05.39
Selly A. Shafira
Books
Backgound
Source: Wikipedia (edited)
The Hunger Games is a young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic. It is the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy. It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once existed. This is where a government working in a central city called the Capitol holds power. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of 12 districts for a massive televised battle in which only one person can survive.
Collins says that the idea for The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the Iraq War. The two blended together and the idea for the book was formed. The Greek myth of Theseus also served as inspiration for the book, with Collins describing Katniss as a futuristic Theseus. Collins' father's service in the Vietnam War helped her understand how it feels to fear the loss of a loved one.
The book has been released as a paperback and also an audiobook, which was read by Carolyn McCormick. The Hunger Games has an initial print of 200,000 – twice doubled from the original 50,000. Since its initial release, the novel has been translated into 26 different languages and rights have been sold in 38 countries. The book received mostly positive reviews from major reviewers and authors, such as Stephen King and Stephanie Meyer. Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy, followed by Catching Fire, published September 1, 2009, and Mockingjay, published August 24, 2010.
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)
Source: goodreads
by Suzanne CollinsIn the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Source: www.childrensbooksandreviews.com
In The Hunger Games, teenagers Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark emerged as victors of the 74th Hunger Games—a compulsory, nationally broadcast, gladiator-style fight to the death against 22 other teens. However, the fact that both of them emerged as victors is an unprecedented embarrassment to the Capitol, the oppressive regime that rules the nation of Panem and stages the annual Hunger Games. Katniss outsmarted the Capitol by feigning love for Peeta, and—when only the two of them were left alive in the arena—threatening to eat a handful of poisonous berries simultaneously with Peeta, such that both of them would die (think Romeo and Juliet). Unable to stomach no Hunger Games victor, the Capital momentarily buckled and allowed both to win.
Picking up the story in Catching Fire, Katniss’s victory has changed her life. She now lives in a mansion in the “Victor’s Village” of District 12, and has more money than she will ever need: her days of poverty and hunger are over. However, despite her new wealth, all is not well. As a victor, Katniss must now be involved with the violent Hunger Games (which she would rather forget) indefinitely. Most immediately, she must participate in a Victory Tour, visiting the Districts and families of the other Hunger Games contestants—“tributes”—who were killed in the arena, some of them at her hand. Then, she, Peeta, and Haymitch Abernathy—the alcoholic victor of the 50th Hunger Games, who mentored Katniss and Peeta during their time in the arena—will be required to act as mentors to the District 12 tributes at the 75th Hunger Games. That round of the Games has been deemed a “Quarter Quell,” i.e., an especially brutal version of the Games to commemorate its 75th anniversary.
In addition to the distasteful requirement that Katniss continue to be involved in the Hunger Games, she, her family, and her friends are in personal danger. Apparently Katniss’s rebellious act with the berries has stirred the possibility of insurrection in the Districts: if a 16-year-old girl can defy the Capitol and survive, why not entire Districts? President Snow—the cruel dictator of Panem—has personally threatened Katniss that unless she can pacify the Districts on the Victory Tour, she and those close to her will be in danger. The only way for her to obey this order is to continue feigning love for Peeta on the Victory Tour, and thereby to convince the restless Districts that the berries represented desperate love for Peeta and not rebellion. This project is, of course, excruciating since it is sure to further alienate her long-time hunting partner, friend, and would-be suitor Gale Hawthorne.
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)
Source: www.shmoop.com
Katniss takes stock of her new position as a rebel in District 13. She and a few others were extracted from the Quarter Quell (Katniss's second Hunger Games adventure), but Peeta wasn't one of them – he's still missing, under control of the Capitol. Katniss is still haunted by President Snow. After much angst, she decides to be the figurehead, the Mockingjay, for the rebel side. In return, she gets immunity for her friends and permission to kill Snow. Another Games victor, Beetee, makes Katniss a special weapon.
Katniss has to star in commercials for the rebel side, called propos. For one propo, she and a team that includes her old friend Gale are sent into District 2, where they see a hospital get destroyed. This inspires Katniss to call for justice. Because the rebels are gaining in strength, and because Peeta has sent out a coded message to the rebels warning them of an attack, the Capitol releases footage of Peeta being tortured.
Katniss is horrified by the way Peeta is being treated. The Capitol bombs District 13, just as Peeta warned it would. Citizens of District 13 retreat underground for several days. When it's all clear, Katniss makes another propo, while rebel teams go to rescue Peeta.
The rebels get Peeta and some other folks out of the Capitol, but Peeta's been badly damaged. He's been "hijacked" (as in, brainwashed) and now thinks of Katniss as the enemy. As soon as he sees her, he tries to kill her.
Once she recovers from Peeta's attack, Katniss needs to be part of the action. She heads back to District 2 and is part of a summit about whether to attack the other side humanely or inhumanely. Gale suggests some inhumane kinds of weapons and strategies. During the battle that follows, Katniss gets shot. While recuperating, she bonds with another victor who we met in Catching Fire, Johanna, and witnesses the wedding of victors Finnick and Annie.
After a second recovery, Katniss trains to be part of the fighting again. She, Gale, and Finnick are assigned to a special unit that will be filmed during combat and turned into more propos. Right before they go out into the field, Peeta's assigned to their unit too.
Katniss is afraid for her life. Though Peeta has improved a bit, he's still hijacked and hates Katniss. Her commander, Boggs, agrees that she should watch out. But Boggs is one of the first casualties. Before he dies, he gives her command of their unit.
Katniss tells the others she has a secret mission to kill President Snow, and they follow her on what turns out to be a suicide mission. One by one, their team members are sacrificed as they make their way to the heart of the Capitol. Only five of them, including Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, are left by the time they reach it. Then those three get separated.
During the ensuing battle, many innocent children die. Members of the rebels' medical team, including Prim, Katniss's sister, are also killed. Katniss is badly wounded again. On the positive side, the rebels have gained control and have captured President Snow. Katniss visits the imprisoned President Snow, who says she should blame President Coin (of the rebels) for the attack and Prim's death.
About time you will know the ending, people. I'm not telling you.
Premiere: March 23, 2012
