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Imagine yourself into a distant future, where you live in a world that is surrounded by stifling guards, watching your every move, waiting to pounce on you at every chance they can, to punish and humiliate you, all in the name of control and power. Panem is the new country that is governed by the main government called "The Capitol", that controls twelve districts in which, each district plays a role in producing and supplying products and essential supplies such as coal, electricity and soap, so that those who live in the Capital can live a care free life, while the residence of the other twelve districts slave away, by only scraping through with basic necessities.
This is the setting of the story by Suzanne Collins in her trilogy called The Hunger Games, which is also the title of the first book in the series, with Catching Fire as the second and Mockingjay as the third and final installment.
The story is weaved through an intricate interconnection between numerous characters that are closely related to the main protagonist of the story, Katniss Everdeen. Sixteen-year-old Katniss lives in the nation of Panem (a post-apocalyptic North America) with her mother and younger sister, Prim. Her family resides in District 12, the poorest of 12 districts ruled by the wealthy Capitol. Katniss provides for her mother and sister by hunting with her friend Gale in the forbidden woods nearby.
Every year, The Hunger Games is hosted by the Capitol, to remind the citizens of Panem, that rebellion only brings chaos and suffering, by choosing one boy and one girl, aged between 12-18, to be pushed into a gruesome fight-to-the-death reality television programme in order to re-live the past rebellion that brought down District 13 to ruins. The ballot is drawn during an event called "The Reaping" and everyone in all the districts have to attend this event to witness themselves, which of their young ones would be chosen for the annual event.
Eventually, when Katniss' sister, Prim was chosen, she desperately volunteered herself in her sister's place, stumbling forwards towards the stage to be heard, worried that the organisors will not heed her. Throughout the 74 years of The Reaping, nobody has ever volunteered in District 12 and the action by Katniss, proves a spectacular twist in that year's Reaping.
The other tribute is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son, who saved Katniss and her family from starvation by sneaking bread to her on a rainy day and they are both whisked away by train to the Capitol, with Haymitch Abernathy, the only District 12 victor that has ever won the games as their mentor, who is also, a hopeless drunk.
From here onwards, the story falls into a fast paced roller coaster ride for both Katniss and Peeta, in their preparation for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Collins wrote with such precision and ferocity, that grabs the readers to his seat with each page turned, yearning to know what happens next. She weaves the intricate details of Katniss' and Peeta's training, to his revelation of secretly loving Katniss since they were kids, right to the gruesome details of how the other 22 tributes from the other eleven districts goes down in the games. Raw emotions were displayed throughout the book, to show compassion amidst the hatred that Katniss has for the tyrant Capitol. Collins' writing shows the necessity of showing human compassion as the main virtue in humanity.
I shall not elaborate further about the plot of the story, as not to ruin the reading pleasure of those who has yet to read these books. Truly, the film has been a big hit since it's opening and has broken all the records ever held by Harry Potter and Twilight series, being the first sequel of a franchise movie, but, only through reading the books, can one fully appreciate the fluid and gripping writings of Collins.
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