Reading Response: The Hunger Games

    Ever since a young age, I've loved reading. Fantasy, realistic fiction, poetry, historical fiction, I love it all. However, there has always been one genre that I've never been particularly fond of. That genre is science fiction. I know that it sounds strange, but I hate thinking about the future, it really scares me that no one knows what is going to happen next. Unfortuneatly, in science fiction there is often is an alternate universe usually set in the future. So, as you might expect, science fiction has always freaked me out. I've read classic books like "A Wrinkle in Time" and "Enders Game", but none have interested me. Even "The Giver" couldn't make me like sci-fi! I thought I was going to hate it forever, that is, until last Friday.
   Last week, I began to read a book called "The Hunger Games". Different people have been recommending it to me for years, but I never touched it. Now after reading only the first seven chapters I've changed my mind about science fiction all together!
   "The Hunger Games" is a book about a young girl, Katniss Everdeen, who heroically takes place in the annul Hunger Games so that her sister does not have to compete. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death on live television between twenty four children, all between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Whoever is the last person alive wins the game. The game is a reminder from the controlling 'Capitol' not to rebel, as they did about a century ago. The game is challenging and horrific, only one of the 24 children chosen survives.
    At first, I was skeptical about reading the book, but after reading the first chapter or so I couldn't put it down. What I like about 'The Hunger Games' is that, even though it is science fiction and set in an alternate universe, the characters and plot line all seem realistic. The main character still experiences fears and emotions that everyone feels today while also having different struggles and fears. She is relatable, making the book easier to get into. This balance between her familiar and relatable side and the side of her that describes new feelings that most people have never experienced is what makes the book so interesting. For example, Katniss feels protective of her young sister because she loves her so much. This is an emotion that most people can relate to, feeling protective of someone they love. But, she also often feels starvation and fear of going hungry, a feeling not to many people are familiar with. It is fascinating to read about her experiences, as the writer describes them in such great detail I myself almost feel as if I can understand the feeling.
    For me, Katniss is what makes the book so interesting, and what has made me enjoy science fiction.