The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I think it speaks for itself when I say I cleared the whole series in a weekend. I'd heard about them sometime last year but decided to read them when I had nothing else to read and regretted not doing so earlier. I love this type of book in general (the sort of sci-fi future books) and I got really sucked into the plot. I thought they were well written and very interesting.

I didn't mind the romance element, especially since it wasn't the main focus of the plot but made it a little more light hearted and even Katniss seemed to forget about the 'love triangle' a lot of time and focus on the more interesting story of the Games. One of the things I loved about this series is how Katniss seems far more interested in the difficult political situation and fiercely protecting her family than the attention she receives from boys. However, I understand that at some points it was essential, and there were some romantic scenes I really did like.

There were points that I disliked. Firstly, Katniss isn't very likeable, but I don't think she needed to be. In fact I think it was important that she wasn't flawless.

I would recommend these books. Aside from all the hype surrounding The Hunger Games right now thanks to the movie version, I genuinely found these books enthralling. But don't read them if you're looking for something light hearted and fun. These books include some terribly emotional scenes, a whole lot of gruesome deaths and a lot of difficult topics. I cried so much.