The Hunger Games

Many years into the future The United States has fallen. There are now 13 districts and a Capitol. The Capitol is the Law of the Land and you DO NOT cross the Capitol. Until District 13 tries to test this theory. Not very smart.

District 13 is obliterated. Wiped off of the map. Nothing more than a large pile of rock and dirt. Not only are they gone but they are the reason for the Hunger Games.

The Capitol figured it was a suiting punishment for District 13 and and fear tactic for districts 1 through 12, showing that the Capitol has their thumb over every last member of this society. But not only is it a fear tactic, it is entertainment for the citizens of the Capitol and the "government officials" as well.

Each year 2 tributes between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen from a fish bowl to be trained in survival combat training. 24 children will then enter an arena of the Capitol's choosing and fight to the death with only one left alive, the Victor.

This happens every year. Every year 23 children are killed for amusement. What makes it worse is these 24 children in the arena are turned into killers. Murdering their friends and potential allies.

The book begins with "the reaping" in District 12 (the main focus of the book are the characters from this district, more often than not the loosing district). The reaping is where a Capitol official comes to town and draws the name of the Tribute from the fish bowl. Primrose Everdeen, age 12, is chosen. Her sister Katniss goes ballistic! Sobbing and crying and screaming that she volunteers as Tribute. They allow this and Prim goes back to safety for yet another year.

The male Tribute is then picked, Peeta Mellark is then chosen -- with no one to volunteer on his behalf. This is when the book really picks up. The goodbyes are said and the Tributes are whisked away, packed on a train and heading for the Capitol to get bathed, beautified, and paraded around like barbie dolls for the entire world to see.

Once this is accomplished they all begin their training and prepare to enter the arena. From here on out the book is a mixture of events and emotions and complete and utter ciaos.

I would let you know more about the book but that would be giving away way to many details. All I can say is read the book and remember the pin. I loved this book, and it only gets better from here.

I won't post a review for Catching fire until everyone has had a chance to possibly read the book but definitely see the movie coming to theaters Friday March 23rd =) I CAN'T WAIT!

Darkest Powers: The Summoning

My opinion is probably completely bias for the simple fact that Kelley Armstrong is my FAVORITE author and her Darkest Powers Trilogy is my FAVORITE of any set of books I have read thus far. I would say one book is more so my favorite over another, except for the fact that they all rank the same in my mind. So lets gets started.

This book is based around a set of teenagers who are all told they have a mental illness. The main character and the person's point of view the book is told from is a girl named Chloe Saunders who just recently turned 15, started her period, and saw her first "ghost". All of which has turned her life upside down and landed her in a home for mentally ill teens named The Lyle House.

(Stepping back a few paces to explain what has happened) One day Chloe is a normal teenager. Chloe is having a very strange day at school. She starts her period for the first time and goes to the bathroom to clean up. While she is in there she decides to miss her next class and color her hair with red streaks. Upon finishing this task she begins to hear someone crying, but there is no proof anyone is in the bathroom with her. This is when she has her first encounter with a ghost. Obviously she freaks the freak out and goes postal, not understanding what has happened to her. Her teachers and principal think she has had a mental break down and strongly suggest she has a respite, preferably surrounded by doctors and psychiatrists.

Chloe had been having bad dreams the night before all of this, upon waking she was unable to remember said dreams. It has been something about monsters in the basement when she was a child. She had been afraid of monsters and darkness for as long as she could remember, always attributing that to the boogie man and such. At one point it was so awful that her mother bought her a necklace, beautiful gold chain with a teardrop ruby, to keep the monsters at bay. This had worked all fine and dandy until today.

Aunt Lauren had been waiting for her in the hospital, the only constant in her life after her mother died and her father turned to working his life away, was there to tell her she was being put away for her own good. Chloe had no idea she was sugar coating it when Aunt Lauren had told her she would be there for two weeks. She soon realized she would be in there until she was dead if she was not "rehabilitated" to the doctors desires. With the diagnosis of schizophrenia she would be highly medicated and would be given mandatory therapy.

Through all of this Chloe maintains a positive attitude and allows her fellow roommate to welcome her to the house. She instantly becomes friends with Liz and is then introduced to the rest of the gang. She comes to realize she really likes Liz, Rae, and Simon. She absolutely thinks Tori is a bitch and she is scared to death of Derek. He is a bit gruff and overbearing.

I really don't want to give too much of the book away. Lets just say that things are never what they seem. Mental illness? Talks to ghosts? Who knows. Read the book to find out if Chloe is a wack-job or someone who actually has super powers... you will be interested in knowing that she is not the only one who just happens to be able to do the unexplained. No one is the same and everyone is of the same community. Please read this book, and when you are done with it read the one after it and then the one after that. I promise you won't be disappointed... you will always be looking for more. And Kelley will not disappoint. There is more, with different characters.