I'm going to say this and I'm going to say it without hesitation...Graceling was better then The Hunger Games. Yup, I said it out loud and I truly, honestly, 100% mean it. Because Graceling was hands down fantastic! It was a 471 page book and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer. Graceling touched me in a way that no other book really has. And the truth is I almost didn't read it. You see I had an aversion to all things deemed "fantasy" and refused to try them. Well after some listening to massive amounts of gush on this I took my BN gift card that I got for Christmas and bit the bullet and bought it. I have never been so happy to have bought a book in my life! 
 Graceling is the story of Katsa, a girl that has been graced with the power of killing. Since discovering her power when she was a small child Katsa has been "employed" by her uncle King Randa to do his dirty work and keep people in line. For years Katsa has been a prisoner to her grace, doing exactly what her uncle asked of her. That is until she meets Prince Po. Po is nothing like anyone else the lady has ever met. He has no fear of her. He has heard all the stories, knows what she is capable of and yet he doesn't shy away from her. Instead he inspires her to stand up for herself. Now broken away from the King, Katsa and Po go on a journey that neither one of them expected and learn things they never could have imaged about themselves, each other and the world they live in. As secrets start to be unveiled they both know one thing and one thing only...nothing will ever be the same again for either one of them. 
 So now I'm sure you are wondering why I loved this more then The Hunger Games. I know, it is a bold statement to make. But the reason? I felt the connection. I felt everything Katsa felt. I felt everything that Po felt. I was a part of their world and wasn't afraid to be even when things were bad. I felt safe reading Katsa and Po's story. And I felt the emotion between them. A book that could have easily been campy/cheesy never went there even once for me. It was believable and that right there is where my love comes so strong. As crazy and out there as these Graces were, I never once questioned the possibility of it. I was immersed in this world with everything I had and never thought anything about it. 
 Katsa was amazing. She was strong(and I don't mean just physically), independent, and loving. She carried this whole book on her young shoulders and did it with ease. Sure it helped to have adorable, swoonworthy, Po by her side pulling out everything he knew Katsa was, but she was the hero. She was the star and even Po pointed that out to her(which I loved!). Was she uncertain and scared like any girl in her place would be? Absolutely, but she handled herself with grace and class and held herself together in the face of danger after danger to get done what needed to be done. By far one of the strongest, if not THE strongest, female leads in a book. And then you have Po. Sidekick like Po who was happy to be the sidekick. He wasn't one of those macho neanderthals that pouted if a girl was better then him at anything. He didn't think he was the best at much and that right there made him a "heartthrob" and a character I will never forget. 
 Truth: That description is totally lame! I wanted to tell you how awesome this book. I wanted to describe every detail and feeling and emotion I got. But the thing is, I can't. If I do, there is no point in your reading and what is the fun in that? You need to want to read it, be teased enough into reading it, be dying to pick it up. Because another truth...you won't be disappointed.