Book: The Hunger Games

Though the first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins was published in 2008, the upcoming movie, to be released March 23, 2012, necessitates a book review.

The novel follows the life of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl living in a futuristic dystopia called Panem, which occupies North America. The country is controlled by President Snow and a cruel group of affluent policy-makers called “The Capitol.” Every year, they put on a contest called “The Hunger Games,” in which 24 children aged 13-18 are forced to fight to the death, with one victor to win eternal glory and abundant food for their families.

The book is accessible to both genders and is a page-turner for its young adult audience. The story, while accurately mimicking a teenage voice, illustrates Katniss’ very mature internal struggles over protecting her loved ones.

Though Collins’ work might not be considered classic literature – the writing style is repetitive and generic at times – the book is certainly fast-paced with attention-grabbing content and compelling love stories. As long as you’re not expecting the next Great American novel, I would definitely recommend The Hunger Games. The rest of the series is just as enthralling as the first book, so I would suggest buying all three at once.

Movie: The Debt

When I asked several friends if they’d seen “The Debt” yet, they thought I was referring to the National debt, and I received very puzzled looks at my excitement about it. But the movie incited so many emotions – of suspense, horror, triumph and longing – that I just had to spread the word.

The plot surrounds three agents from Mossad (the Israeli equivalent of the CIA) whose mission is to capture Dieter Vogel, the “Surgeon of Birkenau,” a Mengele-like Nazi who committed many gruesome crimes during the Holocaust. They go to East Berlin with a risky plan to capture Vogel in traditional Mossad fashion. The cast – especially the actresses who play young and old Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren, respectively) – holds the movie together with the element of human emotion, and Vogel, played by Jesper Christensen, is exactly the Nazi that you want to hate.

The movie is a remake of the 2007 Israeli film “Ha Hov” (which translates to “The Debt”), but the Americanized version, helmed by John Madden, is also superbly filmed. With a combination of beautiful cinematography, impressive acting, and several heart-wrenching, poignant scenes, “The Debt” is definitely a must-see. And if you’re not into any of that, you could always just go to the movie to stare at Sam Worthington for two hours, which would still not be a waste of your time.