and has different insights and opinions regarding the place they live in. I believe that Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is a perfect dystopian novel and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read it.

This book was weird.
It felt like a windstorm of ideas blowing in my face; a mad prophet's ravings before catastrophe, and a tangled mess of actions and consequences - but somehow they all connected together? It was a bit of an experience.
Grasshopper Jungle is a story about the end of the world, but like many teen novels, it is simply a backdrop to Austin's personal dramas. One of its tags on Libby is "humor" but I think it's more of a tragedy if anything. The main character and his best friend inadvertently bring about an apocalypse by way of 6-foot tall, ravenous grasshoppers after accidentally breaking a jar they really shouldn't have broken.
The book weaves together the stories of Austin, his childhood experiences, as well as those of his brother, Polish ancestor, the mutant grasshoppers, and random strangers around town (such as his principal, his friend's mom's boyfriend, and a vulgar policeman being memorable ones). It's a lot.
I found this story's distinctive style very difficult to tear myself away from. It was authentic to the protagonist's personality, and it reminded me of the narration of classic epics. It stands out in its themes of memory, religious trauma, sexuality, and identity (and somehow being an apocalyptic story as well). The symbolism was uncanny, and the way the outside world and past timelines mirrored Austin's mental state was very artistic and unique.
Onto my criticisms and confusions: #1 has to be the male characters. I think that every single male character in this story thinks constantly about every other character in a grossly objectifying way. Honestly though, this applies to most of the female characters as well, who are just as lustfully self-interested. Very interesting, but it was a... strange experience to read the nuanced and morally grey portrayal of Austin's ancestor, a gay man who had not-consensual relations with a woman to see if he could "love" anyone other than his dead Communist lover.
Austin himself relates to this ancestor because he, too, is "confused". His gay best friend Robby continually makes advances on Austin, and Austin reciprocates because he is completely in love with Robby. He is also in love with his girlfriend, who doesn't take too kindly to the fact that Austin has kissed Robby during their relationship. Austin even documents the POV of the murderous, bi-curious, mutant grasshoppers.
The ending was extremely abrupt. I'll admit, I was glued to this book for the last quarter, and the ending made me stand up and think "what in the world did I just read". However, in all honesty, it very much suited the style of the book. It never deviates from being a chronicle of the end of the world, and the world around Austin certainly comes crashing down.
Grasshopper Jungle is a weird book that made me think, and I don't regret reading it. It is quite graphic, but if you're interested in this swarm of a book, I highly recommend reading it and forming your own opinion. I might read the sequel, but I'm a bit afraid of what it might hold.

I am in shock from reading this book. So many questions from both the original trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were answered. I saw an analogy, where the original trilogy are the middle pieces of a puzzle, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the corners and Sunrise on the Reaping is the edges. I could not agree more, the way they are all perfectly balanced on each other and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins paints a whole new picture that really makes you question the whole series.

This book follows Haymitch Abernathy and his story with the 50th Hunger Games. The writing style changes and reflects with each character in the different books, being able to see Haymitch's thoughts and the things that happen which gives a better insight into why he acted in the original trilogy. I loved this book and it is five stars without a doubt.

Reviewer Grade: 11

I am in shock from reading this book. So many questions from both the original triology and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were answered. I saw an analogy, where the original trilogy are the middle pieces of a puzzle, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the corners and Sunrise on the Reaping is the edges. I could not agree more, the way they are all perfectly balanced on eachother and with Sunrise on the Reaping, Collins paints a whole new picture that really makes you question the whole series.
This book follows Haymitch Abernathy and his story with the 50th Hunger Games. The writing style changes and reflects with each character in the different books, being able to see Haymitch's thoughts and the things that happen which gives a better insight into why he acted in the original trilogy. I loved this book and is five starts without a doubt.

Sunrise on the Reaping follows Haymitch Abernathy and his experience in the Hunger Games, a reality TV show where kids must fight to the death. However, this specific round of Hunger Games has a special twist from the traditional Hunger Games. Due to this Hunger Games being the 50th annual Hunger Games, (also known as the second "Quarter Quell"), Haymitch must face twice as many opponents in his battle of survival.

I finished this book in two days! Even though Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel and I already knew the outcome, Suzanne Collins still found ways to make the book compelling and interesting, with twists and turns that made this story completely unique. The story was not as predictable as I assumed it to be, which made for a very fun read!

Despite Sunrise on the Reaping being part of the overall Hunger Games series, you could read it as a stand alone without the other books in the series and still enjoy it. There are no dull moments, even from the very first page Collins is able to draw the reader into the world and keep the reader there until the very last page.

For those who want a story that is nothing short of enlightening, Lois Lowry’s “Son” is the book for you. The fourth and final book in the eye-opening “The Giver” series, the storylines of all the previous books are masterfully and artistically woven into a single thread. Claire, a Birthmother in her community, has her world turned upside down when her baby is taken from her. Now, she must embark on the journey of a lifetime to get him back — no matter what the price. In my humble opinion, this is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. Being the last book in the series, it has the ability to cultivate an incredibly powerful and complex story that keeps readers heartstrings tied to the page. It’s got plot twists, evil and mysterious villains, amazing shows of strength, moments of joy, sadness, fear, and surprise, all while carrying one warm, loving message. If “Messenger” left you wanting for more, read “Son”. Trust me — it’s worth it.

The Thunderhead, an all-knowing artificial intelligence was able to solve all of the world's problems, it could even bring back the newly deceased from the dead. Religion, creativity, hard work, and passion are obsolete, and jobs only exist to give people something to do. Everything is perfect, every accommodation is met, anyone can speak to the Thunderhead, and the Thunderhead can solve anyone's problems. However, because the Thunderhead’s purpose is to help humanity it vowed to have nothing to do with the problem of overpopulation and the humans would have to create that system.
The Scythedom is an organization of people whose job is to glean (or cause the permanent death of an individual). Scythes are treated with the highest honor and have to pay for nothing and wait for no lines, but they carry the tough burden of ending other people’s lives. Every scythe must meet a quota and must follow a list of rules. However, even with great respect no man-made thing is perfect and the drive for power may corrupt the Scythedom.
Citra and Rowan end up as apprentices for a scythe and they will soon learn the guilt and hardship of the job. Only one of them will become a scythe, they must learn and train constantly leaving their old lives behind. Through many plot twists the pair must do what they can to navigate their new environment. How will the other scythes react to a scythe having two apprentices? How will Citra and Rowan change?
Neal Shusterman’s Scythe is an amazing book. It portrays the mental toll and thoughts of the protagonists perfectly and demonstrates their character development amazingly. The world-building is immaculate, and the vocabulary and characters get you immersed in the book quickly. Every detail is looked over and every character is thought out thoroughly, all having unique backstories and different approaches and thoughts to the world around them.
Scythe is also a philosophical masterpiece and touches on subjects like the drive for power and corruption in society. Throughout the book I was thinking constantly and wondering about how the society works. I recommend this book to everybody for its thorough story and how it brings up many deep questions in a unique, subtle, and phenomenal way.

This book is a great young adult novel for anyone who likes the dystopian and fiction genre. In a post-apocalyptic world where everyone is divided into districts, there is an annual competition in which one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts get picked to fight to the death in a game called "The Hunger Games." The book follows a teenage girl from District Twelve named Katniss Everdeen. The 74th Hunger Games is soon approaching, and when Katniss gets picked to participate her whole world gets flipped upside down. She must work together with her district partner Peeta while using her wits and determination to win the games and return home in victory. I chose to read this book because I think the themes and messages the author tries to convey in her story are interesting and important. I enjoyed the suspense in the book and the in-depth view of the main character's thoughts and emotions. I think this book is important to read and has a lot of interesting messages throughout the story. Although this book may not be for everyone it is certainly a must-read in my opinion.

This book had great characters, an amazing plot, and a well thought out structure! The hunger games is a book where every year, two children, a boy and a girl, from each of the 12 districts must go into an arena and fight to the death. The last child standings wins. Katniss Everdeen lives in district 12, the poorest district. When the reaping day comes, she volunteers as tribute instead of her little sister. She gets transported to the capitol, where she is prepared for the games. Once inside the arena, the book takes a many turns, and you’re left in suspense for a while! It was amazing, and a great read. 10/10 recommend.

The Darkest Minds focuses solely on our main character, Ruby, a strong-willed, cautious girl who goes through major character growth and development throughout the book. Well, Ruby and the people she meets on her journey of staying alive when the world turns against teens due to a harmful mysterious virus that removed most of the child population. While Ruby did survive, she lost something almost as bad as her life, her parents. After being locked in a garage she was then sent to Thurmond--a brutal government rehabilitation camp of sorts that is far from its title by her own parents. On her journey, looking for stability she runs into Zu, a meek, sweet, and unsettled young girl around her age, presumably around 14. Chubs, the brains of the group and honestly incredibly mature, and finally Liam, a Southern seemingly fearless courageous leader. This memorable group of strong teenagers makes an impact that even they don't know they'll make in this book. I decided to read this book because some years ago when the movie came out I watched it with my brother and I loved it and wished that there was a sequel so I decided to read the entire series because I wanted some closure and I did not regret it.
What did you like about the book? I loved the well-written tight-knit teen relationships and slow-burn romance in this book. The personalities are pretty believable for the characters and I genuinely enjoyed the dialogue and internal thoughts that were portrayed.
There is a lot I like in this book, however of course there are some things I didn't like so much. For example, some events in the book feel a bit dragged out and some others are too short for the emotional weight of some situations that occur. Meaning they could use more explanation or information on the gravity of the event on people around them. If you're thinking "Hm, should I read this book? I would definitely say you should. I thought that this book was a nice read, especially on a day when It's raining and maybe it's later in the day. However, there are some situations that Ruby finds herself In that contain sensitive topics and I'd certainly recommend looking deeper into that on maybe a parental guidance website or another website of that sort if you have a sensitivity or trauma with that kind of thing that I will fail to mention in this review. Overall, The Darkest Minds Is a good read if you want a dystopian teen book with some romantic elements and combat elements. It reminds me of Divergent a bit however it is definitely its own thing and it has its sad moments but it is something you'd have to read on your own to really understand what it is like. When you start reading, you just can't put the book down at a certain point so it keeps your attention. Sometimes I wish I could read this book for the first time again, so make the most of it!