Inexplicable, the Hunger Games phenomenon?

Children slaughter each other in an arena. That's the theme of this new bestseller, which, with some 100 million readers in the United States, now rivals such monster hits as Harry Potter and Twilight. While young people are fighting over the books, parents are pulling out their hair. Because with Hunger Games, literature for teenagers takes a new step. We move away from vampires and magical worlds to get closer to the reality of teenagers and to captivate them more. The violence takes place in a futuristic, yet believable world; no longer magical, it is now raw and tangible. What is it that makes a macabre story so appealing to this wide audience?

Here we are in the America of the future. A devastated, post-apocalyptic America, renamed "Panem", where civilians are under the cruel yoke of a rich government. The government has divided the territory into 13 "districts", all at different levels of poverty and misery. Of these 13 districts, 12 have rebelled against the government in the past, and since then, it is repression. Every year, these districts must provide a teenage boy and girl, who will fight to the death in a huge natural arena. This fight is filmed and broadcast like a live TV series, and everyone has a civil duty to watch the "game".

This year, Katniss's little sister, our heroine, was chosen to participate in the games. Katniss, who has been supporting her family since she could handle a bow, immediately volunteers in her place. In doing so, she enters the horror of these "hunger games", where to attract donations from the audience and have a better chance of surviving, she must charm by acting like a star: smiling broadly, answering interviews, parading around in extravagant dresses, even inventing a love story with her male counterpart. Each participant has a mentor who guides and advises them on the attitude to adopt. Some play hard to give an image of confidence, others try to make pity to attract donations. All the tricks are allowed. A huge show like Loft Story which conceals the worst human hypocrisy...

Anyone can relate to this synopsis: these children could well be yours. And if we are, like me, young and in the target clientele, we could even soon be in their place. This dictatorship represents a fear of our time. And in this grandiose setting where young people parade in futuristic designer clothes (Katniss puts on her first appearance to the public a dress that seems to catch fire), the violence that threatens us is sublimated. While being afraid, we are amazed. All the elements are in place to confuse the readers and make them fascinated by the fate of the characters, our alter egos of the future.

The Hunger Games can hook anyone; for young people, it is even easier to identify with the characters. Indeed, the arena in which the unlucky people of Panem are confined is surprisingly similar to their lives. A place where, to do well, you have to charm, determine your attitude, perform socially, where you can never be sure of the real intentions of those around you... This is the definition of school. For some young people, The Hunger Games can be a great representation of their own experiences. And Katniss, the heroine who is so natural, who plays almost no role, who will eventually win the game without being a formidable killer, gives hope. "Maybe I have a chance after all..."

There is no doubt that Suzanne Collins has succeeded in a tour de force: to identify the fears, interests and hopes of teenagers in order to serve them in an exciting series with a panoply of emotions that clings to the fate of the characters. Katniss, whose image is now conveyed by movie screens, is the new idol of millions of young and old. The phenomenon is still growing, and there is no sign that it will stop.