The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

So I read this book for my school's book club. For the first few pages, it bored me, so I avoided reading it for a couple of days. Finally, yesterday I got into it, and oh my god, is it amazing.
The book centers around a girl named Katniss Everdeen, who lives in future North America. It's now called Panem, and is divided into twelve districts, named by number. Katniss lives in poor, coal-mining District 12, where starvation is all too common. She hunts for food with Gale, a boy who she teamed up with, and the two split their food to keep both families fed.
In the beginning of the book, an event called "The Reaping" is constantly referred to. It isn't explained until the characters gather in the district's main square for it. It's somewhat of a lottery, with each resident twelve to eighteen having their name put in, once for twelve-year-olds, and going up by one each year. Katniss, like many others, has her name put in more than required for her age, to get her family grain rations and other hard-to-come-by supplies. She allows her younger sister, Prim, who is newly twelve, to put her name in only the required one time. First, there is an opening speech by the mayor, and Effie Trinket, a representative from the Capitol, which is out in the Rocky Mountains. Two names are drawn: a girl's and a boy's. First drawn is the girl's name, which is Katniss's sister. Katniss is horrified, and immediately volunteers to take her sister's place. Next drawn is a boy in Katniss's grade, Peeta Mellark.
Katniss and Peeta are given time to say goodbye to their loved ones, and then board a train to the Capitol. They are going to be trained to fight to the death against tributes like them, from the other eleven districts.
The Hunger Games are the battle between the districts, as the Capitol's reminder that they are omnipotent. The war that turned North America into Panem left the nation divided into thirteen districts, but they rebelled. The government quelled the rebellion in districts 1-12, but destroyed 13, to show that they were all-powerful. The Hunger Games is their reminder of it.
In a way, it reminds me of the Uglies series, which is also set in a futuristic setting. If anyone's ever read Gathering Blue, the sort-of sequel to The Giver, the book starts out with a feel like it's a future reverted back to hunting and perhaps medieval times. However, in The Hunger Games, you soon see that while the character's setting is poor, they do have technology. When I visited the Wikipedia page, to see if there was any more detail about where the districts are in the US, I saw at the bottom See Also: and two of the titles listed made me think, oh, that's exactly what The Hunger Games is! A combination of Battle Royale and The Lottery. Fantastic read, and my friend's (I hope!) lending me the sequel tomorrow. I know there are at least three books planned, the third due out in late August. Unfortunately, the book's still in hardcover, but it's a worthwhile read, possibly something I'd read again.
Anyway, let me know if there's anything I should read next! I'm going to check out The Maze Runner, as a friend of mine was raving about how good it was. I should have the next mini book review up soon--it's nearly done, I just have to finish the review for The Golden Compass, my all-time favorite series.