The Hunger Games

This article is about the book series. For its first installment, see The Hunger Games (novel). For other uses, see The Hunger Games (disambiguation).

The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games box set image
AuthorSuzanne Collins
IllustratorTim O'Brien (cover art)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre
PublisherScholastic
Published
  • 2008–2010
  • 2020
2025
Media type
No. of books3 originals, 2 prequels
Websitewww.suzannecollinsbooks.com

The Hunger Games are a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, with a prequel set 64 years before the original series. The Hunger Games universe is a dystopia set in Panem, a North American country consisting of the wealthy Capitol and 13 districts in varying states of poverty. Every year, two children, one boy and one girl, from the first 12 districts are selected via lottery to participate in a compulsory televised subjugation, disguised as battle royale death match called The Hunger Games. The minimum age requirement for being able to participate in The Hunger Games is 12, and the number of tickets put into the lottery increases by one every year. However, for every one ticket put into the lottery, that person would get one set of rations. Aided by nuclear weaponry, the last district instead successfully rebelled against the Capitol and moved underground following a secret peace treaty.[1]

The novels in the trilogy are titled The Hunger Games (2008), Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010). Each was adapted into a film, forming The Hunger Games film series, with Mockingjay split into two feature-length motion pictures. The first two books were both New York Times best sellers, and Mockingjay topped all US bestseller lists upon its release.[2][3] By the time the film adaptation of The Hunger Games was released in 2012, over 26 million copies of the trilogy were in print, including movie tie-in books.[4] As of 2023, the series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and continues to be a significant influence in young adult literature and popular culture.[5][6]

The novels were all well received. In August 2012, the series ranked second, exceeded only by the Harry Potter series in NPR’s poll of the top 100 teen novels.[7] On August 17, 2012, Amazon announced the Hunger Games trilogy as its top seller, surpassing the record previously held by the Harry Potter series.[8] As of 2014, the trilogy has sold more than 65 million copies in the U.S. alone, with The Hunger Games selling over 28 million copies, Catching Fire over 19 million, and Mockingjay over 18 million. The series has been sold in 56 territories and translated into 51 languages.[9]

A prequel novel, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, about the early days of the Hunger Games, featuring a young Coriolanus Snow as the protagonist, was released on May 19, 2020.[10] By 2023, the prequel had sold over 3.5 million copies in North America and was available in 39 languages across 39 territories.[11]

  1. ^ Collins, Suzanne (2009). Catching Fire. Scholastic Inc. p. 146. ISBN 9780545586177.
  2. ^ Cowles, Gregory (December 27, 2009). "Children's Books". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
  3. ^ "Mockingjay Tops All National Bestseller Lists with Sales of More Than 450,000 Copies in its First Week of Publication" (Press release). Scholastic. September 2, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Springen, Karen (March 22, 2012). "The Hunger Games Franchise: The Odds Seem Ever in Its Favor". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  5. ^ "The Hunger Games Novel Series Statistics". WordsRated. May 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "Scholastic to Publish Paperback Editions of Hunger Games Prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" (Press release). Scholastic. April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels" (Press release). NPR. August 7, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Bosman, Julie (August 17, 2012). "Amazon Crowns 'Hunger Games' as Its Top Seller, Surpassing Harry Potter Series". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "'Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' Set for World Premiere in London". TheWrap. October 16, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  10. ^ Knight, Rosie (June 17, 2019). "Will New 'Hunger Games' Be Relevant in 2020?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  11. ^ "Scholastic to Publish Paperback Editions of Hunger Games Prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes". Scholastic. April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024.