Panem
Panem is a nation created from the ashes of North America after wars, fires, droughts and disasters ravaged the land. Panem consists of a Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, whose people work for survival and bring prosperity to the Capitol citizens. Around seventy years ago the Dark Days ensued, the districts revolted against the Capitol and the result was twelve districts defeated and the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason was then established, implementing new laws and the Hunger Games to guarantee peace between the districts and the Capitol. The people in the districts must not only participate but celebrate the Hunger Games, an annual ‘game’ where each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy from the ages of 12 to 18, nicknamed tributes, to be imprisoned in an outdoor arena and fight to the death. The games are a publicised event with round the clock coverage and mandatory viewing. The last remaining tribute is crowned victor, the reward and requirement for victors is that they will receive a generous income for the remainder of their life but they also have to mentor the tributes from their district each Hunger Game.
The first Hunger Games book tells the story of a 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen who lives in District 12, home of the coal mining slaves. Katniss finds herself volunteering as a tribute in the Games in place of her little sister Primrose Everdeen. If she is to survive the arena Katniss must outsmart the Career tributes, read between the lines with her mentor Haymitch and pretend to be in love with her district 12 counterpart, Peeta Mellark. When they are the last two standing, rather than killing Peeta, Katniss proposes a double suicide with poisonous berries. But the Capitol must have a Victor...
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After Katniss and Peeta are both crowned Victors they come home to find that some of the districts are in a state of unrest and it is their job to calm the tension. On the Victory Tour Katniss and Peeta find that they can do little to calm the people of Panem, it is clear that their suffering has been too long and too harsh. When Katniss and Peeta find themselves thrown back into the arena with the other district Victors, all thoughts of rebellion are discarded. However, when the arena forcefield is blown up and District 13 arrives, the uprising begins.
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Katniss Everdeen awakes after being rescued from the arena to find that District 13 is alive, District 12 has been demolished and Peeta Mellark has been taken hostage by the Capitol. The districts are openly at war with the Capitol and Katniss realizes that she has been unknowingly used as the symbol and pawn of the rebellion. Katniss is outraged at the betrayal and manipulation by those she called friends. However, in order to save Peeta, defeat the oppressive Capitol and change the future of Panem. Katniss must fulfil the role designed for her, she must become the rebels Mockingjay.
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