Scholastic released the title and cover of the upcoming book by Suzanne Collins set in the Hunger Games world.
'The Hunger Games' was the first book in a trilogy which came to be known as The Hunger Games trilogy. The book was an instant bestseller, and featured on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 260 consecutive weeks, which adds up to over five consecutive years. Currently, there are more than 100 million copies of all three books in the trilogy available in both print and digital formats worldwide. The series was also adapted into a successful movie franchise.
The books are set in a dystopian America, now called Panem, where most of the country lives in poverty while providing for the rich. The world has a cruel practice of pitting 2 children from each region in a televised fight to the death. It is a punishment for a revolt but used as entertainment. The protagonist is a girl who has to participate in this contest.
This prequel is set sixty-four years before the events of the bestselling trilogy. It will start on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games, which is a beautiful parallel, for The Hunger Games started on the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games.
On hearing the book was set 64 years in the past, fans thought the protagonist might be Mags, who was an old lady in the original trilogy but had won the 11th Hunger Games in her youth. Fans calculated it might be her Hunger Games highlighted but it's the one before hers.
The author Suzanne Collins said, “With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days—as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet—provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.”
The book is called 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' and its cover design is eerily reminiscent of 'The Hunger Games' title with its Mockingjay in a circle. Maybe the significance of the mockingjay brooch will be revealed in the series.
“This cover does an extraordinary job of capturing the conflict—both inner and outer—that lies at the heart of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” said David Levithan, VP, Publisher, and Editorial Director for Scholastic. “The mockingjay has returned, but at a new angle . . . which is very much in line with the story that Suzanne Collins is telling.”
Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade said, “Suzanne Collins is an expert storyteller and world-builder, and in revisiting the world of Panem, she again raises important questions about authority, the use of violence, and the truth of human nature.”
'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' is due to release on May 19, 2020.
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