The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games takes place in the futuristic world where the government controls every aspect of our lives. Although the story revolves around this idea, it focuses more on the heroine of the story and her will to survive. Katniss Everdeen is a very likeable character who literally has to fight for her life. The government punishes its citizens by taking two teens from each district and setting them against each other until only one is alive, all the while taping everything and forcing the citizens to watch. There is romance, action, and horror... a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone. I was very suprised how much I liked this book and quickly recommend it to anyone. This book was recommended by Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight saga), which is where I originally heard about The Hunger Games.

Melissa (Hagerty, FL. 10th)

V for Vendetta by Steve Moore

V for Vendetta is one of the rare books that comes along that makes you really question the intentions of government and what the future holds. The novel is speculation of the 1990's (since it was written in the 1980's). The government has complete control of the population with security cameras and curfews enforced by an "SS" type police force. V, a man hidden by a mask, seeks to liberate the oppressed British citizens. It's a novel filled with deep dialogue, and can even be a possible foreshadowing of how government is slowly taking away one's freedom. Very similar to 1984, and I highly recommend.

Alan (Winter Springs, FL. 12th)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road could possibly be described as tragic, but also as heartfelt. It is a tale of an anonymous couple; a father and son,traveling through a barren wasteland- what has become of the planet after some world-wide disaster. Throughout the story, the father and son encounter many strange events; a cannibal group for example. Though there is pretty much nothing left in the wake of what could be considered the apocalypse, the small "family" stays very close, the father sacrificing his health for his son. The end of the book will leave you feeling slightly melancholy, but also wishing that the author had written a sequel to this sad story.

Esther (Oviedo, FL. 11th)