August 10 Book

Technically there are 2 books this month.

Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games

This is a wonderful YA book that deals with so many different issues. The series as a whole was great, but the first book was my favorite. The story is of a world after the fall of the U.S. government. As punishment for a past rebellion, the new government makes each district sent 2 of their children into the Hunger Games. The winner of the games will bring prestige and more food to their district for the next year, while the actually winner will be taken care of for life. The games are a mix of Survivor, with a little Lord of the Flies thrown in. It's a huge televised production, much like the Olympics, with a catch - the winner is the last child alive in the games. In order to survive, the kids must try and destroy their opponents. It's almost sickening to think about the content, but it's exceptionally well written and the plot raises so many discussion points about the role of government, how much a populace should take, when is it acceptable to take the life of another, etc. The whole series is a must read.

Simone Elkele's Leaving Paradise

I expected this to be another fun, but cheesy read. I didn't think I'd like Elkele's for some reason. I was very wrong. She has the ability to write gut wrenching stories that bring you to tears, or close to, while making your heart flutter at the same time. Leaving Paradise is the first book in a series (I hope to get to book 2 in the next few weeks). The story is about a boy, Caleb, who has just been released for a juvenile detention center after being accused of a hit and run while drinking and driving. The book switches perspective between him and the girl who's life was changed the day she was hit by his car, Maggie. It's an emotional roller coaster about everything that is influenced by an accident such as this one. Caleb is labeled as a criminal and has to deal with the prejudices that come from said label. His parents, particularly his mother, has issues dealing with public perceptions and tries to shut herself down emotionally. Maggie, now disabled, is labeled a "freak." People taunt and tease her because of her disability, her mother babies her, she's lost her best friend - Caleb's sister, and she's afraid to try and get back into her old life for fear of failure. Elkeles does a wonderful job of weaving their stories together and there's a nice unexpected twist in the end.