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The story commences in the 12th district of a fictitious nation called Panem, which is being castigated for the annihilation of a 13th district, caused by their mutiny against the Capitol. The Hunger Games is a contest that selects a girl and a boy from each district to participate in a fatal outdoor battle, which permits only one individual to survive. Katniss and Peeta are chosen from their district and taken to the Capitol, where they are instructed by their drunken mentor to study the prowess of their rivals, while not revealing their own. While Katniss’ main skill is with the bow and arrow, Peeta’s advantage is his strength. During this training period, they are displayed to the public through a televised interview.
Emotions run high when Katniss has misgivings about whether Peeta’s feelings for her are genuine or just a ruse to get the audience’s favor. The spectators are allowed to gift their favorites with tools, medicines, and food. For the sake of survival, Katniss finds herself willing to explicitly bestow her affections on Peeta. The book takes the readers through the excitement-filled journey of Katniss and Peeta till the end of the deadly contest, where survival is the primary and only aim.
The Hunger Games, the first of Collins’ trilogy, was released in September 2008 and received a number of awards such as the Golden Duck Award and the 2008 Cybil Award for fantasy and science-fiction books. It was named as one among Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year in 2008 and The New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2008. It became a New York Times bestseller in 2008. It also remained on the list for over 100 weeks.
In 2008, an audio version of the book was released. The book was adapted into a film, which was released in March 2012. The Hunger Games Adventures, a social networking game, was released on Facebook to accompany the release of the movie.
About the Author
Suzanne Collins is a renowned children’s writer, American television writer, and novelist, whose most distinguished work is The Hunger Games trilogy.
Suzanne has authored The Underland Chronicles, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, Fire Proof, When Charlie McButton Lost Power, and When Charlie McButton Gained Power.
Collins’ writing, which was generally considered best suited for children, surprised the world when she wrote The Hunger Games. Though the books were written for young adults, they carry implicit meaning for adults. Her writing style is compact and edgy.
Born on August 10, 1962, in Connecticut, Suzanne Collins is a Roman Catholic. She spent her childhood in the eastern part of the United States. She attended high school at Alabama School of Fine Arts and took up a Theater Arts major and graduated with a Drama and Telecommunications double major from Indiana University. Starting off as a children’s television show writer, she won sundry awards for her work. Her work then shifted to novels for young adults in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and action. Suzanne lives with her husband, two children and two cats in Connecticut.
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