Do you love futuristic and dystopian books? Here’s one of the best-selling futuristic novel series – the Hunger Games trilogy.
The Hunger Games trilogy is written by American author Suzanne Collins. The trilogy revolves around dystopian North America, now called Panem, divided into 12 districts, controlled by the Capitol. To avoid any more rebellions, the Capitol controls the districts by forcing them to select a boy and a girl to be Tributes and compete in Hunger Games. Televised in all districts, residents are forced to watch their Tributes compete to the death until only one Tribute s left and wins the Hunger Games. All of that will start to change when Katniss Everdeen of District 12 volunteers as a tribute to prevent her sister Prim from joining the games.
Collins said that the Greek myth of Theseus is one of her main inspirations especially for the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.
Hunger Games
The novel starts with introducing Katniss Everdeen and her family, and their impoverished life in District 12. Then, the announcement about the picking of Tributes for the 74th Hunger Games. The boy Tribute drawn is Peeta Mellark, the son of a baker. The girl Tribute is Prim Everdeen, a small meek young girl. Her sister Katniss, wanting to protect her little sister, volunteers to be Tribute to replace and save Prim.
In this journey, Katniss gets to know Peeta more, and meets their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, the only living winner of a past Hunger Games from District 12. They meet Effie Trinket, their chaperone, and Cinna, their stylist. Peeta and Katniss play up the star-crossed lovers front, in spite of Katniss’ misgivings, to get more attention and sponsors. At the Capitol, they meet other Tributes from other districts. A committee measures their abilities – with Katniss, she shows off her skills with archery.
The Hunger Games has started, and with it, the bloodbath. All of the Districts’ Tributes died, leaving Katniss and Peeta the remaining Tributes alive. Not wanting to kill each other, they decide to threat the runners of the Games – they both leave the Arena alive, or they commit suicide. Through this, they’re both declared winners.
The first book in the series has 99,750 words.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
This book starts with Katniss and Peeta going back to District 12 after winning the Hunger Games. Once home, President Snow visit Katniss to tell her that their act of defiance has inspired rebellions in some districts. He threatens to kill Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ friend so that she’ll convince the masses that her actions are because she loves Peeta, rather than rebellion. They go on a Victor’s Tour where some of the residents are seeing Katniss as a figure of the revolution. Due to this, the Capitol has enforced their rules more strictly and violently.
The 75th Hunger Games are announced but instead of new tributes, the previous winners of the Hunger Games are the tributes. Katniss and Peeta go back to the Arena. They ally with other tributes and find ways to get out of the Arena. After an incident with the Arena’s forcefield, Katniss is knocked out unconscious. She wakes up to find out that District 13 exists and that revolution against the Capitol is underway.
This second installment has 101,564 words.
Hunger Games: Mockingjay
After the events in the second book, Katniss, her family, and friends are situated in District 13, the main site of the rebellion. Katniss, at the behest of President Coin, the leader of District 13, agrees to be the Mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion and tasked to encourage all of the districts to fight the Capitol. She agrees with the condition that all tributes are granted amnesty.
Peeta was kidnapped by the Capitol and was brainwashed to fear and hate Katniss, making a few attempts to kill her. However, through their collective efforts, with all the districts waging war on the Capitol, it soon falls apart, but not without casualties, including Prim.
Katniss is there at President Snow’s execution and she’s supposed to shoot him. She shoots President Coin instead, seeing another tyrant in the making in her. They find President Snow dead, and Katniss imprisoned. She’s released, though, due to “insanity and grief”.
She goes back to District 12 when she was released. Peeta finally remembers her and they get together for real. Finally, the Hunger Games are abolished and memorials are built over the Arenas. Katniss and Peeta live in contentment, despite the trauma, in District 12 with their children.
The finale has 100,269 words.
Final Thoughts
This trilogy took the world by storm. It brought 4 movies and has influenced pop culture immensely. These are hard reads at times, but it’s good. Why don’t you go and read it, or re-read it, for old time’s sake?
Check out the word count of other famous novels you’ve read or you should read!