Harry Potter and Twilight helped lay the foundation for YA readership, but The Hunger Games moved it in a new direction: one that centered entirely on a young woman who propelled her own agenda. Thus, we gathered other young adult authors, who also happen to be enormous fans of her work, to weigh in on both what these books have achieved in the last decade and what they mean to them as both writers and readers. But, as The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes is set to be released, Shondaland wanted to put voice to just how prominent Collins has been in the YA genre. Indeed, her work’s impact speaks for itself. Beyond that, not much more is known about where the story will go, but one thing is for sure: it will only serve to further highlight the influence of Collins and the Hunger Games franchise on the literary world.

Set decades in Panem's past, The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes follows an 18-year-old Snow - years before he becomes the nefarious President Snow - as he mentors a new mentee from District 12 before the 10th Hunger Games. As the unveiling of the title alone produced a wave of excitement at New York Comic Con last year, it’s unsurprising that the first chapter excerpt in Entertainment Weekly raised the chatter further - particularly once the protagonist was revealed as Coriolanus Snow, described as “a teenager born to privilege but searching for something more, a far cry from the man we know he will become.” And now, the upcoming prequel, The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes, is set to release on May 19, continuing the story of dystopian Panem. The companion films have earned more than $3 billion. Of the approximately 675 million books sold annually in the U.S., 80.9 million were juvenile fiction in the first six months of 2018 alone.īy their own merit, The Hunger Games books have sold over 100 million copies worldwide and are translated into 54 languages.

The Hunger Games also cleared the way for a YA tsunami. The book series, and the subsequent movies starring Jennifer Lawrence, challenged our views of female protagonists, class structure, and political involvement - and did so through accessible, engaging stories that, while aimed at young readers, captivated nearly all of the literary world. But, indeed, there was a time when none of it existed.įortunately, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games novels have become YA canon. Twelve years ago, no one knew the name Katniss Everdeen, no one held up their fingers in a mockingjay salute, and no one went around wishing that “the odds be ever in your favor.” That seems unbelievable now, given the impact The Hunger Games has had on our culture and, particularly, young adult literature.

The hunger games by suzanne collins