The Hunger Games trilogy is a series of young adult fiction novels by author Suzanne Collins. A Hunger Games movie is scheduled to be released in 2011. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world called Panem, where teens are chosen in a "lottery" each year to compete in the Hunger Games, which is a televised fight to the death.

The Hunger Games is the first book in the trilogy and was published on September 14, 2008. The second book in the trilogy is Catching Fire, which was published on September 1, 2009. The third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy is called Mockingjay and is scheduled to be released on August 24, 2010.http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/ http://shelf-life.ew.com/2010/02/11/final-hunger-games-novel-has-been-given-a-title-and-a-cover/

HUNGER GAMES MOVIE

The Hunger Games movie could turn out to be the next Twilight, due to its huge following among teens and pre-teens.http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/03/03/is_the_hunger_games_the_next_twilight In fact, Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight, even recommended The Hunger Games series to her fans.http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/ And although The Hunger Games story does not involve vampires, there are werewolf-like creatures and a love triangle.

The movie rights for the Hunger Games were picked up by Lionsgate in March 2009.http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=53788 The Hunger Games movie is scheduled to be released in 2011.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/ The cast has not yet been announced.

Following is a synopsis of The Hunger Games, the first book in the trilogy.

Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and 12-year-old sister, Prim, in the poverty-stricken District 12 known as the Seam. They live in a nation called Panem that consists of 12 districts and is located in what used to be known as North America. Katniss keeps her family from starving by hunting in the forbidden woods near her home along with her best friend, a boy named Gale Hawthorne. Katniss’ father taught her survival skills and how to use weapons at a young age before he was killed in a mine explosion five years earlier. The forbidden meadow is the only place where Katniss and Gale can speak openly and be themselves.

There were once 13 districts in Panem. But many years ago the districts tried to rebel against the Capitol and lost. As a result District 13 was obliterated and the other 12 districts were defeated into submission. As punishment for the uprising, each year the 12 districts must each choose one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, called tributes, to compete in a televised fight to the death called the Hunger Games. The 24 tributes are then dropped off in a vast outdoor arena that contains various terrains including a forest, a desert, and a frozen wasteland. Then over a period of weeks, the Hunger Games tributes must survive against the elements and fight each other to the death. The last tribute standing wins a life a luxury.

When District 12 draws its first name from the thousands of entries, it is Prim who is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games. However, Katniss volunteers to take her younger sister’s place. The next name chosen take part in the Hunger Games is 16-year-old Peeta Mellark, a boy that Katniss knows from school. Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol to be groomed, prepared and put on public display. With cameras following their every move, Peeta reveals on-air that he has always been in love with Katniss. Katniss assumes that Peeta is playing to the audience in an effort to gain sympathy from audience members who are permitted to send gifts to the tributes during the Hunger Games. So Katniss plays along pretending to also be in love with Peeta.

When the Hunger Games begin, Peeta and Katniss are separated. When Katniss finally finds Peeta, he appears to be working cooperatively with other district tributes. Katniss later finds out that this was just a ploy for Peeta to keep Katniss safe. Later Katniss and Peeta team up and end up being the last two survivors of the game. But since the rules state that there can be only one winner, they both threaten to commit suicide. This forces the Capitol to declare them both as winners.

Katniss and Peeta return home to celebrations and parades, but both knowing that they have upset the Capitol. Katniss and Peeta are unsure what the Capitol will do to them or their families. Katniss is also unsure about her feelings towards Peeta. Was it just an act? And what about her feelings towards her long-time friend, Gale?