The Hunger Games (novel) difficult parts of the book to write, but that she had accepted that passages such as these were necessary to the story. She considered the moments where Katniss reflects on happier moments in her past to be more enjoyable. "The Hunger Games" takes place in a nation known as Panem, established in North America after the destruction of the continent's civilization by an unknown apocalyptic event. The nation consists of the wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts under the Capitol's dictatorial control. The Capitol exploits the districts for their natural resources and cheap labour. District 12 is in the
The Hunger Games (novel) coal-rich region that was once Appalachia, while the Capitol is in the Rocky Mountains. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a contest in which the "tributes" must fight to the death in an outdoor arena until only one remains. The event is televised. The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games in place of her 12-year-old sister, Primrose.