May the odds be ever in your favor.
The Hunger Games is the newest in the young adult book-turned-movie trend, following the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight. The much anticipated film is coming out March 23, and many have already bought their tickets for the midnight premier.
For those of you who haven’t jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon, the book is the first in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. It is set in a post-apocalyptic country of Panem, which is where North America used to be. The Capitol is highly advanced and feared by residents of Panem. The Hunger Games itself refers to an annual event that the Capitol organizes, in which one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected to compete in a televised battle in which only one contestant comes out alive.
16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12, is the narrator and protagonist of The Hunger Games. She volunteers to participate in the Games in place of her younger sister. Other characters of note include Peeta Mellark, the male tribute from District 12, and Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ best friend.
The Hunger Games is disturbing as well as entertaining. The “Games” are actually twisted version of reality television during which the teenage contestants are forced to participate in a brutal fight to death. Although the novel is geared towards young adults, it tackles serious issues such as poverty, oppression, starvation, corruption and power. The trilogy’s popularity has spread well beyond the teenage spectrum, and continues to top the best-sellers lists.
The film adaptation of The Hunger Games was written and produced by Collins herself and directed by Gary Ross. The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. There are no current plans to make the other two books (Catching Fire and Mockingjay) into films as of yet, but if The Hunger Games does well at the box office the other two are sure to follow.
