The Hunger Games, I am told, is the new Harry Potter. And like the books in the Harry Potter series, this book controversial. In the case of the Harry Potter series, many people thought that the witchcraft was being glorified and made appealing to young people. Some also thought that the story line and events were also a little dark for youngsters, especially the later books in the series. The dark nature of the story in The Hunger Games is a major criticism of the book.

So just what is the book about and is it really bad for kids?

Story Setting and Background

Panem is essentially what is left of the United States after water has buried much of the south and the west and east coasts. It is made up of twelve districts with each district being responsible for one particular industry (textiles, agriculture, technology, etc.). How the continent came to be covered by so much water and how the nation of Panem was established is not clear. What we know is that it was once made up of thirteen districts and that these thirteen districts had rebelled against the capital, now located on the west side of the continent.

The rebellion is known as "The Dark Days" and to punish the people for the rebellion, the Capitol destroyed District 13 and created "The Hunger Games." For nearly 75 years, each district has had to send two tributes, a male and a female, to the Capitol to participate in the games, as a reminder of the authority of the Capitol and the futility of rebellion.

Calling the event a game is the same as calling the combat of Gladiators of Ancient Rome a game. Combatants battle to the death for the entertainment of more "civilized" spectators. The difference is that the tributes are chosen via a type of lottery from the ranks of children between the ages of 12 and eighteen in each district.

District 12 Characters

The story in the first book of the series centers around characters from District 12, which is located in the Appalachian Mountain area and is responsible for coal. It is the poorest district and the one lying farthest away from the Capitol.

1. Katniss Everdeen is the 16-year-old heroine of story. She and her family live in the poorest area of the already poor district. After the death of her father in a mining accident, she takes on the role of provider for the family. She is both intelligent and what we'd call street smart. She is independent, self-sufficient, and knows how to survive. Each day she goes out hunting in the woods, setting traps and shooting game with her bow and arrow.
2. Prim Everdeen is Katniss's 12-year-old little sister. She is a sweet and caring little girl who loves to save and care for animals, and people. This is the first year her name will be placed in the drawing for the games.
3. Gale Hawthorne is Katniss's best friend and hunting partner. He is 18 and because of the way names are put into the pool, his name has been entered 42 times, increasing his chances of being chosen.
4. Peeta Mellark is the 16-year-old son of a baker. Unlike Katniss, he lives in a a less impoverished section of District 12 and his greatest strengths are his physical strengths from lifting heavy bags of flour and his winning smile and good looks.
5. Haymitch Abernathy is only one of two winners of the Hunger Games to come from District 12. He won 24 years before the story begins and no one from District 12 has won since. As a former winner, his job is to mentor those who are chosen each year for the games. He seems an unlikely and useless mentor since after winning the games, he became an alcoholic.

Storyline

The story opens just before "The Reaping," the event at which tributes are chosen and announced. These events are recorded and televised for audiences throughout Panem. The televising of the reapings is not unlike the episode of "American Idol" where the final 12 contestants are chosen. Attendance at the reapings are mandatory for all residents of the districts across Panem. The only area that does not choose tributes for the games is the Capitol, which is made up of the elites of Panem and gets most of the goods that come from the 12 districts.

Although this is Prim's first year with a chance of being chosen and her name has therefore been submitted only once, she is chosen. Before she can make it to the stage, however, Katniss interrupts the proceedings and volunteers to take Prim's place.

Then while Gale's name has been entered 42 times increasing his chances of being chosen, his name is not picked. Peeta Mellark is chosen instead. In a very short time, the two are on their way to the Capitol for a brief period of training and pampering before they are released to the game arena with the other 10 tributes to kill or be killed.

Once the tributes arrive in the Capitol, we learn more about the games and the districts, including the fact that some of the tributes are known as "career tributes," because they are trained from a very young age to compete and win. Their districts are the ones with the most winners.

The Bottom Line

The book is a bit dark, but probably no darker than those in the Harry Potter series. The more violent scenes are not described in much detail, just enough for us to understand what happened. The book appeals to young adults because they can relate to the struggles of the characters and because they like to see the good winning over the more evil. However, the basic idea of kids fighting each other to the death is a rather disturbing idea and can upset emotionally sensitive kids, especially those in their tweens. But if your child was not upset by the events in the later books in the Harry Potter series, this book is not likely to upset him either. You might also appreciate the positive themes in The Hunger Games. Many are the same themes that can be found in the Harry Potter series.

Read what others have said about "The Hunger Games":
Readers Respond: What do you think of The Hunger Games, Book One in the Hunger Games series?