First in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy Set in a dark vision of the near future a terrifying reality TV show is taking place Twelve boys & twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games There is only one rule kill or be killed When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the games she sees it as a death sentence But Katniss has been close to death before For her survival is second nature