The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In a world turned inside-out and upside-down, the unconscionable government of Panem selects twenty-four children from its territories to brutally fight one another until only one remains.  In the mining territory, Prim is rescued by her sister, Katniss, when she volunteers to take Prim's place in the nationally televised Hunger Games.  Katniss is a strong and resourceful character with a survivor's instinct.  Peeta, also from the mining territory, is the gentle, understanding type.  The relationships between characters are real and draw you into the plot.  The action is fast paced and the dilemmas daunting.  This is one book you cannot put down.