This book is set in a dystopian city called Panem. Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. In the Capitol, everyone leads a lavish life, whereas in the Districts, most people struggle to get enough food and are forced to participate in the "hunger games" as a punishment for a revolution they participated in 74 years ago.

Every year, a boy and a girl are chosen from each district to fight in the hunger games, a televised game show, where children from 12-18 are forced to fight to the death, until only one victor remains. Everything changes for Katniss Everdeen when she volunteers for the hunger games to save her younger sister, who had been chosen. Katniss is forced to take horrible measures to secure her safety, and she must lie to protect her family and best friends.

All the books in the series are told from Katniss' perspective, and they make you think about how much the government controls your personal life or should control your personal life. There are three books in the series. The second and third books have a romantic angle to them. I liked that in this romance, the male character was dependent on the female character for his survival, instead of the other way around, like it is in fairy tales. I liked the second book best, but I disliked the third book and felt likle Suzzane Collins killed off too many people by the third book, and a lot of the violence was unnecessary.