Continuously pestered by my 28-year-old younger sister to read it ("even just the first ten pages," she urged), I finally picked up "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Funny how I thought then that it would take only all of 5 minutes. I had no intention of finishing a book about games of hunger. And the cover design did not help at all. For this reason, my sister even took out the book jacket and jokingly reminded me not to judge a book by its cover.  Ignoring her remark, I began reading. (Spoiler Alert: Plot Description in a nutshell at the bottom.)
I was a goner by the fourth page! I immediately got hooked on Katniss. I started to feel what she was feeling; see what she was seeing. I got drawn to every single protagonist introduced. I felt not just for the citizens of District 12 but for the Disctrict itself. It felt so real and I was so engaged in it that, once in a while, I would utter a silent prayer of thanks that I was not one of the inhabitants of Panem. There were even parts where I just had to put the book down to still my heart.
And when I was done, I felt sad that I had just finished reading such a beautifully written story and fantasized about a pill I could take just to erase the book from my memory and be able to read it again for the "first time." It truly is amazing how Suzanne Collins was able to weave such a rich, bitter-sweet and poignant story out of simple prose.
Hungry for more, I bought "Catching Fire," the second book in the trilogy, and ofcourse my own copy of  "Hunger Games."  Right now, I am impatiently waiting for "Mockingay." Warning: do not be surprised if you find yourself forcing your loved ones to read it just so that you would have someone to discuss every single detail of the book with. Or be surprised to read every book by Suzanne Collins  (The Underland Chronicles) just to tide you over until the last installment is out on the shelves.

Plot Description:
I read this with only the title to give me an idea of what the story would be all about. In retrospect, I would not have read this book in any other way. Nevertheless, for those who need the plot description, I shall endeavor not to give anything that might jeopardize your enjoyment of the book.

Starting off from the title of the book: "Hunger Games" is a televised event that the Capitol of Panem stages annually with much pomp and pageantry. The rules of the game are simple. Each of Panem's 12 outlying districts should be represented by one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 to 18 (usually chosen by lottery). The contenders, after being prepped for a period of time, are then placed in a controlled arena where they would have to fight to the death on live television. Remember, there can only be one winner.

Recommended: Yes