Suzanne Collins’ groundbreaking young adult novel The Hunger Games was first published on September 14, 2008. With over 100 million copies of the original trilogy sold, five box-office hit films, and two best-selling prequels, it goes without saying that the series is a huge success. But what is it that keeps readers returning for more over a decade later? Here are three reasons why The Hunger Games is still so popular today.
The protagonist of the original Hunger Games trilogy is Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year-old girl who lives in the poorest district of Panem — a future, dystopian version of North America. Suzanne Collins writes Katniss in a first-person point of view and gives readers Katniss’ detailed and constant internal narration. That means that as Katniss journeys into and out of the bloodbath that is the Hunger Games, we see every single one of her thoughts, fears, yearnings and worries, right there on the page. By knowing all of her thoughts, we really get to know Katniss as a character. It doesn’t just feel like we’re journeying alongside Katniss; it feels like she could be a good friend of ours, or someone we know in real life.
But Katniss isn’t the only stand-out character in the books. The various side characters, such as Katniss’ on-screen and off-screen love interest Peeta Mellark, fan-favorite District 4 Victor Finnick Odair and even the villainous President Snow, make the books more interesting. By including these characters’ ideas and perspectives –– which are often in conflict with Katniss’ –– the series feels more realistic and fleshed out than it would if Katniss were journeying through the books solo.
The country of Panem is large and complex, with a lot of history. With 13 different districts, an outrageously flamboyant Capitol and a history of 75 different Hunger Games, trying to understand the world of The Hunger Games can seem intimidating. Luckily, Suzanne Collins does a wonderful job of weaving Panem’s history into the story without overwhelming her readers. All the little details included — such as the specific industry each district provides to the Capitol, the televised spectacle of the Hunger Games and the “muttations” created by the Gamemakers — help us understand the world the characters live in and how cruel and dangerous the Capitol can be.
Ten years after the last book of the original Hunger Games trilogy was published, Suzanne Collins decided to expand on the world of Panem. With The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes taking place 64 years before Katniss entered the Games, readers got a whole new look at Panem. While fans were skeptical when they realized the prequel focused on a younger version of the series’ villain, Coriolanus Snow, his perspective taught us about his motivations, his journey to becoming president and the history of the 10th Hunger Games — a more rudimentary, barbaric and unexpected version of the Games than we’d ever seen before.
Similarly, the prequel Sunrise on the Reaping takes place 24 years before Katniss’ Games and focuses on former District 12 Victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Because the book takes place at an earlier time, readers can see how different things were in Panem only a couple of decades before Katniss’ Games. As we read the book, we can start to speculate not just on why things have changed but what it means that they did. By expanding on the story and the characters from the beloved original trilogy, Suzanne Collins takes us even deeper into the world of Panem that we thought we knew and keeps her fans eagerly coming back for more.
Of all the reasons that The Hunger Games sets itself apart from other books of its kind, its powerful themes must be one of the biggest. Covering subjects such as war, poverty, survival, propaganda, celebrity culture and more, it’s no wonder Suzanne Collins continues to write more books — these topics are just as relevant today as they were when the first book was released in 2008. The series is classified as young adult, which means its purpose is to translate these darker themes to younger readers so that they can understand them at an early age. Because of that, reading the books as an adult who does have some understanding of these themes is an entirely new experience. In fact, I’d argue it’s almost even more fulfilling than reading the series as a teenager.
In conclusion, whether you’re a teenager or an adult, reading the books for the first time or the millionth, there’s no doubt there’s something special about these books. As the years go by and the world of Panem continues to expand, it’s easy to see that The Hunger Games is a beloved classic that will hold up for years to come.
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The Hunger Games Series
Hunger Games Read-Alikes
