So my brother gave me this book after I told him about The Hunger Games (a decent series itself) and I read a bit before putting it down. Now, several months later, I picked it up a few days ago and just tore through it, finishing yesterday morning. AWESOME book. Definitely moved to my all-time favorites list.
Okay, so normally, high school kids killing each other wouldn't be something I would generally enthuse about.
However.
This is a wicked, vivid story that completely draws you in. It reads like an action thriller movie (which of course it now is - can't wait to see this movie now). Though there are over 43 characters (at first), each is subtly nuanced, giving them all depth and a backstory that makes them real. Each short life plays out in full, a small perfect bubble of life seen just as it bursts. You find yourself rooting for almost everyone, not to mention just as boggled as they are at the 'game' they have been forced to play.
I also found this book more than a little terrifying in its scope. Once you start thinking about the major themes at play here there is almost no end to it. How can you really trust someone? How do you actually know what someone is thinking? How well do you really know any of the people you think you know? What are we really capable of? If you and a bunch of your day-to-day acquaintances - your grade nine class, your co-workers, your friends - were forced into this (admittedly insane) situation - what would happen?
Would you play the game?
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