Part I: Bibliographic information
Type: Novel, Series
Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Copyright Date: 2007
Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (2010)
ISBN: 978-0439023528
Genre/Subgenre(s): YA/Science Fiction/Distopian; Adventure/Thriller, Series
Interest Age: 12 and up
Reading Level: 7 (Scholastic)
Common Sense Media Age Level: 13
Pages: 384
Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation
Reader’s Annotation -- North America has fallen into dark times ruled by a dominating Capital rulers that use the Fourteen Districts of what is then called Panam for raw materials and low-wage labor. Katniss, a girl of sixteen from District 12, becomes ensnared in the politics of the nation when she’s fated to be in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a ruthless, televised battle to the death that pits children of the Districts against each other.
Plot Summary -- As a way to keep people from thinking about their material suffering and to demonstrate their power, the Capitol produces an annual TV program featuring a battle to death between one representative from each district. Tributes, as the players are called, are selected by lottery from the nation’s youth -- a male and a female from each district. Katniss Everdeen’s little sister, a meek and very young girl, is selected by lotto but Katniss steps in as a volunteer. She begins a series of elaborate training and image alterations in preparations for the Hunger Games. But no preparation is enough for the brutality and unpredictability of what they face. Once dropped into the alternate reality of the games, they can grab resources and then head for cover. Others band together -- and these are called the ‘careers’ as they have trained all their lives for the games. Brutal killings begin and the Tributes also face lack of water and food. Katniss ability to hunt with bow -- something that she learned in her home District to put food on the table comes to be an important skill. She meets a small girls with whom she forms an alliance but the girl is eventually killed. She fights to survive against both foe and obstacles sent by the Gamemakers to keep the story interesting -- and she is determined to protect her fellow District team member, Peeta, who is badly wounded in battle.
Critical Evaluation -- The novelist successfully depicts a vision of a dark future in which an authoritarian central government controls the destiny of the citizenry with indifference to their suffering. The contrast of the Capital dwellers with lavish food, overstated dress and a propensity for body alternations contrast with the humble roots that Katniss has known in her district were coal mining is the main occupation. The language and imagery create a foreboding atmosphere -- and Katniss herself has a gloomy disposition that lends itself to the feeling of impending doom. There are a host of well-drawn characters, ranging from the drunken coach who is assigned to advise their efforts in the game to the unquestionably nice guy, Peeta, who finds himself both in love and in battle with Katniss. Collins brings in just enough of a romantic twist -- his forlorn love for Katniss -- to keep the plot from being just action driven. There is well-crafted scenes of action, however. These descriptions are both imaginative and full of surprises with enough to keep the reader wondering without being overly complex to the point of confusion. This is the mix that I think makes the work appeal so well to young adults. There’s a surprise resolution but the reader is not left entirely hanging -- however, the story is clearly written to continue.
Part III: Author Info
“Bestselling author Suzanne Collins first made her mark in children’s literature with the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles series for middle grade readers. Her debut for readers aged 12 and up,The Hunger Games (September 2008), immediately became a New York Times bestseller, appealing to both teen readers and adults....It was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice,” according to the Scholastic Press author biography (Biography, 2013).
Scholastic (Biography, 2013) adds: “Suzanne Collins has also had a successful and prolific career writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She received a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Suzanne Collins lives with her family in Connecticut.”
Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues
Curriculum Ties, if any -- This work is essentially a commentary on totalitarianism. I would suggest that it could be used as a compliment to a government course. The context could involve exploring why it is or isn’t realistic and asking what aspects of our current system keep the sorts of things that happen in this book from occurring (ie. the U.S. Constitution, etc.), process of law, free speech, etc.). One media organization has a good list of ten things parents can do to encourage responsible media consumption -- it’s something I might provide to parents who are concerned.
Diversity of Cultures -- There is some reference to race and skin color in this work but it’s not a primary theme. The main thrust relates to economic injustice and human rights issues.
Booktalking Ideas -- The books has some detailed and frequent description of violence. A good discussion of the book would be comparing the violence in the book to real world violence. What causes violence? How do we handle it when confronted? How might that be different if we were from a different part of the world or living under a different government?
Challenge Issues -- I’ve heard a challenge to this book based on the plots premise being “extreme” and sending the wrong message to youth. It’s important to remember our fundamentals of facing a challenge involved standing for the principle of free expression, foremost. Secondly, this work can be understood better if the premise is described in more than one or two sentences. So I would keep some positive reviews on hand that explain that Katniss, the protagonist, is opposed to the cruelty of the game and that the story explores issues of exploitation and respect for the individual and does not condone the use of violence.
Part V: Reasons chosen
Our library had an event for young adults about when “The Hunger Games” film was released. I wanted to read the book before seeing the film and so I could recommend it -- or not. I admit that I was a bit appalled by the premise. I do not like random violence in entertainment. However, I found the book really engaging and the heroine that Katniss plays to be a strong female lead, a term that Netflix uses to describe the genre of film that include capable, assertive woman. For young woman, she offers an alternative to the blond Barbie-ish sort of characters that we see too often in high school themed movies. So that’s one reason I ended up recommending this as a read. Also, I think Collins does an exceptional job creating a believable context out of a scenario that’s pretty far fetched.
Part VI: Citations
Biography: Suzanne Collins. (2013) Scholastic Press. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/suzanne-collins
Book Wizard (2010) The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/suzanne-Collins
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