The Hunger Games ( novel ) - wikipedia The Hunger Games ( novel ) The Hunger Games North American first edition cover Author Suzanne Collins Cover artist Tim O'Brien Country United States Language English Series The Hunger Games trilogy Genre Adventure Dystopian Science fiction Published September 14, 2008 ( Scholastic Press ) Media type Print ( hardcover, paperback ) Pages 374 ISBN 978 - 0 - 439 - 02352 - 8 OCLC 181516677 LC Class PZ7. C6837 Hun 2008 Followed by Catching Fire The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the voice of 16 - year - old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 -- 18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death. The book received mostly positive responses from major reviewers and authors. It was praised for its plot and character development. In writing The Hunger Games, Collins drew upon Greek mythology, Roman gladiatorial games, and contemporary reality television for thematic content. The novel won many awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, and was named one of Publishers Weekly 's `` Best Books of the Year '' in 2008. The Hunger Games was first published in hardcover on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic, featuring a cover designed by Tim O'Brien. It has since been released in paperback and also as an audiobook and ebook. After an initial print of 200,000, the book had sold 800,000 copies by February 2010. Since its release, The Hunger Games has been translated into 26 languages, and publishing rights have been sold in 38 territories. The novel is the first in The Hunger Games trilogy, followed by Catching Fire ( 2009 ) and Mockingjay ( 2010 ). A film adaptation, directed by Gary Ross and co-written and co-produced by Collins herself, was released in 2012. Contents 1 Background 2 Plot 3 Themes 4 Publication history 5 Critical reception 6 Film adaptation 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Background Collins has said that the inspiration for 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. The Greek myth of Theseus served as a major basis for the story, with Collins describing Katniss as a futuristic Theseus, and Roman gladiatorial games provided the framework. The sense of loss that Collins developed through her father 's service in the Vietnam War was also an influence on the story, with Katniss having lost her father at age 11, five years before the story begins. Collins stated that the deaths of young characters and other `` dark passages '' were the most difficult parts of the book to write, but that she had accepted that passages such as these were necessary to the story. She considered the moments where Katniss reflects on happier moments in her past to be more enjoyable. Plot See also : The Hunger Games universe The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, established in North America after the destruction of the continent 's civilization by an unknown apocalyptic event. The nation consists of the wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts under the Capitol 's dictatorial control. The Capitol exploits the districts for their natural resources and cheap labour. District 12 is in the coal - rich region that was once Appalachia, while the Capitol is in the Rocky Mountains. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a contest in which the `` tributes '' must fight to the death in an outdoor arena until only one remains. The event is televised. The story is narrated by 16 - year - old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games in place of her 12 - year - old sister, Primrose. The male tribute is Peeta Mellark, a former schoolmate of Katniss who once gave her bread from his family 's bakery when her family was starving. Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol. In the few days before the Games start, they are advised and supported by a team consisting of their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, the sole living District 12 victor of the Hunger Games ; Effie Trinket ; and two fashion stylists and three prep workers who help each tribute look his or her best. Katniss 's stylist, Cinna, is the only person at the Capitol she considers a friend. They are also introduced to the general public, given some training, and evaluated by the Gamemakers. Katniss and, to a lesser extent, Peeta set themselves apart from the other tributes. Rue, the petite 12 - year - old girl tribute from District 11, takes to following them around. Each tribute is interviewed on television by Caesar Flickerman ; they use the opportunity to try to obtain `` sponsors '', who can send them potentially life - saving gifts during the Games. In his interview, Peeta reveals his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. At first, Katniss believes this is simply a ploy to gain sponsors and make her let her guard down. ( Much later, she comes to accept he is sincere. ) Haymitch promotes their image as `` star - crossed lovers ''. Nearly half the tributes are killed in the first day of the Games, fighting over the weapons and supplies strewn around their starting point. Katniss nearly dies, ignoring Haymitch 's advice to flee immediately. She uses her well - practiced hunting and survival skills to hide in the woods. A few days later, an artificial fire drives Katniss toward the others. She is spotted and treed by the `` Careers '' ( tributes from the richer, loyal districts who have trained intensively for the Games )... and Peeta, who seems to have allied with them. Rue is hiding in a nearby tree. Silently, she directs Katniss 's attention to a trackerjacker nest. Katniss saws through the branch holding the nest, sending it plummeting down. The venom of the flying insects kills one girl and drives the others away. However, Katniss is stung herself and begins hallucinating. Peeta returns, but instead of killing her, he tells her to run away. She and Rue become allies and friends, but Rue is later fatally wounded by another tribute, whom Katniss kills with an arrow. Katniss sings to Rue until she dies and spreads flowers over the body to show her defiance against the Capitol. In an unprecedented move, Rue 's district sends Katniss a gift of bread. Then a rule change is announced, allowing the tributes from the same district to win as a couple. Katniss finds and nurses a seriously wounded Peeta, while continuing to act the part of a girl in love to gain gifts. When the Gamemakers announce that what each contestant needs most will be provided at a feast, Katniss risks her life to obtain medicine for Peeta. She is pinned to the ground by Clove, who gloats about Rue while toying with the helpless Katniss. That talk costs Clove her life, however ; Thresh, the male District 11 tribute, kills her, but spares Katniss - once - for Rue 's sake. The medicine saves Peeta 's life. Finally, Katniss and Peeta are the last two survivors, but the Gamemakers cancel the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, in which one must kill the other. Instead, Katniss defiantly retrieves highly poisonous `` nightlock '' berries and offers half to Peeta. Realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that they are the victors of the 74th Hunger Games. Although she receives a hero 's welcome, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a target after defying the Capitol so publicly. Afterward, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that her actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to gain sympathy from the audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings. Themes The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins in 2010 In an interview with Collins, it was noted that the novel `` tackles issues like severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war among others. '' The novel 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. The citizens ' starvation and their need for resources, 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 needs to hunt to provide food for her family, resulting in the development of skills that are useful to her in the Games ( such as her proficiency with the bow and arrow ), and represents her rejection of the Capitol 's rules in the face of life - threatening situations. On the subject of the Games ' parallels with popular culture, Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly writes that the book `` is an incisive satire of reality television shows '', and that the character of Cinna `` almost seems like a contestant on a fascist version of Project Runway, using Katniss ' outfits as a vehicle to express potentially dangerous ideas. '' The choices the characters make and the strategies they use are often morally complex. The tributes build a personality they want the audience to see throughout the Games. Library journal Voice of Youth Advocates names the major themes of The Hunger Games as `` government control, ' big brother ', and personal independence. '' The trilogy 's theme of power and downfall, similar to that of Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar, was pointed out by its publisher Scholastic. Laura Miller of The New Yorker finds 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 -- to be unconvincing. `` You do n'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 ''. Miller writes : `` 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 do n'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. '' Donald Brake from The Washington Times and pastor Andy Langford state 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. 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. '' Simpson also points to events similar to the Passion of Jesus ; in the Games, `` Christ figure '' Peeta Mellark is stabbed after 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. Further, she finds that the Christian image of the Bread of Life is used throughout The Hunger Games ; in the story, Peeta gives Katniss a loaf of bread, saving the girl and her family from starvation. Publication History After writing the novel, Collins signed a six - figure deal for three books with Scholastic. First published as a hardcover in the United States on September 14, 2008, The Hunger Games had a first printing of 50,000 copies, which was bumped up twice to 200,000 copies. By February 2010, the book had sold 800,000 copies, and rights to the novel had been sold in 38 territories worldwide. A few months later, in July, the book was released in paperback. The Hunger Games entered the New York Times Best Seller list in November 2008, where it would feature for over 100 consecutive weeks. By the time the film adaptation of The Hunger Games was released in March 2012, the book had been on USA Today 's best - sellers list for 135 consecutive weeks and has sold over 17.5 million copies. The novel is the first in The Hunger Games trilogy ; it is followed by sequels Catching Fire ( 2009 ) and Mockingjay ( 2010 ). In March 2012, during the time of The Hunger Games film 's release, Scholastic reported 26 million Hunger Games trilogy books in print, including movie tie - in books. The Hunger Games ( and its sequels ) have sold exceptionally well in ebook format. Suzanne Collins is the first children 's or young adult author to sell over one million Amazon Kindle ebooks, making her the sixth author to join the `` Kindle Million Club ''. In March 2012, Amazon announced that Collins had become the best - selling Kindle ebook author of all time. An audiobook version of The Hunger Games was released in December 2008. Read by the actress Carolyn McCormick, it has a total running time of eleven hours and fourteen minutes. 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. '' School Library Journal also praised the audiobook, stating that `` 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. '' The Tim O'Brien - designed cover features a gold `` mockingjay '' -- a fictional bird in The Hunger Games born by crossbreeding female mockingbirds and genetically engineered male `` jabberjays '' -- with an arrow engraved in a circle. This is a depiction of the pin worn by Katniss into the arena, given to her by the District 12 mayor 's daughter, Madge Undersee. The image matches the description of the pin that is given in the novel, 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. '' Critical reception The Hunger Games has received critical acclaim. 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, while allegorically rich, the book sometimes does not realize the allegorical potential that the plot has to offer and that the writing `` described the action and little else. '' Time magazine 's review was also positive, stating that it `` is a chilling, bloody and thoroughly horrifying book '' and praising what it called the `` hypnotic '' quality of the violence. In Stephen King 's review for Entertainment Weekly, he 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 a B grade. Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal praised the novel, saying it is `` exciting, poignant, thoughtful, and breathtaking by turns '', and called it one of the best books of 2008. Booklist also gave a positive review, praising the character violence and romance involved in the book. 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 ''. 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. 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. '' The Hunger Games received many awards and honors. It was named one of Publishers Weekly 's `` Best Books of the Year '' in 2008 and a The New York Times `` Notable Children 's Book of 2008 ''. It was the 2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category. The Hunger Games was also a `` 2008 Cybil Winner '' for fantasy and science - fiction books along with The Graveyard Book, one of School Library Journal 's `` Best Books 2008 '', and a `` Booklist Editors ' Choice '' in 2008. In 2011, the book won the California Young Reader Medal. 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 ''. The novel is one of the top 5 best selling Kindle books of all time. However, the novel has also been controversial with parents ; it ranked in fifth place on the American Library Association 's list of frequently challenged books for 2010, with `` unsuited to age group '' and `` violence '' being among the reasons cited. Similarities of The Hunger Games to Koushun Takami 's 1999 novel Battle Royale have been noted. Collins stated that she `` 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 do n'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 '' of Battle Royale 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. '' Stephen King noted that the reality TV `` badlands '' were similar to Battle Royale, as well as his own novels The Running Man and The Long Walk. Film adaptation Main article : The Hunger Games ( film ) In March 2009, Lions Gate Entertainment entered into a co-production agreement for The Hunger Games with Nina Jacobson 's production company Color Force, which had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the novel a few weeks earlier. The studio, which had not made a profit for five years, raided the budgets of other productions and sold assets to secure a budget of $88,000,000 -- one of its largest ever -- for the film. Collins ' agent Jason Dravis remarked that `` they ( Lionsgate ) had everyone but the valet call us '' to help secure the franchise. Intending the film to have a PG - 13 rating, Collins adapted the novel for film herself, in collaboration with screenwriter Billy Ray and director Gary Ross. The screenplay remains extremely faithful to the original novel, with Ross saying he `` felt the only way to make the film really successful was to be totally subjective '' in its presentation of events, echoing Collins ' use of first person present in the novel. Twenty - year - old actress Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to play Katniss Everdeen. Though Lawrence was four years older than the character when filming began, Collins felt the role demanded `` a certain maturity and power '' and said she would rather the actress be older than younger. She added that Lawrence was the `` only one who truly captured the character I wrote in the book '' and that she had `` every essential quality necessary to play Katniss. '' Lawrence, a fan of the books, took three days to accept the role, initially intimidated by the size of the production. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth were later added to the cast, in the roles of Peeta and Gale, respectively. Production began in late spring 2011 and the film was released on March 23, 2012. The film 's opening weekend brought in a non-sequel record $152.5 million ( USD ) in North America. The Hunger Games : Catching Fire, based on the second novel in the series, was released the following year on November 22, 2013. See also Children 's literature portal Novels portal 2000s portal Book : The Hunger Games The Condemned Crypteia The Most Dangerous Game Series 7 : The Contenders `` The Lottery '' References Jump up ^ `` Mockingjay proves the Hunger Games is must - read literature ''. io9. August 26, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Sellers, John A. ( June 9, 2008 ). `` A dark horse breaks out : the buzz is on for Suzanne Collins 's YA series debut ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 12, 2010. Jump up ^ Margolis, Rick ( September 1, 2008 ). `` A Killer Story : An Interview with Suzanne Collins, Author of ' The Hunger Games ' ''. School Library Journal. Retrieved October 16, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` The Most Difficult Part '' ( Video ). Scholastic. Retrieved February 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Blasingame, James. `` The Hunger Games. '' Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 52, no. 8, 2009, p. 724 +. Academic OneFile, Accessed 6 Dec. 2016. Jump up ^ Collins, Suzanne ( 2008 ). The Hunger Games. Scholastic. p. 41. ISBN 0 - 439 - 02348 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Mockingjay ( The Hunger Games # 3 ) ''. Powell 's Books. Retrieved February 25, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Hartmann, Cristina ( October 21, 2011 ). `` What, If Anything, Does The Hunger Games Series Teach Us About Strategy ? ''. Forbes. Retrieved January 11, 2012. Jump up ^ Franich, Darren ( October 6, 2010 ). `` ' The Hunger Games ' : How reality TV explains the YA sensation ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Barnes & Noble, The Hunger Games ( Editorial Reviews ) ''. Retrieved September 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Hunger Games trilogy Discussion Guide '' ( PDF ). Scholastic. Retrieved January 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Miller, Laura ( June 14, 2010 ). `` Fresh Hell : What 's behind the boom in dystopian fiction for young readers ? ''. The New Yorker. Retrieved September 3, 2012. Jump up ^ Brake, Donald ( March 31, 2012 ). `` The religious and political overtones of Hunger Games ''. The Washington Times. Retrieved April 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Groover, Jessica ( March 21, 2012 ). `` Pastors find religious themes in ' Hunger Games ' ''. Independent Tribune. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Simpson, Amy ( March 22, 2012 ). `` Jesus in ' The Hunger Games ' ''. Christianity Today. Retrieved September 1, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Roback, Diane ( February 11, 2010 ). `` ' Mockingjay ' to Conclude the Hunger Games Trilogy ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 12, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Suzanne Collins 's Third Book in The Hunger Games Trilogy to be Published on August 24, 2010 ''. Scholastic. December 3, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Children 's Best Sellers : Chapter Books : Sunday, November 2, 2008 ''. The New York Times. November 2, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008. Jump up ^ Schuessler, Jennifer ( September 5, 2010 ). `` Children 's Chapter Books ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` USA TODAY 's Best - Selling Books list ''. USA Today. Retrieved March 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ' Hunger Games ' books : More than 36.5 M in print in the U.S. alone ''. Entertainment Weekly. Jump up ^ Springen, Karen ( March 22, 2012 ). `` The Hunger Games Franchise : The Odds Seem Ever in Its Favor ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved April 11, 2012. Jump up ^ Colby, Edward B. ( June 6, 2011 ). `` Hunger Games joins Amazon Kindle Million Club ''. International Business Times. Retrieved June 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Hungry for Hunger Games : Amazon.com Reveals the Top Cities in the U.S. Reading The Hunger Games Trilogy ''. Retrieved March 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Hunger Games audiobook ''. Audible.com. Retrieved December 7, 2010. Jump up ^ `` AudioFile audiobook review : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Read by Carolyn McCormick ''. AudioFile. December 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2010. Jump up ^ Osborne, Charli ( April 1, 2009 ). `` Multimedia Review ''. School Library Journal. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Weiss, Sabrina Rojas ( February 11, 2010 ). `` ' Mockingjay ' : We 're Judging ' Hunger Games ' Book Three By Its Cover ''. Hollywood Crush. Archived from the original on December 25, 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2010. Jump up ^ Collins, Suzanne ( 2008 ). The Hunger Games. Scholastic. p. 42. ISBN 0 - 439 - 02348 - 3. Jump up ^ Green, John ( November 7, 2008 ). `` Scary New World ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2008. Jump up ^ Grossman, Lev ( September 7, 2009 ). `` Review : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ''. Time. Retrieved December 7, 2010. ^ Jump up to : King, Stephen ( September 8, 2008 ). `` Book Review : The Hunger Games ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 26, 2010. Jump up ^ Bird, Elizabeth ( June 28, 2008 ). `` Review of the Day : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ''. School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Goldsmith, Francisca ( September 1, 2008 ). `` The Hunger Games ''. Booklist. Retrieved December 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` The Hunger Games : Editor Review ''. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Riordan, Rick. `` Home -- Suzanne Collins ''. Retrieved April 23, 2012. Jump up ^ Meyer, Stephanie ( September 17, 2008 ). `` September 17, 2008 ''. The Official Website of Stephanie Meyer. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2012. Jump up ^ `` PW 's Best Books of the Year ''. Publishers Weekly. November 3, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Notable Children 's Books of 2008 ''. The New York Times. November 28, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Golden Duck Past Winners ''. GoldenDuckAwards.com. November 27, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Cybils : The 2008 Cybils Winners ''. Cybils.com. February 14, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2010. Jump up ^ `` School Library Journal 's Best Books 2008 ''. School Library Journal. December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Booklist Editors ' Choice : Books for Youth, 2008 ''. Booklist. January 1, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Winners ''. California Young Reader Medal. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 100 Greatest Books for Kids ''. Scholastic. Retrieved February 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Lee, Stephan ( February 15, 2012 ). `` ' Charlotte 's Web ' tops list of ' 100 great books for kids ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 19, 2012. Jump up ^ Schwarze, Kelly ( November 20, 2012 ). `` The 5 Best - Selling Kindle Books of All Time ''. Mashable. Retrieved November 21, 2012. Jump up ^ Barak, Lauren ( October 19, 2010 ). `` New Hampshire Parent Challenges ' The Hunger Games ' ''. School Library Journal. Retrieved March 13, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2010 ''. American Library Association. Retrieved December 11, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Fujita, Akiko ( 22 March 2012 ). `` ' The Hunger Games, ' a Japanese Original ? ''. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved 25 May 2016. Jump up ^ Dominus, Susan ( April 8, 2011 ). `` Suzanne Collins 's War Stories for Kids ''. The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit ( March 17, 2009 ). `` Lionsgate picks up ' Hunger Games ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Sellers, John A. ( March 12, 2009 ). `` Hungry ? The Latest on ' The Hunger Games ' ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Box Office History for Lionsgate Movies ''. Retrieved April 25, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Lions Gate Has a Hit with ' Hunger Games. ' Can It Turn a Profit ? ''. The Daily Beast. April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` How Lions Gate won ' Hunger Games ' ''. Reuters. March 23, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Hopkinson, Deborah ( September 2009 ). `` A riveting return to the world of ' The Hunger Games ' ''. BookPage. Retrieved June 30, 2010. Jump up ^ Springen, Karen ( August 5, 2010 ). `` Marketing ' Mockingjay ' ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Sperling, Nicole ; Fritz, Ben ( April 12, 2012 ). `` Hunger Games director Gary Ross bows out of sequel ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ `` A Game of Trust ''. Writers Guild of America. March 23, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Murphy, Mekado ( March 30, 2012 ). `` Gary Ross answers reader questions about ' The Hunger Games ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Joshua L. Weinstein ( March 16, 2011 ). `` Jennifer Lawrence Gets Lead Role in ' The Hunger Games ' ''. The Wrap. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Staskiewicz, Keith ( March 17, 2011 ). `` ' Hunger Games ' : Is Jennifer Lawrence the Katniss of your dreams ? ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Valby, Karen ( March 17, 2011 ). `` ' Hunger Games ' director Gary Ross talks about ' the easiest casting decision of my life ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Franich, Darren ( March 21, 2011 ). `` ' Hunger Games ' : Suzanne Collins talks Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ `` 9 Untold Secrets of the High Stakes ' Hunger Games ' ''. The Hollywood Reporter. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012. Jump up ^ Galloway, Steven ( February 1, 2012 ). `` Jennifer Lawrence : A Brand - New Superstar ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Weinstein, Joshua L. ( March 16, 2011 ). `` Exclusive : Jennifer Lawrence Gets Lead Role in ' The Hunger Games ' ''. The Wrap. Retrieved March 17, 2011. Jump up ^ Sperling, Nicole ( April 4, 2011 ). `` ' The Hunger Games ' : Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth complete the love triangle ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Valby, Karen ( January 6, 2011 ). `` ' Hunger Games ' exclusive : Why Gary Ross got the coveted job, and who suggested Megan Fox for the lead role ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 8, 2011. Jump up ^ Valby, Karen ( January 25, 2011 ). `` ' The Hunger Games ' gets release date ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 25, 2011. Jump up ^ Barnes, Brook ( March 25, 2012 ). `` Hunger Games Ticket Sales Set Record ''. New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Terri ( November 17, 2011 ). `` '' The Hunger Games '' sequel eyes a new screenwriter, director Gary Ross will return ``. IFC News. Retrieved December 2, 2011. External links Suzanne Collins 's official website Scholastic Official Site The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins Book series The Hunger Games Catching Fire Mockingjay Film series The Hunger Games The Hunger Games : Catching Fire The Hunger Games : Mockingjay -- Part 1 The Hunger Games : Mockingjay -- Part 2 Accolades Cast Characters Katniss Everdeen Peeta Mellark Music The Hunger Games `` Safe & Sound '' `` Eyes Open '' Catching Fire `` Atlas '' `` We Remain '' `` Elastic Heart '' `` Who We Are '' Mockingjay ( Part 1 ) `` Yellow Flicker Beat '' `` All My Love '' `` The Hanging Tree '' `` Meltdown '' Other Fictional universe of The Hunger Games Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Hunger_Games_(novel)&oldid=837818909 '' Categories : Dystopian novels 2008 science fiction novels 2008 American novels American adventure novels American novels adapted into films American post-apocalyptic novels American young adult novels Children 's science fiction novels Scholastic Corporation books The Hunger Games Sports in fiction Novels set in North America Books by Suzanne Collins Hidden categories : Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages Featured articles Use mdy dates from January 2015 Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Български Bosanski Català Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Galego 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌹𐍃𐌺 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Кыргызча Latviešu Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Scots සිංහල Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 36 more Edit links This page was last edited on 23 April 2018, at 06 : 50. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was the first hunger games book published
Answer: 2008; September 14, 2008; September 14, 2008; 2008; September 14, 2008