Madison Meeks – Opinion Editor

mvm7037@psu.edu

“The Hunger Games” is a dystopian drama filled with rebellion tied into a love story. 

First released in 2008, the novel is told in the first-person following the main character, Katniss Everdeen. 

“The Hunger Games” is just one of four books in the series. The first three books are a part of the trilogy, “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire,” and “Mockingjay,” which tell the story of Katniss. There is also a separate prequel novel about the origin of the main villain called “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” 

This book series became ever popular after the release of the film adaptations fronted by Lionsgate.

The novel takes place in the future post-apocalyptic world in a nation called Panem in North America. The said nation has been split into 12 distinct districts. The Capitol is a highly technologically advanced, overindulgent city that rules over the districts and hosts an annual celebration called “The Hunger Games.” In the games, children ages 12 to 18 fight to the death in an arena, with only one emerging as the victor each year. Each of the 12 districts has to send two children, one male and one female, into the arena each year. The battle is to punish the district for a past rebellion against the Capitol. 

“The Hunger Games” follows the story of Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a teenager from District 12 who volunteers as tribute to go to the 74th annual Hunger Games to save her 12-year-old sister, Primm, after she is selected. 

Katniss, and her fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, are sent to the Capitol. The tributes are to be mentored by the only living victor in their district, Haymitch Abernathy, who is living life as an alcoholic after he won the games 24 years before. They are also chaperoned to the Capitol by Effie Trinket, a woman from the Capitol. 

Once at the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta meet their stylists. These individuals ensure the tributes’ appearance will be memorable enough to get them sponsors. Sponsors are capital citizens who will send the tributes helpful items during the games. 

The tributes then go to the training facility before the games to learn how to fight and survive before being sent into the games. During training, Rue, a 12-year-old girl from District 11 follows Katniss and Peeta.

The tributes are then evaluated by the game makers, who give Katniss the highest score among the tributes, something highly unlikely for a District 12 tribute.

The capital also has all tributes participate in glamorized interviews before entering the games, yet another opportunity for sponsors to decide who they wish to support. During the interviews with Caesar Flickerman, Peeta announces his love for Katniss to the world on the day before the games. Katniss believes this announcement is just a way to receive sponsors and support, in disbelief that Peeta may love her. 

The games begin and half of the tributes are killed during the bloodbath at the Cornucopia while fighting over weapons and supplies. Katniss is then quickly hunted by the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4, known as careers. Suddenly, Katniss realizes Peeta is in cahoots with the careers, cementing her suspicion that his love profession had been a lie. 

Katniss is later trapped in a tree by the careers, who cannot kill her there. They instead decide to wait her out. Rue, who Katniss took a liking to in training, spots Katniss in the tree and helps her utilize a creative way of killing some of the careers and escaping. After being stung by a genetically engineered wasp called a tracker jacker, Katniss becomes allies with Rue who cared for her while injured. 

The games continue, with many other tributes coming to pass in violent ways, ultimately at the mercy of the game makers. However, the game makers will go on to make a surprising announcement that could change the course of the game. 

Will both Katniss and Rue survive? Will Katniss and Peeta reunite? Will Katniss win the games? As much as I would love to tell the rest of the story, readers will have to read the rest of the book to find out what happens. 

“The Hunger Games” is perfect for people who like young adult dystopian novels or similar novels like “Divergent” or “Ready Player One”.