Admittedly before I even started reading The Hunger Games, a part of me immediately thought it was going to be like Battle Royale and well, happily it exceeded my expectations. 
 Katniss is an amazing, tremendously strong character whom volunteers to be the tribute from her district after her sister's name is called. From each of the twelve districts, two tributes are selected to fight in each year's Hunger Games and they're placed in an outdoor arena to fight until only one person is left standing. The male tribute from district twelve happens to be Peeta Mellark, a boy who has had a crush on Katniss since the age of five. 
 It really is an amazing book and now I've got to run out to pick up copies of Catching Fire and Mockingjay!