When I first read this story I was amazed at how violent and disturbing the acts in the story are. Yet it is their reality. To put 12 children (all under 18) into a ring (of sorts) to kill each other is brutal. Even though I was amazed by the violence of the overall story I admired Suzanne Collins' writing. I know this is not the first kind of story like this, but she really made me care about the characters and understand the world that they live in. I liked that the setting was America but we don't know exactly when in the future it occurs, thereby making American a brand new world in a sense. I admit I'm a sucker for the love/relationships that can be found in all novels and this one was no different. I like to see the interaction between the characters, how Katniss was influenced by those she was around whether it be Gale, Peeta, Prim, etc. 
 The end of the novel certainly left you with hope yet there's the underlying factor where you know this is only the beginning, and it certainly is.