The Hunger Games is a very popular book among teens. It's about a 16-year-old girl, Katniss, whose sister, Prim, is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, an annual ­tournament where children are forced to fight to the death on live television. Katniss loves her sister very much, so she volunteers to go in Prim's place.

I first picked up this book because everyone else was reading it. The plot caught my interest, and I saw it everywhere in school, so I decided to read it. The first thing I thought when I finished it was, Why is this so popular? I mean, the plot is definitely good, but the writing is only so-so. However, I actually did sort of like the book. I can count on one hand the books that have managed to make me cry, and this is one of them.

I did have a minor problem with the character development though. The point of Katniss going into the Hunger Games in the first place was to save her sister. The only problem is that Prim has about three lines of dialogue before the main character is sacrificing her life for her. I like to actually get to know a character before I start feeling all mushy about her life being in danger.

What also bugs me is the author makes a big point of the fact that Katniss has no special talents except archery. When it comes to public speaking, leadership, and intelligence, Katniss just stands back and lets the male characters make decisions for her. Oh, and ­apparently Stephenie Meyer recommends this book. (No surprise there.)

Anyway, I did like The Hunger Games, even though it had (a lot of) problems. I would recommend it to anyone who likes excitement and doesn't mind (many) plot holes. Also, if you have a weak stomach, don't read this. (Wow, I'm doing a terrible job selling it, aren't I?)

But other than that, it's a good book.

My rating? 6/10