The Novel That Shaped Contemporary YA Fiction

Suzanne Collins had just wrapped up a five-part fantasy YA series and was looking towards her next project in the early 2000s when she found herself flipping back and forth between competition reality TV and news coverage of the Iraq War. She knew she wanted to continue exploring just war theory for young readers, and this jarring juxtaposition between war and entertainment helped her flesh out an idea that, until then, had not fully taken shape. This idea became The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins’s blockbuster YA dystopian novel about authoritarian rule and resistance. Katniss Everdeen’s story of survival and defiance would go on to change the landscape of contemporary YA fiction and shape pop culture at large, and remains Amazon’s bestselling book of all time. 🎧 Join Rebecca and Jeff on Zero to Well-Read for a discussion of The Hunger Games. Find it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts. Want some Extra Credit? Volunteer as tribute and head into the arena below for more on this bestselling book, series, and adaptation. Whats Up in YA Sign up for What’s Up In YA? to receive all things young adult literature. Sequels and Prequels Having the bestselling b...