IN THE RUINS of a place once known as North America, lies the nation of Panem, a shining capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. the capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual HUNGER GAMES, a fight to the death on live television. sixteen-year-old Peeta Mellark regards it's as a death sentence when he's reaped for the games. but Peeta Mellark has never been close to death before - and survival, for him, is not second nature. but if he wants to win he will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love. (all characters and ideas belong to Suzanne Collins, the hunger games)