The Hunger Games

Extemeley violent but popular dystopian book about a world where kids are chosen to fight to death for entertainment

To look out for:

Islamic values: The entire death game is viewed as entertainment, which many characters resent but most accept. The main character makes questionable decisions, and kills a boy who kills her friend. She later on kills another boy (it’s a coup de grace). A female appears naked in front of stylists (who are so manicured they hardly seem human). A character tells his friend killing humans is like killing animals. A mother neglects her children after her husband dies, leaving her eldest daughter to provide for the house (she treats her mother rather harshly and struggles to forgive her).

Romance: A boy and a girl are forced to pretend to be in love in order to survive (this will gain them sponsors). They kiss at the end and continuously pretend to be infatuated with each other. Katniss implies that another character is upset at her display of affection.

Violence: Very, very violent (rather expected considering the plot premise). Bloody deaths (of children), terrible burns, terrible cuts (that lead to blood poisoning). A particularly gory scene involves wolf mutations violently attacking a character to the point of near death. Children as young as 12 are killed in awful ways, included but not limited to poisoning and beheading. Mentions of cannibalism, deaths in explosions, prisoners having their tongues cut, and whippings. Wasp mutations sting people to death, rendering them unrecognizable.