Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games Trilogy, published in September 2008 became one of The New York Times bestselling books that spent approximately three years on the list. After such success on the market, the first movie was released on March 2012, thereafter, releasing the second one Catching Fire, in November 2013, leaving Mockingjay Part One to be released in the following year. Sources confirmed that Collins was an ideal Greek and Roman mythology fan, hence, the idea of the Hunger Games was focused on the exposure of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Focusing primarily on Collins’s Hunger Games (Book 1), this particularly featured the life of the protagonist, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen and life surrounding her in District 12 that captured a great deal of reality as it relates to dictatorship/absolute rule over a country, war and unique forms of fashion trends that seek to boost particular events/daily activities. This book is ideally suited for teenagers since it perceives adventure and poses as an awakening to some. The title of the book “Hunger Games” stands literal. In the country of Panem that poses 12 districts, ruled via dictatorship, every district has an area of expertise; in which one provide another with the basic necessity for survival, in order to keep the Capitol in authority.
Annually, there is the Hunger Games which is done via reaping-choosing two representatives from the 12 districts- a male and a female, labelled as ‘tributes’ to participate in the games. These tributes must battle or rather slaughter each other in the arena that is controlled by the Capitol, leaving only one survivor that is labelled the ‘victor,’ thus, giving his/her district significance. The winning district will receive lavishness and basic necessities. In this particular case, Katniss along with the other tributes from District 12, won because they were viewed as a ‘couple’ in the arena. Obtaining the title of ‘victors’ was not an easy task; they both had to kill foes and lose close friends. Katniss portrayed a great deal of bravery in order to return home alive for the sake of her little sister and mother. She is an epitome of determination and heroism.
The perception that this novel places on the minds of avid readers is that it is ideally vast in debate as it relates to politics, desire for freedom, and to be a submissive to society’s expectations. Needless say, it contains violence and disturbing images of teenagers slaughtering each other for survival. The use of diction was quite commendable since the book was action-packed as well as emotional at certain instances. Though this is contradictory to reality, it places emphasis on the general theme of the ‘desire for freedom/survival’ and captivates the attention span of its readers.
Collins’s fiction was penned with the optimal aim of demonstrating how dictatorship works. It is a force upon society that propels it to commit unwanted and unnecessary activities. Her portrayal of it is extreme since she captured teenagers and how it affects them both mentally and physically.
The Hunger Games is a unique dimension in the history of fictional novels. Collins’ work is distinctive and portrayed an abundance of messages. Initially, the protagonist was engraved with bravery and courage that every girl should possess. Responsibility must be something everyone should adhere/allocate to, given that it prepares one for life, as it did in Katniss’ place. We must not allow tyranny, or in the future we may encounter cold hearted rulers just as illustrated in Collins’ novel, hence we should hold onto democracy. The Hunger Games proceeds to be one of the bestselling novels of all times, this goes to show how excellent this trilogy is. As a Hunger Games fan, I would recommend this book to everyone particularly the teenagers as well as the little ones as to expose them to such a splendid read which will foster critical thinking. You can pick your copies from the Austin’s book store on Church Street, Georgetown Guyana. Happy reading!
Written By Shivanie Sugrim