14 September, 2008. The Hunger Games was published. And the next two books released, each within a gap of a year.
/FUN FACT: Mockingjay was published on my 7th birthday. Though I wasn’t aware of its existence until 4 years later./
And this series revolutionised this genre. For years after its release, so many other young adult dystopian novels with strong female protagonists took root. But the thing is, Suzanne Collins didn’t flaunt it. She wrote 3 ah-may-zing books (and though there were some previous works of her’s, I haven’t read any). And then disappeared. She was never problematic in media’s eye. She didn’t give further statements on her books. She never gave much detail about her private life either. She came, she conquered, and she left. But her legacy lives on!
The “spark” in this entire series is that, no matter how many times you read the books over, you always discover something new. Or at least read something that didn’t stick in your memory the first 300 times. Like, I was reading Mockingjay recently. And I didn’t know Haymitch had a younger brother or a girl to return to after the games he was reaped in. Or that his family was killed by Snow. So there you go. Either this book is just pure magic, or my memory is very unstable. And I prefer the former.
And now to the enigma part. There were a lot of questions left unanswered. And so many characters whose story we would have LOVED to know.
First of all, Cinna. That strong, amazing soul. I loved him. I want to know all about him. Why isn’t he like the rest of the Capitol citizens? Why does he somehow remind me of Katniss’ dad? Why did he pick District 12 for the 74th Hunger Games? How did he come to be associated with the rebels? And the saddest, how did he die? I want to know all there is about Cinna.
Oh and the best love story. And no, I’m not talking about the love triangle. Finnick and Annie. Annie and Finnick. How did they fall in love? I desperately want a novel from Finnick’s POV about the 65th Games and his life after his return and Annie. And the entire Catching Fire and Mockingjay in his words. A wish that would never be fulfilled, I suppose. But my love for Finnick is eternal. (And I just LOVE how perfect Sam Claflin was for his role, IMO).
And Johanna Mason. What happened to everyone she loved? How was her life in 7? And can we take a moment to appreciate Jena Malone, BTW? Actually, come to think of it, a lot of the actors portrayed the character as much as a movie could do justice to a book. One of the things that irked me was their ages, but it’s better than the horrors done to Percy Jackson.
Also, I want to read a novel in Haymitch’s POV too. About his Quarter Quell. Or some of the kids he was a mentor to. Life in District 12 back then. About his “sweetheart” (*wink wink*).
And who was Katniss’ dad? How was their life back then? Maybe a novella about her parents? (Hey, I can dream… *shrugs*)
Why. I even want to know about how Panem was formed. How the Capitol came into power. The Dark Days. The first Hunger Games. Snow’s reign. District 13’s struggle after it was supposedly wiped off. You know what I want? A history book. Complete History of Panem. The Hunger Games: A History. I want to know everything.
And now, we at least have a prequel to look forward to. But I want a sequel too. I want to know about Toast’s { Katniss (girl on FIRE) + Peeta (boy with the BREAD = TOAST } children. Who do they grow up? When do they learn about their parents’ parts in their history? What happened to Gale? Annie and her son? How is Katniss’ mom doing?
Like I said. An enigma. A series that leaves a feeling of satisfaction once you close the book after the epilogue, but with the lingering tendrils of mystery still curled around your spine.
Supernova 