Book Review- The Hunger Games

I finally got the time to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

From Goodreads:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
 
I've heard so much hype about this series.  And I've been wanting to read it for a while but just didn't have the time between review books.  So I was glad when I was finally able to.  I was worried that the book wouldn't live up to my expectations since I heard from so many people how great it was.  And while it wasn't my favorite book that I've read this year, I definitely enjoyed it.
 
I've heard so much about Team Peeta and Team Gale.  And I couldn't wait to read the book to see which side I fell on.  And while I don't feel we really know Gale that well (will we get the chance to in the next book??), for now I am definitely Team Peeta.  What a great and sweet guy!  He had just the right amount of tough guy and emotional guy. 
 
Katniss was just okay for me.  She seemed too tough.  I mean, I know she had to in order to survive, but for some reason I felt that I couldn't really get into her.  Maybe I will in the next book.
 
But boy, I hated when I had to put this book down to go to bed at night.  I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next.  So many different things were thrown at us.  It was like watching a reality show in my head (one with horrible consequences).  And the idea of having to live in a world where so many children are given up for death every year is just horrifying!  I have Catching Fire sitting right here and I can't wait to dive into it!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 134
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 101
 
*FTC Disclosure:  I traded this copy of a book with a friend.