The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins; Scholastic Press

“In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.”
Robin’s Note: The Hunger Games has gathered quite a following, and with good reason: this thrill-ride of a book sets its story in a grim post-apocalyptic setting where teens combine in a combination of a glamorous reality TV show and deadly gladitorial combat.  Katniss is a great heroine, but the real story is the inventive threat of the arena, where all the district’s select fighters compete to the death.  Be warned: this title ends on a cliffhanger, and its sequel, Catching Fire, is just as gripping.  This will be a trilogy.