Journal Entry 1 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Wow. Loving it.
Bought at play.com. arrived yesterday and I stopped the book i was reading.
This is great. I now see this is going to be a trilogy and book 2 will be out in September 2009.

I wish I wasn't so fast discovering this book. lol

This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. 

Journal Entry 2 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Thursday, April 16, 2009

Well I finished this great book yesterday morning (April 11) I have been talking about this book to everyone that wanted to listen.
yes it reminds me a lot of Battle Royale by Koushin Takami which was a great read but this was a bit different and after a few pages I was there and could not stop reading.
I would have given this book a 10 was it not for the end and I do not even mean the abrupt end where a lot of reviewers are talking about but the way the games ended. I think that part could have been better.

I still give it a 9 out of a 10 and am very happy I bought this and will definitely buy book 2 and 3.
book 2 will be published in September 2009.

This is going to be a ring.

Update August 29 2010: Decided to give it 5 stars and 10 on BC because a book that you want everybody to read and you cannot stop thinking about deserves that.