For some of us, March 23, 2012 is end of finals week and the beginning of Spring Break but for millions of others, it is the greatly anticipated release of The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games is the first of Suzanne Collin’s extremely popular trilogy of young adult novels. The series takes place in the country of Panem, located in the ruins of what used to be North America. Every year, the evil government in the Capitol organizes an event called the Hunger Games: a bloody, monstrous, fight-to-the-death battle between twenty-four randomly chosen citizens from the twelve Districts of Panem. To make it even worse, the games are televised live for all the citizens of Panem to see. The games do not come to an end until only one person remains alive. This twisted and evil event serves as a source of live entertainment for the Capitol and as a gruesome reminder to the oppressed residents of Panem of the ultimate power of the Capitol’s totalitarian government.
The story is told through the perspective of Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist, and her experience in the Hunger Games. Katniss is a rebellious and very mature 16-year-old, endowed with the natural gift of excelling with the bow and arrow, making her an experienced hunter and a passionate competitor from the poor coal-mining District 12. When her father passed away in a mining accident, she became the sole provider for her mother and sister. Growing up so quickly allows her to see the blindfold that the Capitol has placed over all the citizens of Panem, and it provokes her to take a stand against its evil intentions.
Her fight to the death truly comes to life with Collins’ vivid descriptions and gory details. This novel is full of anger, determination, and a little bit of romance, making it a fantastically suspenseful–and a procrastinating-for-finals–type of read.
The series consists of three novels: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The trilogy is a thrilling journey of a dystopian nation fighting for its freedom. It’s almost a mix of George Orwell’s 1984 and the reality T.V show Survivor. By addressing issues of power, politics, identity, and celebrity, the trilogy reveals the horrors of a totalitarian, power-hungry government and the dangers of living in a celebrity-obsessed era where the lives of normal people become entertainment.
With the hype that this series and the upcoming movie have been receiving, it might be safe to say that The Hunger Games might just be the next Twilight. So push through those finals and celebrate the start of Spring Break with this highly-anticipated movie. And if you haven’t read the novels, what better way to procrastinate studying than by picking up a great book?
So, good luck on all of your finals, and may the odds be ever in your favor!