The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (to the end of the book)

I couldn't put this book down. It was amazing!!! I love the idea that this book takes place in the future. This kind of gives me something to connect with because obviously I live in the United States and the book takes place here. I just find it interesting that the author could make up such a future for America when it seems so absurd today. The author, Suzanne Collins, in this book, explores violence and war. In early in the book, we learn that the people of America rebelled against their government at one point in history. As punishment for this, they made the Hunger Games, in which children from ages 12 to 18 compete in annually. The government makes people watch on national television as their children kill each other. Collins puts specific emphasis on how okay the people are with this, as if it's something that just needs to be done. This just says something about human nature. Overall, this is my favorite book I've read so far this year and i would definitely recommend it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Pgs 0-139)

So far, I LOVE this book. It's a different genre than i usually read, but it was reccomended to me so i decided to read it and I am surprised at how good it is. The Hunger Games is about a girl named Katniss Everdeen who has to compete in a competition that could mean death. In this government-mandated competition, competitors are from ages 12 to 18 and must fight to the death. Out of 24 tributes that enter the competition, only one survives and is named winner, providing food and luxury for the entire usually starving district of the country that they live in. This book takes place in the future in America, which i find very interesting. Also, this book combines action, romance, and science fiction, so it appeals to a large crowd. From each area of the country, two tributes are randomly selected to fight in the competition. Katniss knows the other tribute that is chosen along with her. This creates a big conflict for Katniss because she is going to be fighting and potentially killing someone she knows and trusts. So far, it is obvious that both characters are trying to decide whether they should try and stay friends or drift apart from a friendship because they know it will have to end, and badly. The Hunger Games haven't started yet and the suspense is killing me.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (whole book)

The Alchemist was an okay book. It was a very simple story which made it a bit boring. The story is about a boy who goes on a journey to find his own personal legend. He sells his sheep, and set off on his quest, only to be robbed and lose everything he has. The boy starts a new life and finally, a year later, continues on his journey to find a treasure. One reason why i didn't like this book was that the main character wasn't developed enough. He didn't really have a personality. Another thing that added to this was the fact that he was always referred to by the author as "the boy". The protagonist's lack of persona makes it hard for the book to be very interesting, because it's hard to connect to him, but it also acts in a positive way. The lack of personality also allows the reader to focus more on the storyline. Overall, the book was not one that I would recommend.