The Hunger Games trilogy is a young-adult adventure science fiction series written by Suzanne Collins. The trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.^[1][2][3] The first two books were each The New York Times best sellers, and the third book, Mockingjay, topped all US bestseller lists upon its release.^[4][5] By the time the movie The Hunger Games was released the publisher reported 26 million Hunger Games trilogy books in print, including movie tie-in books.^[6]

Background[link]

The Hunger Games trilogy takes place in an unidentified future time period after the destruction of the current nations of North America, in a totalitarian nation known as "Panem". Panem consists of a hugely rich Capitol, located in what used to be the Rocky Mountains, and twelve (formerly thirteen) surrounding, poorer districts which are under the hegemony of the Capitol. The Capitol is lavishly rich and technologically futuristic, but the twelve Districts are in varying states of poverty - the trilogy's narrator and protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives in the poorest District 12, formerly Appalachia, where people regularly die of starvation. As punishment for a rebellion generations previous against the Capitol wherein twelve of the districts were defeated and the thirteenth destroyed, every year one boy and one girl from each of the remaining twelve districts, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, are selected by lottery and forced to participate in the "Hunger Games". The Games are a televised event where the participants, called "tributes", must fight to the death in a dangerous outdoor arena until only one remains. The winning tribute and his/her corresponding district is then rewarded handsomely with food and plenty. The purpose of the Hunger Games is to provide entertainment for the Capitol and to serve as a warning to the Districts to remind them of the Capitol's power and lack of remorse.

Structure[link]

Each book in The Hunger Games trilogy has 3 sections of 9 chapters each. Collins says that this format comes from her playwriting background, which taught her to write in three acts. Her previous series, The Underland Chronicles, was written in the same way, as Collins is "very comfortable" with this structure. She sees each group of nine chapters as a separate part of the story, and comments that she still calls those divisions "act breaks".^[7]

Plot overview[link]

[edit] The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games in place of her younger sister Prim. Also participating from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a boy who developed a secret lifelong crush on Katniss the moment he laid eyes on her as a child. They are mentored by District 12's only living victor, Haymitch Abernathy, who won the Games 24 years earlier and has since assumed a solitary life of alcoholism. Peeta professes his love of Katniss in a television interview prior to the Games, leading the Capitol to portray Katniss and Peeta as "star-crossed lovers". This revelation surprises Katniss, who actually harbors feelings for her hunting buddy back home, Gale Hawthorne. Haymitch advises Katniss to play along and act in love with Peeta, in order to gain wealthy sponsors who can gift them supplies during the Games. In the arena, Katniss develops an alliance and friendship with a young tribute from District 11 (Rue) and is emotionally scarred when she is killed while acting as a decoy. Katniss devises an impromptu memorial for Rue as an act of defiance toward the Capitol. More than halfway through the Games, the remaining tributes are alerted to an unprecedented rule change that allows both tributes from the same district to be declared victors if they are the final two standing. After learning of the change, Katniss and Peeta begin to work as a team and spare each others' lives. When all of the other tributes are dead and they appear to win the Games together, the provision is reversed at the last moment, requiring one to kill the other. Katniss quickly devises a plan for herself and Peeta to commit double-suicide (denying the Capitol of its precious victor), but they are stopped by the Gamesmakers and both return home victorious. During and after the Games, Katniss indeed develops on-and-off feelings for Peeta and struggles to balance them with the connection she feels with Gale. When it becomes clear the Capitol is upset with her defiance, Haymitch encourages Katniss to keep up (and even accelerate) the 'star-crossed lovers' act, without telling Peeta.

[edit] Catching Fire

In Catching Fire, which begins six months after the conclusion of The Hunger Games, Katniss learns that her defiance in the previous novel has started a chain reaction that inspired rebellion in the districts. President Snow is not fooled by Katniss' act and privately threatens to harm her family and friends if she does not help to slow the rebellion, which involves marrying Peeta. Meanwhile, Peeta has become aware of Katniss' disingenuous love of him, but has also been informed of Snow's threats, and promises to help keep up the act to spare the citizens of District 12. As such, they tour the districts as victors and plan a very public wedding. While they follow Snow's orders and keep up the ruse, Katniss inadvertently fuels the rebellion, and the mockingjay pin she wears becomes its symbol. District by district, the citizens of Panem begin to stage uprisings against the Capitol, and Katniss learns of the skirmishes by various methods. Snow announces a special 75th edition of the Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, in which Katniss and Peeta are forced into competing a second time with other past victors, effectively canceling the wedding. At Haymitch's urging, they team up with a few other tributes (acting covertly as rebels, unbeknownst to the pair) and manage to destroy the arena and escape the Games. Katniss is transported to District 13 (which is widely thought to no longer exist, but serves as the base of the rebellion) and Peeta is captured by the Capitol. District 12 is destroyed by the Capitol as an act of retaliation, but Gale manages to lead around 900 of its citizens (including Prim and Mrs. Everdeen) to safety in District 13.

[edit] Mockingjay

Mockingjay, the third and final book, centers around Katniss and the districts' rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss, now a refugee in District 13 and quite damaged from her experiences, agrees to be used by the rebels as a propaganda tool (the embodiment of the mockingjay symbol, complete with costume) to unite the districts in the uprising against the Capitol and President Snow. Peeta and the other remaining tributes captured by the Capitol are rescued, but he has been brainwashed to consider Katniss an enemy, and he is guarded carefully as his rehabilitation progresses. Finally, a group including Katniss, Gale, and a still somewhat unstable Peeta go renegade in the Capitol on a mission to assassinate President Snow. Before Katniss can complete her objective, Prim is killed in a bombing. Later, a captive Snow tells Katniss that Coin, the president of District 13, was behind the bombing, and she deduces that Gale was one of the designers of the bomb. After Panem officially falls to the rebels, Coin suggests a final Hunger Games featuring the children of the Capitol's former leaders as tributes, leading Katniss to believe that nothing will change under a new regime. At Snow's scheduled execution by Katniss' arrow, Katniss targets and kills Coin instead, and Snow dies in an ensuing riot. Katniss is tried (unbeknownst to her) and acquitted of killing Coin. Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch eventually return to a ruined District 12. Katniss slowly begins to recover from her many mental scars. Katniss' mother and Gale both take jobs in different districts. Katniss eventually comes to genuinely love Peeta, marries him, and after many years, Peeta convinces her to have two children.

Origins and publishing history[link]

Collins says that she drew inspiration for the series from both classical and contemporary sources. The main classical source of inspiration came from the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. As a punishment for past crimes, Minos forces Athens to sacrifice seven youths and seven maidens to the Minotaur, by whom they are killed in a vast labyrinth. Collins says that even as a child the idea stunned her since "it was just so cruel", as Athens was forced to sacrifice their own children.

Collins also cites the Roman gladiator games. She feels that there are three key elements to create a good game; an all powerful and ruthless government, people forced to fight to the death, and it being a source of popular entertainment.^[8]

A contemporary source of inspiration was Collins's recent fascination with reality television programmes. She relates this to the Hunger Games in how they are not just entertainment, but also a reminder to the districts of their rebellion. On a tired night, Collins says that while she was channel-surfing the television where she saw people competing for some prize, and then saw footage of the Iraq war. She described how the two combined in an "unsettling way" to create the first ideas for the series.^[9]

The first novel in the trilogy was first published in September 2008. On March 17, 2009, Lionsgate announced that it had acquired worldwide distribution rights of the film version of Hunger Games from the film company Color Force. Soon after the acquisition, Collins began to adapt the screenplay and the two companies later went on to co-produce the film.^[10]

Catching Fire was published by Scholastic on September 1, 2009. The film version of the story — also co-produced by Color Force and Lionsgate — is scheduled for release in November 2013.^[11]

Main characters[link]

• Katniss Everdeen: The protagonist of the series, Katniss competes in the Hunger Games in each of the first two novels and constantly battles between her feelings for both Peeta and Gale. She becomes the face of the districts' rebellion after she unknowingly defies the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
• Peeta Mellark: The male tribute from District 12, who has secretly been in love with Katniss since they were children. His love for her is evident throughout the series. In Mockingjay, he is "hijacked" by the Capitol and turned against Katniss, but he recovers.
• Haymitch Abernathy: Katniss and Peeta's drunken friend and mentor for the Games. He won the 50th Hunger Games and was the only living victor from District 12 before Katniss and Peeta won the 74th Hunger Games.
• Gale Hawthorne: Katniss' best friend and fellow hunter. Gale is fiercely devoted to Katniss, and their relationship borders on romantic throughout the series. He is two years older than she, and lost his father in the same mine explosion that killed Katniss' father
• Effie Trinket: Katniss and Peeta's escort for the games. Effie, as a citizen of the capitol, dresses very oddly and speaks in a distinct capitol accent. She is very proper and constantly worries about keeping things on schedule. She helps Haymitch send sponsor gifts to Katniss and Peeta during the games.
• President Snow: The main antagonist of the series, President Snow is the head of the Capitol and all of Panem. Provoked by the survival of two tributes in a single Hunger Games, Snow demands of Peeta and Katniss to prove the reason behind it all was just they were madly in love.
• Primrose Everdeen: Primrose Everdeen, often called just "Prim," is Katniss's 12 year old sister (in Mockingjay, she is 13) who was chosen by lottery to be in the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to take her place. Prim is a sweet little child whom everyone loves, and she regularly helps their mother heal the sick.

• Cinna: Katniss' stylist in both of her Hunger Games, he urges her on to become the symbol of the rebellion and designs the dresses that she wears before entering the games, as well as armor she wears in the war.

Critical reception[link]

All three books have received positive reception. Praise has focused on the addictive quality of especially the first book,^[12] and the action.^[13] John Green of The New York Times compared The Hunger Games with Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series.^[14] Catching Fire was praised for improving upon the first book.^[15] Mockingjay was praised for its portrayal of violence,^[16] world building, and romantic intrigue.^[17]

Criticism has come from the reality TV "death game" theme, which is also present in Battle Royale, The Running Man, and The Long Walk.^[12] Also, the "romantic dithering"^[18] and poor love triangle of the second installment was under criticism.^[19] The last book, Mockingjay, was criticized by fans of the book and critics for not tying up loose ends.^[20]

Film adaptations[link]

Lionsgate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of The Hunger Games, which is produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force production company.^[21] Collins adapted the novel for film herself,^[21] along with Gary Ross.^[22] The film began production in spring 2011 and ended summer 2011.^[23] It was released March 23, 2012, with a PG-13 rating.^[24][25] Gary Ross directed; the cast includes Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.^[26][27][28] Catching Fire will be released on November 22, 2013, with the main cast signed on to return but director Gary Ross will not return.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Hunger Games trilogy

• The U.S. Scholastic Website
• The U.K. Scholastic Website

The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written by American television writer and novelist Suzanne Collins. It was first published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic, in hardcover.^[1] It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds hegemony over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle until only one person is left.

The book has been released as a paperback and also as an audiobook and e-book. The Hunger Games had an initial print of 200,000 – twice doubled from the original 50,000. Since its initial release, the novel has been translated into 26 languages and rights of production have been sold in 38 countries. The book received mostly positive feedback from major reviewers and authors. The Hunger Games is the first novel in The Hunger Games trilogy,^[2] followed by Catching Fire, published on September 1, 2009,^[3] and Mockingjay, published on August 24, 2010.^[4]

A film adaptation, co-written and co-produced by Collins herself and directed by Gary Ross, was released worldwide on March 23, 2012.

Inspiration and origins[link]

Collins says that the inspiration to write The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the invasion of Iraq. The two "began to blur in this very unsettling way" and the idea for the book was formed.^[5] The Greek myth of Theseus served as the basis for the story, with Collins describing Katniss as a futuristic Theseus, and that Roman gladiatorial games formed the framework. The sense of loss that Collins developed through her father's service in the Vietnam War also affected the story, whose heroine lost her father at age 11, five years before the story begins.^[6] Collins stated that the deaths of the young characters and other "dark passages" were the hardest parts of the book to write, but she had accepted passages such as these were necessary to the story.^[7] She considered the moments where Katniss reflects on happier moments in her past to be the more enjoyable.^[7]

Plot[link]

The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts under the Capitol's hegemony. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.^[8]

As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games. This is an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one individual remains. The story is narrated by 16-year-old child, whose name and gender are not immediately revealed. She is Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Prim. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, and who once gave her bread when her family was starving.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. They are then publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for him in the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are encouraged to send gifts such as food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games. While nearly half the tributes are killed in the first day of the Games alone, Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. A few days into the games, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister, Primrose. The alliance is short-lived; Rue is killed by another tribute. At Rue's request Katniss sings to her, then spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect—and of disgust towards the Capitol.

Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and eventually finds him wounded. As she nurses him back to health, she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and consequently gifts from her sponsors. When the couple remain as the last two surviving tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.

Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that Katniss's actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to earn sympathy from the audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings and realizes that she is dreading the moment when she and Peeta will go their separate ways.

Themes[link]

In an interview with Collins, it was noted that the books "[tackle] issues like severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war among others."^[9] The book deals with the struggle for self-preservation that the people of Panem face in their districts and the Hunger Games in which they must participate.^[10] The starvation and need for resources that the citizens encounter both in and outside of the arena create an atmosphere of helplessness that the main characters try to overcome in their fight for survival. Katniss's proficiency with the bow and arrow stems from her need to hunt in order to provide food for her family—this necessity results in the development of skills that are useful to her in the Games, and represents her rejection of the Capitol's rules in the face of life-threatening situations.^[11]

The choices the characters make and the strategies they use are often morally complex.^[11] The tributes build a personality they want the audience to see throughout the Games.^[11] Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) names the major themes of The Hunger Games as "government control, 'big brother', and personal independence."^[12] The Capitol makes watching the games required viewing.^[11] The theme of power and downfall, similar to that of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, was pointed out by Scholastic.^[13] Laura Miller of the New Yorker finds that the author's stated premise of the Games -- an exercise in propaganda and a “humiliating as well as torturous .... punishment” for a failed uprising against the Capitol many years earlier -- unconvincing. "You don’t demoralize and dehumanize a subject people by turning them into celebrities and coaching them on how to craft an appealing persona for a mass audience." But the story works much better if the theme is vicissitudes of high school and "the adolescent social experience".

"The rules are arbitrary, unfathomable, and subject to sudden change. A brutal social hierarchy prevails, with the rich, the good-looking, and the athletic lording their advantages over everyone else. To survive you have to be totally fake. Adults don’t seem to understand how high the stakes are; your whole life could be over, and they act like it’s just some “phase”! Everyone’s always watching you, scrutinizing your clothes or your friends and obsessing over whether you’re having sex or taking drugs or getting good enough grades, but no one cares who you really are or how you really feel about anything."^[14]

Donald Brake from The Washington Times, as well as Andy Langford, a senior pastor at Central United Methodist Church, states that the story has Christian themes, such as that of self-sacrifice, which is found in Katniss' substitution for her younger sister, analogous to the sacrifice of Jesus as a substitute for the atonement of sins.^[15][16] Brake, as well as another reviewer, Amy Simpson, both find that the story also revolves around the theme of hope, which is exemplified in the "incorruptible goodness of Katniss' sister, Primrose."^[17] She also states that Peeta Mellark is "a Christ figure" in the story.^[18] Similar to the events in Passion of Jesus, in the Games, Peeta is stabbed after openly warning Katniss to flee for her life, and is then buried in the ground and placed in a cave for three days before emerging with a new lease on life.^[19] Moreover, the Christian image of the Bread of Life is used throughout The Hunger Games; in the story Peeta shows up "bearing a warm loaf of bread," and Katniss slowly comes "back to life."^[20] A news video starring Fr. Jonathan Morris aired on Fox News discussed the religious themes in the story further.^[21] In addition, some pastors have written Bible studies discussing the Christian allegories in the story.^[22][23]

Publication history[link]

The Hunger Games was first published as a hardcover in the United States on September 14, 2008. An audiobook version was released in December 2008, and is read by Carolyn McCormick.^[24] A trade paperback edition of the book was released on July 6, 2010.^[25]

Audiobook[link]

An audiobook version of The Hunger Games was released in December 2008, which is read by Carolyn McCormick, and runs at about eleven hours, ten minutes.^[24] The magazine AudioFile said: "Carolyn McCormick gives a detailed and attentive narration. However, she may rely too much on the strength of the prose without providing the drama young adult listeners often enjoy."^[26] School Library Journal also praised her performance: "Carolyn McCormick ably voices the action-packed sequences and Katniss's every fear and strength shines through, along with her doomed growing attraction to one of her fellow Tributes."^[27]

Sales[link]

After writing the novel, Collins signed a six-figure deal for three books with Scholastic in 2006. The first book originally had a 50,000 first printing, which was then bumped up twice to 200,000 copies.^[5] By February 11, 2010, The Hunger Games had sold 800,000 copies^[28] and rights to the novel had been sold in 38 territories.^[28] By November 2008, The Hunger Games became a The New York Times Best Seller.^[29] By September 2010, The Hunger Games was on The New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks,^[30] though it subsequently fell from the list.^[31] By the time the movie for The Hunger Games was released, the book had been on USA Today's best-selling books list for 135 consecutive weeks,^[32] and the publisher reported 26 million Hunger Games trilogy books in print, including movie tie-in books.^[33]

The Hunger Games trilogy has sold exceptionally well in ebook format. Suzanne Collins is the first children's or young adult author to sell over one million Kindle ebooks, making her the sixth author to join the "Kindle Million Club", which recognizes authors who have sold over 1 million paid units in the Amazon Kindle store.^[34] In March 2012, Amazon announced that Collins had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time.^[35] Amazon also revealed that Collins had written 29 of the 100 most-highlighted passages in Kindle ebooks—and on a separate Amazon list of recently-highlighted passages, Collins had written 17 of the top 20.^[36]

Cover[link]

The cover of The Hunger Games is black, featuring a gold mockingjay —a crossbreed born from genetically engineered male jabberjays, and female mockingbirds— with an arrow inscribed in a circle. This is an image of the pin given to Katniss by the District 12 mayor's daughter, Madge Undersee, which Katniss wears in the arena.^[37] The image matches the description of the pin that is given in the book, except for the arrow: "It's as if someone fashioned a small golden bird and then attached a ring around it. The bird is connected to the ring only by its wing tips."^[38]

Critical reception[link]

The Hunger Games has been well-received by critics. In Stephen King's review for Entertainment Weekly, he praised the book's addictive quality and also compared it to "shoot-it-if-it-moves videogames in the lobby of the local eightplex; you know it's not real, but you keep plugging in quarters anyway." However, he stated that there were "displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults" and that the love triangle was standard for the genre. He gave the book an overall B grade.^[1] Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal praised the novel, saying it is "exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns". The review also called it one of the best books of 2008.^[39] Booklist also gave a positive review, praising the character violence and romance involved in the book.^[40] In a review for The New York Times, John Green wrote that the novel was "brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced", and that "the considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins's convincingly detailed world-building and her memorably complex and fascinating heroine." However, he also noted that sometimes the book does not realize the allegorical potential that the plot has to offer and that the writing "described the action and little else."^[41] Kirkus Reviews gave a positive review, praising the action and world-building, but pointed out that "poor copyediting in the first printing will distract careful readers—a crying shame".^[42] Time magazine was positive and praised the hypnotic quality of the violence.^[43] Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, claims it is the "closest thing to a perfect adventure novel" he has ever read.^[44] Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series) endorsed the book on her website, saying, "I was so obsessed with this book ...The Hunger Games is amazing."^[45] NBA star LeBron James is reportedly a big fan of the book series, praises the book series, and reads it before and after games in the locker room.^[46][47][48]

The Hunger Games has been criticized for its similarities to the 1999 novel Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami. Collins has stated, "I had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in. At that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it. He said: 'No, I don't want that world in your head. Just continue with what you're doing.' " Susan Dominus of The New York Times reports that "the parallels are striking enough that Collins's work has been savaged on the blogosphere as a baldfaced ripoff," but argued that "there are enough possible sources for the plot line that the two authors might well have hit on the same basic setup independently."^[49] King noted that the reality TV "badlands" were similar to Battle Royale, as well as his own The Running Man and The Long Walk.^[1] Green also pointed out that the premise of the novel was "nearly identical" to Battle Royale.^[41] Eric Eisenberg wrote that The Hunger Games was "not a rip off [of Battle Royale], but simply a different usage of a similar idea", pointing out various differences in both story and themes.^[50] Robert Nishimura wrote that "it would be a waste of time to defend Battle Royale from plagiarism, since The Hunger Games has an entirely different set of cultural baggage, as well as being a disservice to countless other source material that deal with the exact same subject matter. Collins just happened to tap in to the creative collective consciousness, drawing on ideas that have played out many times before, in addition to her intentional reference to Greek mythology."^[51]

The novel has also been controversial;^[52] it ranked in fifth place on the American Library Association's list of frequently challenged books for 2010, with the reasons: "sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence."^[53]

Awards[link]

The Hunger Games received a number of awards and honors. It was named one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008^[54] and a The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008".^[55] It was the 2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category.^[56] The Hunger Games was also a "2008 Cybil Winner" for fantasy and science-fiction books along with The Graveyard Book.^[57] It is also one of School Library Journal's "Best Books 2008"^[58] and a "Booklist Editors' Choice" in 2008.^[59] In 2011, the book won the California Young Reader Medal.^[60] In the 2012 edition of Scholastic's Parent and Child magazine, The Hunger Games was listed as the 33rd best book for children, with the award for "Most Exciting Ending".^[61][62]

In popular culture[link]

The book has inspired a number of parodies including The Hunger Pains written by the Harvard Lampoon,^[63][64] The Younger Games^[65][66][67] and The Hunger But Mainly Death Games.^[68]

Film adaptation[link]

Lions Gate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of The Hunger Games, which is being produced by Nina Jacobson's production company Color Force.^[69][70] Collins adapted the novel for film herself,^[70] and her script was reviewed by screenwriter Billy Ray.^[71] Collins wrote the script and intended the film to have a PG-13 rating.^[72]

The film was directed by Gary Ross with Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Katniss, Josh Hutcherson in the role of Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth in the role of Gale.^[73][74] Production began in late Spring 2011^[75] and the film was released on March 23, 2012.^[76] A sequel is due to be released on November 22, 2013.^[77] The film's opening weekend brought in a record $152.5 million (USD) in North America.^[78]

[edit] The Hunger Games Adventures

A social network game called The Hunger Games Adventures was released for Facebook to coincide with the film's release. It is a role-playing video game developed by Lionsgate in coalition with Funtactix.^[79]

See also[link]

	Novels portal
	Children's literature portal

• The Condemned
• The Most Dangerous Game
• Series 7: The Contenders

References[link]

External links[link]

• Suzanne Collins's official website
• Scholastic Official Site
• The Hunger Games at the Hunger Games Wiki.
• The Hunger Games on Google Books

Suzanne Collins
Collins at the Time 100 Gala (May 2010)
Born	Suzanne Collins (1962-08-10) August 10, 1962 (age 49)[1] Hartford, Connecticut
Occupation	Television scriptwriter, novelist
Nationality	American
Education	Indiana University, BA (1985)
Genres	Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children's Literature, Young-adult Fiction
Notable work(s)	The Hunger Games trilogy The Underland Chronicles
www.suzannecollinsbooks.com

Suzanne Collins (born August 10, 1962) is an American television writer and novelist, best known for writing The Hunger Games series (which comprises The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay).

Early life[link]

Collins was born on August 10, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut. She is the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer who served in the Vietnam War. As the daughter of a military officer, she and her family were constantly moving. She spent her childhood in the eastern U.S.^[2] She attended high school at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where she was a Theater Arts major. She graduated from Indiana University with a double major in Drama and Telecommunications.^[3][4]

Career[link]

Collins' career began in 1991 as a writer for children's television shows.^[5] She worked on several television shows for Nickelodeon, including Clarissa Explains It All, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, Little Bear, and Oswald.^[5] She was also the head writer for Scholastic Entertainment's Clifford's Puppy Days.^[5] She received a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, Santa, Baby!^[6]

After meeting children's author James Proimos while working on the Kids' WB show Generation O!, Collins was inspired to write children's books herself.^[5] Her inspiration for Gregor the Overlander, the first book of The New York Times best selling series The Underland Chronicles, came from Alice in Wonderland, when she was thinking about how one was more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole, and would find something other than a tea party.^[5][6] Between 2003 and 2007 she wrote the five books of the Underland Chronicles: Gregor the Overlander, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, and Gregor and the Code of Claw. During that time, Collins also wrote a rhyming picture book, When Charlie McButton Lost Power (2005), illustrated by Mike Lester.^[5]

In September 2008, Scholastic Press released The Hunger Games, the first book of a trilogy by Collins.^[7] The Hunger Games was partly inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Another inspiration was her father's career in the Air Force, which allowed her to have better understanding of poverty, starvation, and the effects of war.^[2] The trilogy's second book, Catching Fire, was released in September 2009, and its third book, Mockingjay, was released on August 24, 2010.^[8] Within 14 months, 1.5 million copies of the first two Hunger Games books were printed in North America alone.^[9] The Hunger Games has been on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 60 weeks in a row.^[9] Lions Gate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of The Hunger Games, produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force production company.^[10][11] Collins adapted the novel for film herself.^[11] Directed by Gary Ross, filming began in late spring 2011, with Jennifer Lawrence portraying main character Katniss Everdeen.^[12] Josh Hutcherson played Peeta Mellark and Liam Hemsworth played Gale Hawthorne.^[13]

As a result of the significant popularity of The Hunger Games books, Collins was named one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2010.^[14] In March 2012, Amazon announced that Collins had become the best-selling Kindle author of all time.^[15] Amazon also revealed that Collins had written 29 of the 100 most highlighted passages in Kindle ebooks—and on a separate Amazon list of recently highlighted passages, Collins had written 17 of the top 20.^[16]

Personal life[link]

Collins resides in Newtown, Connecticut, with her husband and their two children and two cats.^[5] She is a Roman Catholic.^[17]

Publications[link]

The Underland Chronicles

1. Gregor the Overlander (2003)
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (2004)
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (2005)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (2006)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (2007)

The Hunger Games trilogy

1. The Hunger Games (2008)
2. Catching Fire (2009)
3. Mockingjay (2010)

Other books

• Fire Proof: Shelby Woo #11 (1999)
• When Charlie McButton Lost Power (2005)
• When Charlie McButton Gained Power (2009)

Awards[link]

• 2011 - California Young Reader Medal^[18]
• 2010 - Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers^[19]
• Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year: Children's Fiction^[20]
• An American Library Association Top 10 Best Books For Young Adult Selection^[21]
• An ALA Notable Children's Book^[22]
• 2008 CYBIL Award--Fantasy and Science Fiction^[23]
• KIRKUS Best Young Adult Book of 2008^[24]
• A Horn Book Fanfare^[25]
• School Library Journal Best Books of 2008^[26]
• A Book List Editor's Choice, 2008^[27]
• NY Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing^[28]
• 2004 NAIBA Children's Novel Award^[29]
• 2006 ALSC Notable Children's Recording (audio version)^[30]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Suzanne Collins

• Official website
• Suzanne Collins at the Internet Movie Database

To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, the introduction of this article may need to be rewritten. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. (January 2012)

Brandi Carlile
Carlile performing in a Seattle music club during 2010.
Background information
Born	(1981-06-01) June 1, 1981 (age 31) Ravensdale, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock, alternative country, folk rock
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, banjo
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Columbia
Website	BrandiCarlile.com

Brandi Carlile (born June 1, 1981) is an American alternative country and folk rock singer-songwriter^[1] Her 2007 album The Story was produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Carlile is best known for the eponymous song from the The Story album. "The Story", the song, was used in a General Motors television commercial aired on American and Canadian television showcasing the car company's new line-up of more fuel-efficient cars.^[2] Due to the ad airing heavily during the 2008 Beijing Olympics,^[3] the song increased in downloads. The song was also used in the 2008 commercial for Super Bock, the most popular beer in Portugal, which led to the song reaching number 1 and the album The Story reaching number 4 on the Portuguese charts. "The Story" was also used in a montage of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno during the opening and closing of the Ohio State-Penn State football game on ABC on October 25, 2008, and was also used in a 2010 Tracker television commercial that aired on South African television. "The Story" is currently being used on Connecticut Channel 3 during promotions for the local news. Aside from "The Story" (specifically the cover version by Sara Ramirez), two other Carlile songs (this time from her third album titled Give Up the Ghost) were used for two more episodes of the TV series Grey's Anatomy.

Give Up the Ghost was released in 2009. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Rick Rubin, it featured a collaboration with Elton John on the song "Caroline" as well as Amy Ray, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. In 2010, National Geographic Channel in Latin America chose the song "If There Was No You" from the album as a jingle to promote its series "Grandes Migraciones" (Great Migrations). Also that same year, during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards, Carlile was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Music Artist" for the album.^[4]

In 2011, Carlile's album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony reached number 14 on the Top Rock Albums chart. Carlile's next album, Bear Creek, releasing June 5, 2012, was produced by Trina Shoemaker.^[5]

Early life[link]

At age eight, Carlile performed the song "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother^[6] and began playing the guitar and writing songs at age fifteen.^[7] At sixteen, Carlile was a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator.^[8] According to Carlile she was diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder as a teen and dropped out of school to pursue a music career.^[9]

Career[link]

Brandi Carlile performing in Birmingham, Alabama in 2006.

Carlile began her career performing in Seattle music clubs with the twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth.^[10] Dave Matthews heard her perform at the 2003 Sasquatch! Music Festival and she joined Columbia Records in late 2004 and recorded her album Brandi Carlile the following year.

She was featured on Rolling Stone's list of "10 Artists to Watch in 2005"^[11] and in 2006, toured as an opening act for artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Jonny Lang, Hanson, Indigo Girls, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.^[12]

After two year of touring she recorded her album The Story.^[13] produced by T Bone Burnett.^[14]

In 2007 Carlile performed at the Borderline in London and as guest on Newton Faulkner's on five date UK tour in 2008. She was the opening act for Maroon 5 and OneRepublic during their Australia tour and^[15] in April 2008, she performed on the BBC2 show, Later... with Jools Holland.

Carlile's third studio album, Give Up the Ghost, was released in 2009 and debuted at #26 on the Billboard 200^[16][17][18] The album was produced by Jason Lader and contains a collaboration with Elton John entitled "Caroline".^[17] Carlile will release her fourth studio album, Bear Creek, on June 5th, 2012. The album will consist of 13 tracks and is produced entirely by Trina Shoemaker

She also provided backing vocals on the song "Restless Dream," featured on People and Things, the third studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin.

Charity activities[link]

Carlile worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her 2007 fall tour, as well as her 2009 Give Up the Ghost tour.^[19] She also performed with Ben Taylor in the Eden Presents…Alive in the World concert series for the benefit of Eden Florida, an organization that assists autistic children and adults.^[20]

In 2008, Carlile created The Looking Out Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, in order to provide financial support to various causes that she believes in. The Looking Out Foundation has provided grants to Reverb, the American Diabetes Association, and Honor The Earth, as well as numerous other organizations.^[21] She also donates one dollar from every concert ticket sale to the foundation.^[22]

In an interview in September 2009, Carlile said: "We really work on a community basis and we do everything from helping people pay for funerals to environmental projects. The Looking Out Foundation is a helping hand to any cause we believe in."^[23]

In January 2010, Carlile's Looking Out Foundation partnered with the Seattle Police Department, the Indigo Girls, and two local Seattle self-defense studios to fund and support the Fight the Fear Campaign. The campaign was inspired by the assault on a local Seattle woman and her partner in their South Park home and provided free self-defense lessons to women in at-risk communities throughout 2010.^[24]

Also in 2010, Carlile contributed the track "The Heartache Can Wait" to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: More Hope For The Holidays^[25] album alongside many other names such as Mike Love of The Beach Boys, Weezer, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Proceeds from this album go to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.^[25]

Personal life[link]

Carlile performing in April 2009 in Maine.

In a November 2002 interview, Carlile identified herself as a lesbian^[26] and later told the Los Angeles Times "I don't have to have a lot of formality around it...there were people before me who paved the way."^[27]

Carlile owns a pet Doberman Pinscher ^[28] and a horse^[29] and has AURYN tattoos on her shoulders.^[30]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Brandi Carlile (2005)
• The Story (2007)
• Give Up the Ghost (2009)
• Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony (2011)^[31]
• Bear Creek (2012)

EP and demo[link]

• Room for Me (2000)
• Open Doors (2002)
• We're Growing Up (2003)
• Acoustic (2004)
• Live from Neumo's (2005)
• Live at Easy Street Records (2007)
• Rhapsody Originals (2007) – exclusive acoustic versions recorded for Rhapsody.com
• Ghost Demos (2009) – limited edition EP, distributed with the first 2000 pre-orders of Give Up the Ghost^[32]
• XOBC (2010)

Singles[link]

Awards[link]

In 2010, Brandi Carlile was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Music Artist" for her album Give Up the Ghost during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.^[33] Carlile was the winner of Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award for 2010.^[34]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Seabrook, John (11 October 2010). "The Talk of the Town: Dept. of Visitations: Peekers". The New Yorker 86 (31): 38. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2010/10/11/101011ta_talk_seabrook. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brandi Carlile

• Brandi Carlile official website
• Brandi Carlile official UK website
• Brandi Carlile on Myspace

Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence at the 83rd Academy Awards, February 27, 2011
Born	Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (1990-08-15) August 15, 1990 (age 21) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence^[1] (born August 15, 1990) is an American film and television actress. She had lead roles in TBS's The Bill Engvall Show and in the independent films The Burning Plain and Winter's Bone, for which she received nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Satellite Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award. At age 20, she was the second youngest actress ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She is also known for playing Mystique in X-Men: First Class. In 2012, Lawrence achieved wider recognition starring as the heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel of the same name. Her performance in the film garnered her notable critical praise and marked her as the highest grossing action heroine of all time.^[2][3] Lawrence's performances thus far have prompted Rolling Stone to define her as "the most talented young actress in America."^[4]

Early life[link]

Lawrence was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and has two older brothers. Her parents are Karen (née Koch), who runs a children's camp, and Gary Lawrence, who once owned a concrete construction firm, Lawrence & Associates.^[5][6][7] She acted in local theater^[8] and, by the age of 14, had decided to pursue an acting career, persuading her parents to take her to New York City to find a talent agent. Prior to finding success in Hollywood, Lawrence attended Kammerer Middle School. She graduated from high school two years early with a 3.9 average in order to begin a career in acting.^[5][9] While growing up and in between acting, Lawrence served as an assistant nurse at the children's summer day camp that her mother ran.^[10]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

Lawrence had never taken any drama classes/lessons for acting.^[5] She started out her acting career in the TBS comedy The Bill Engvall Show, playing the eldest daughter of Lauren Pearson. Written and created by Bill Engvall and Michael Leeson, the show is set in a Denver suburb and follows the life of 'Bill Pearson' (played by Engvall), a family counselor whose own family could use a little dose of counseling. The series went on the air in September 2007 and was canceled in 2009 after three seasons. Lawrence received the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Series for her role in the show.

Lawrence had guest-roles in the television series The Devil You Know, Cold Case, Medium, and Monk.^[11]

In 2008, she appeared in a small role in the film Garden Party as Tiff. It was directed by Jason Freeland. The same year, Lawrence appeared on the big screen in Guillermo Arriaga's film directorial debut The Burning Plain, opposite Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. Her performance in the film earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young emerging actor/actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2008.^[12]

Still in 2008, Lawrence had the lead role in another film director's debut, Lori Petty's family drama The Poker House, opposite Selma Blair and Chloë Moretz, where she starred as Agnes, a young girl victim of abuse.^[13] Lawrence was awarded the Los Angeles Film Festival for Outstanding Performance for her role in the film. She appeared in the music video for the song "The Mess I Made", from the 2009 album Losing Sleep by Parachute.

2010–present[link]

Lawrence's lead role in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone, which won best picture at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010, is generally cited as a breakout performance for her.^[14] She portrays Ree Dolly, a seventeen-year-old in the Ozark Mountains who cares for her mentally ill mother and her younger brother and sister. Ree then discovers that her father put their house and land up as a bond for a court appearance before he disappeared, and the family now faces eviction.^[15] The performance was highly acclaimed by film critics. David Denby, writing in The New Yorker, said "the movie would be unimaginable with anyone less charismatic playing Ree."^[16] Peter Travers from the Rolling Stone also spoke highly of her and noted that "her performance is more than acting, it's a gathering storm. Lawrence's eyes are a roadmap to what's tearing Ree apart".^[17] Receiving accolades for her performance, Lawrence was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress on January 25, 2011, becoming the second-youngest actress to date to be nominated for the category,^[18] and also accrued nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Satellite Awards among others.

Lawrence had a role in The Beaver, a dark comedy starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson that was filmed in 2009, but which spent an extended period of time stalled due to controversies surrounding Gibson. It was released on May 6, 2011. Lawrence co-starred in the independent film Like Crazy, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and received a wider release by Paramount Pictures.^[19]

On June 18, 2011, it was announced that Lawrence was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In June 2011, she starred as shape-shifting villain Mystique alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class,^[20] a prequel to the rest of the X-Men film series and will be reprising this role again in the sequel. Lawrence's Mystique is a younger version of the character played by Rebecca Romijn in earlier X-Men films.

She is also set to star alongside Elisabeth Shue in Mark Tonderai's thriller House at the End of the Street,^[21] which completed filming in 2010 and is in post-production.^[22]

Lawrence was cast in David O. Russell's The Silver Linings Playbook, opposite Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. She was originally cast to play "O" in the film Savages directed by Oliver Stone, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

In 2012, Lawrence replaced Angelina Jolie in Susanne Bier's period thriller, The Falling, based on the novel Serena by Ron Rash.^[23][24] She will be playing the role of Serena who learns that she can never bear her husband children and is set out to murder the woman who bore her husband an illegitimate son before their marriage.

[edit] The Hunger Games

In March 2011, Lawrence was offered the part of Katniss Everdeen in the film The Hunger Games, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. Despite being a fan of the books, Lawrence took three days to accept the role because she was initially intimidated by the size of the movie and what it may mean for her fame.^[25] She underwent extensive training to get in shape for the role, including stunt training, archery, rock and tree climbing, combat, running, parkour, pilates, and yoga.^[26][27] The film was released on March 23, 2012, and set the record for the third-largest opening weekend of all time, making a record-breaking $152.5 million in three days for a non-sequel film.^[28]

The fact that The Hunger Games emerged as a big box office hit with a female lead represents a dramatic shift for the action film genre because historically, among the "top 200 worldwide box-office hits ever ($350 million and up), not one has been built around a female action star" and for the first time ever, Lawrence contradicts that.^[29] She is currently the highest grossing action heroine.

Though the film generally received positive reviews, Lawrence's strong portrayal of Katniss Everdeen was the most highly praised with Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter saying Lawrence embodies Katniss, "just as one might imagine her from the novel" and "anchors" the whole film "with impressive gravity and presence", ultimately calling her "the ideal screen actress".^[30] Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times stated that Lawrence is the "best possible performer as Katniss and is the key factor in making 'Hunger Games' an involving popular entertainment with strong narrative drive that holds our attention".^[31] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert also agreed that "Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role".^[32]

Lawrence will start filming the film adaptation of the second novel in the The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, this summer, which is scheduled to be released on November 23, 2013.^[33]

Personal life[link]

Lawrence lived in New York City for the first few years of her career, but now resides in Santa Monica, California.^[5] She likes to paint, knit sweaters and scarves, surf, and play the guitar.^[34][35] She has been dating English actor Nicholas Hoult since 2011.^[36]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jennifer Lawrence at the Internet Movie Database