The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Image from Shelfari

Here's how I chose to start of a truly moving and captivating book:
Characters come first!
Gale is undeniably one with strength, but to have two strong people with each other, there'd bound to be clashes. They're too tough together, which is not necessarily bad.
Then again.. Honestly I pegged Peeta once as a weakling (only slight), especially from the first book, if I had to choose one word for him. However, the fact that Katniss does whatever it takes to protect him even though it had to do with the possibility of winning in the arena *cough, cough*, can't help noticing the awesomeness that a girl can finally rescue the guy; that, and for the fact that he showed he would do anything for her, so far, anyway.
I managed to love the book even more, though I don't get how it was possible, and around the ending of the 1st where she hurt Peeta (I won't say why) and before when I came to so many conclusions on what Gale might have said when he was pulled away (“Remember I-”), I felt like fainting, and I almost did.
One scene from the book doesn't just enthrall you, they all do. It was unbelievably well written. Blood and gore are something given, but the intensity behind everything else, especially when Katniss and Peeta were in the giant arena with the others, was striking and amazing. I could feel the feelings that Katniss felt.
It was something else entirely. And for an author to evoke so much off a page is breath-taking.
I can't wait for the next books!