Resources and Hunger Games FAQ
Resources:
- Everything you've ever wanted to know about the world of The Hunger Games in wiki form
- Daily opinion editorials about The Hunger Games, complete with humor, snark, and rants
- Live podcast every Monday night 7 PT/10 ET
- Hosted by Adam Spunberg and Savanna New with a panel of different HG “experts” each week
- Tweet along with the #HGFiresideChat hashtag or join the conversation in the chatroom
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Hunger Games FAQ:
The series is about survival, war, and loss first. What humans do to survive, both the cruel and compassionate sides of it. The pains and consequences of war. The lasting and changing effects of loss. The love story is secondary. But that doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary.
Other important themes are desensitization to violence and the impact of reality television.
I don’t like young adult novels.
Many people debate whether or not this series should be considered YA. The protagonist is 16 years old, and many characters, especially in the first book, are teenagers. However, they are put in very adult situations. There is a lot of violence and death (the very premise requires at least 23 dead children), and many scenes in all three books are frightening, twisted, and overwhelmingly sad. Because of this, I don’t think these books are for children.
On a bigger picture level, I wouldn’t discount a whole genre because of a couple of bad apples. Though I understand the skepticism.
Is this only for teenage girls?
No. Despite (or maybe because of?) the female protagonist, many males read and enjoy The Hunger Games. Upon entering the fandom, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of older male readers. The series reaches all kinds of readers of different ages, genders, and orientations and defies the outdated belief that boys won’t read books about girls.
Is it like Twilight?
NO. I try to be as polite about this as I can, but I cannot emphasize this enough. When David Letterman asked Jennifer Lawrence if it was a “vampire deal”, she was just as insistent that the two shouldn’t be compared.
Here are three ways THG is like Twilight:
- a female protagonist
- 1st person narrative
- a love triangle
That is it. And that is at the most basic level.
The female protagonist is not a self-insert, and she is most certainly not weak. She is strong and independent and badass, but she is flawed. She isn’t perfect.
1st person narrative scares off people, but I think it is necessary in the storytelling. It’s a mark of a dystopia, off the top of my head I can’t think of one that isn’t in 1st person narrative (I’m sure they exist, just not familiar with them). I will warn you that the language is simple (simple =/= bad writing) and that it’s often unclear what exactly is going on in the 3rd book. That is a result of the 1st person narrative, and it is in line with her background, her characterization, and what ends up happening to her. You know what she knows.
The love triangle is complicated for many reasons. Several issues are at play, including political motives, public opinion, survival strategies, and social boundaries, as well as the histories of both relationships and the older generation.
What about the author?
Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games. She is also co-writing the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has a background in TV writing, having written for Nickelodeon in the 90s.
I started it, but it’s kind of slow.
It won’t be for long. Once you are in the arena, it is almost constant action. Most people I know that have read the series read a book a day, it is that fast-paced. I suggest reading all three books like one long story, and then I suggest reading it again sometime later. The second read-through helped me pick up on foreshadowing, symbolism, and other literary devices. This series has layers, twists, and cliffhangers. You won’t get everything the first time, I can guarantee that.
The first book is okay, but why should I keep reading?
I would like to point out that two of my favorite characters don’t show up until halfway through the second book. Each book introduces new sets of characters, very few characters end up going through the series from start to finish.
Also, you will be missing the main villain, and he is a good one. You don’t realize just how evil he is until the second and third books.
Can you tell me what each book is about?
NO! To explain what Catching Fire and Mockingjay are about would spoil a whole lot.
What Tumblrs should I look at while I’m reading the books?
NONE. You will get spoiled. There are so many character deaths and you should not be spoiled for any of them and you’ll kick yourself later if you do find out. Don’t go looking for any information. Don’t go through my Hunger Games tags. I try to be as vague as possible, but even my Tumblr isn’t spoiler-free.
What are the Hunger Games?
In the future, the United States is no more. Where it once stood is a country called Panem, consisting of the Capitol and 13 Districts, in which the Districts (varying in specialization, size and wealth) provide goods for the Capitol. There was an uprising where the Districts rebelled against the Capitol, which resulted in subduing 12 of the Districts and obliterating the 13th.
As punishment and as a way to control the citizens of the Districts, as well as providing entertainment for the Capitol, the government created the Hunger Games, an annual televised competition where a boy and a girl (called “tributes”) from each District are selected to fight to the death in an arena. The arena is large in area (at least several square miles), can be of any terrain and environment imaginable, and may include natural and unnatural dangers.
Who is it about?
The protagonist is a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen. She lives in District 12, a poor District known for coal mining. She hunts to keep her family from starving, and the bow and arrow is her weapon of choice. Her best friend, a fellow hunter providing for his family, is Gale. The only person she really allows herself to love is her younger sister Prim (short for Primrose).
What order do the books go in?
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
- a love triangle
That is it. And that is at the most basic level.
The female protagonist is not a self-insert, and she is most certainly not weak. She is strong and independent and badass, but she is flawed. She isn’t perfect.
1st person narrative scares off people, but I think it is necessary in the storytelling. It’s a mark of a dystopia, off the top of my head I can’t think of one that isn’t in 1st person narrative (I’m sure they exist, just not familiar with them). I will warn you that the language is simple (simple =/= bad writing) and that it’s often unclear what exactly is going on in the 3rd book. That is a result of the 1st person narrative, and it is in line with her background, her characterization, and what ends up happening to her. You know what she knows.
The love triangle is complicated for many reasons. Several issues are at play, including political motives, public opinion, survival strategies, and social boundaries, as well as the histories of both relationships and the older generation.
What about the author?
Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games. She is also co-writing the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has a background in TV writing, having written for Nickelodeon in the 90s.
I started it, but it’s kind of slow.
It won’t be for long. Once you are in the arena, it is almost constant action. Most people I know that have read the series read a book a day, it is that fast-paced. I suggest reading all three books like one long story, and then I suggest reading it again sometime later. The second read-through helped me pick up on foreshadowing, symbolism, and other literary devices. This series has layers, twists, and cliffhangers. You won’t get everything the first time, I can guarantee that.
The first book is okay, but why should I keep reading?
I would like to point out that two of my favorite characters don’t show up until halfway through the second book. Each book introduces new sets of characters, very few characters end up going through the series from start to finish.
Also, you will be missing the main villain, and he is a good one. You don’t realize just how evil he is until the second and third books.
Can you tell me what each book is about?
NO! To explain what Catching Fire and Mockingjay are about would spoil a whole lot.
What Tumblrs should I look at while I’m reading the books?
NONE. You will get spoiled. There are so many character deaths and you should not be spoiled for any of them and you’ll kick yourself later if you do find out. Don’t go looking for any information. Don’t go through my Hunger Games tags. I try to be as vague as possible, but even my Tumblr isn’t spoiler-free.
What are the Hunger Games?
In the future, the United States is no more. Where it once stood is a country called Panem, consisting of the Capitol and 13 Districts, in which the Districts (varying in specialization, size and wealth) provide goods for the Capitol. There was an uprising where the Districts rebelled against the Capitol, which resulted in subduing 12 of the Districts and obliterating the 13th.
As punishment and as a way to control the citizens of the Districts, as well as providing entertainment for the Capitol, the government created the Hunger Games, an annual televised competition where a boy and a girl (called “tributes”) from each District are selected to fight to the death in an arena. The arena is large in area (at least several square miles), can be of any terrain and environment imaginable, and may include natural and unnatural dangers.
Who is it about?
The protagonist is a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen. She lives in District 12, a poor District known for coal mining. She hunts to keep her family from starving, and the bow and arrow is her weapon of choice. Her best friend, a fellow hunter providing for his family, is Gale. The only person she really allows herself to love is her younger sister Prim (short for Primrose).
What order do the books go in?
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
