The hunger games

Once more into the fray…but with pictures! Readers are invited to revisit Panem, a fascist country "that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America" and is run by an elderly totalitarian dictator. The harmful, long-reaching influence of reality television is on full display in this excellent read that remains as relevant to modern audiences as when the novel was originally published in 2008. While Katniss Everdeen, the selfless and determined young hero from a region that's strongly reminiscent of Appalachia, is the star of that world, the star of this edition is Delort, whose scratchboard art deftly imagines memorable scenes throughout the story while avoiding influences from the film series. These illustrations are new and wholly themselves, and the book's large format shows them off to great advantage. The black-and-white art brings a hefty weight to the poverty and despair of District 12, the poorest sector of Panem, while at the same time capturing the affected excesses of the Capitol and its citizens. Delort's talent is fully evident when capturing Katniss in her fire-tinged dress; readers will be able to feel the heat thanks to the dazzling interplay of positive and negative space. Fans of Barry Moser, take note: There's a new tribute in town. Vivid and well worth a look from new and returning fans alike.(Dystopian. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.