I had originally typed up a rather bitter response to the article, but I decided that such negativity only fuels people like this into more negativity of their own. So instead I decided to promote my favorite among the books attacked in this article.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss Everdeen lives in the poverty stricken twelfth district of Panem, a country ruled by the greedy and controlling Capitol. She is the one who has supported her family since her father's death, but she is unprepared for the tragedy of her younger sister being chosen as the female tribute for the annual hunger games - a brutal fight to the death between two children from each district that passes as the Capitol's most anticipated entertainment. Doing the only thing she can, she steps forward to take her sister's place. What follows is Katniss's trial by fire and a story about how one girl can challenge the world.
This is a fantastic book, one that is difficult to put down. The characters are deep and well written in a way that gives weight to each event and twist in the plot. Katniss is a determined and clever main character, but also very human and not above making mistakes despite her best intentions. It's a trait that makes the book so much deeper.
I will sum up the review with a note that post-apocalyptic is not everyone's cup of tea. And while the book is not actually as violent as you would even think from the brief description, it is extremely intense. (Don't worry, Meghan, many people in the movie rating and reviewing industry can't tell the difference either and it isn't your fault the public expects book reviewers to have access to dictionaries.) There are some very heavy scenes, and chances are you will tear up once or twice and hold your breath a few more times than that. And parts of it are hard to read. It's my opinion that this is sometimes what great writing does, however.
Also! Keep your eyes open for the movie adaptation coming out next year!
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