The Panem Companion

Nov 24, 2012 Bookworm1858 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, netgalley, hollywood-gossip

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For whatever reason, I've been super into reading books about The Hunger Games. Earlier this year, I reviewed The Girl Who Was On Fire and loved it so I was thrilled to check out another release from the same publisher looking at some different aspects of this beloved trilogy.

The weird thing for me is how interested I've been in reading unofficial guides and analysis about the books. I've been a huge Harry Potter fan, Star...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Sally-Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-other, netgalley-edelweiss

This and my other reviews can be found at http://sally-annereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and BenBella Books, Inc. for giving me this book to review.

The Panem Companion is an (unofficial) critical look at the world of Panem, as written in the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. This book looks at the social dynamics of Panem, and how Panem has evolved from the world we know today.

This book is quite interesting, and looks at how modern day America could possibly transform into Coll...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating and thought-provoking. This companion novel should be sold with The Hunger Games trilogy to help readers grasp the depths of Collins' novels.

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Jan 10, 2013 Sammy The Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-free

Everyone loves the Hunger Games trilogy which has also been turned into a hit movie series. Those same fans are going to adore this unofficial companion guide that takes a deeper look into the world of Panem including the maps, the people, the places and the meanings. Learn the truth behind the fantastic series.

Read the rest at SammytheBookworm.com!
http://sammythebookworm.com/index.php...

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Dec 19, 2012 Scrittevolmente rated it 4 of 5 stars

Da buona amante di Hunger Games e delle distopie in generale, quando mi è stata data l’opportunità di leggere in anteprima (purtroppo attualmente solo in inglese) The Panem Companion, non mi sono lasciata sfuggire la cosa.

V. Arrow ci trasporta nel magico mondo di Panem, narrato da Suzanne Collins nella sua trilogia composta da Hunger Games, La ragazza di fuoco e Il canto della rivolta. Ogni singolo aspetto dei libri è preso in esame esattamente come se fosse una sorta di Terra di Mezzo e troviam...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Elizabeth F. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of the Hunger Games Trilogy. Huge.

So when my request (thanks, NetGalley!) of the companion novel was accepted, you can imagine how ecstatic I was. I excitedly pressed the download button and within 1.5 hours had finished the novel.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. It was consistently intriguing and factual and I liked that the author had a lot of evidence from Suzanne Collins.

My favorite chapters were:
"Truly, My Name is Cinna"
"Gender Roles and Sexuality in Panem"...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kate added it

Shelves: 2012, ebook

This book is the stupid kind of fun. Read it for the insane fan theories ("Mags is Mexican!" "Prim...fathered by Mr. Mellark?!") and overlook the fact that if this had gone through professional copyediting it would have emerged riddled with queries (and would have given said copy editor an explosive aneurysm).

To be fair, I also thought the section about Katniss's racial heritage was pretty thought-provoking, with some background info on the Melungeons of Appalachia of which I was largely unawar...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: commentary, netgalley

If you're a Hunger Games fan with a habit of intensely overanalyzing your favorite fiction, you will love The Panem Companion! This is an in-depth look at every level of the Hunger Games universe. It begins with musings on how Panem could have evolved from our current society (including maps and graphs), and goes on to examine the social, economic, and political structures of Panem, as exhibited both in the society as a whole and in the individual lives of the characters. Some of the topics I fo...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars

The author, Arrow, is trying to write a scholarly, academic book on the Hunger Games trilogy, but her first misstep is openly admitting to fangirling while writing this book. You can't have it both ways--be scholarly and fangirl at the same time. Arrow focuses a lot on things that, to this reader, are inconsequential and had me wondering, "Who cares?"--things like the racial breakdown of Panem, what present-day states each district would be in, and the number of Panem residents who would be on g...more The author, Arrow, is trying to write a scholarly, academic book on the Hunger Games trilogy, but her first misstep is openly admitting to fangirling while writing this book. You can't have it both ways--be scholarly and fangirl at the same time. Arrow focuses a lot on things that, to this reader, are inconsequential and had me wondering, "Who cares?"--things like the racial breakdown of Panem, what present-day states each district would be in, and the number of Panem residents who would be on government assistance (or receiving tesserae). I found myself wondering why the writer was so concerned with those sorts of issues. Another issue Arrow discusses, which I never really contemplated while reading the series, is the possibility of Prim being Mr. Mellark's daughter. According to Arrow, there is a great deal of fanfiction and debate on Internet boards about this issue. Again--this is not a scholarly or academic conversation, which if this book were not trying to be, wouldn't be an issue.

I stopped reading halfway through the book, because I was really annoyed at Arrow's premises in each essay, or chapter. For example, Arrow writes about socio-economic conditions in District 12, and consistently refers to the Hawthornes and Everdeens as "darker skinned" as a reason for their poverty. Arrow finally does mention that those particular families are single-parent. Arrow overlooks a few facts while making this claim: first, that Gale needed to go to work at a young age because his father was killed and there were a number of young siblings who needed to eat. Second, Katniss needed to start hunting and taking extra tesserae after her father was killed and her mother went into a state of catatonic depression. There was NO ONE working to feed the Everdeen family otherwise. Those are two specific families with specific incidents affecting each families' ability to earn enough and survive. I think those factors, moreso than the "olive" skin, is what forced them into abject poverty. In fact, the Everdeen family, as seen in flashback, was probably doing well before the mine accident that killed Mr. Everdeen. Arrow focuses on how the extra tessarae are likely taken by families of darker skin, but, despite her chart analyzing how likely Gale is to be selected for the HG, doesn't acknowledge that Peeta, a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with no extra entries, is chosen for the HG. Gale and Katniss have their name in multiple times, but are not selected for the HG; Prim, on her first year of being entered, is chosen. Arrow's argument completely falls apart.

This is a long discussion on one particular chapter of the book, but Arrow's arguments don't hold up to scrutiny. Admittedly, this reader did not read the book cover-to-cover, but there was nothing what I did read that wanted me to continue. A disappointing book.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Jess rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thanks-netgalley, 2012, too-disappointed-to-cry

Can it even count as reading if I skim read the whole thing, and missed out all the boring bits... namely most of it? I don't know what I was expecting for The Panem Companion, but I didn't get much. As the unofficial guide to the acclaimed Hunger Games series, it was chock full of opinions that either didn't make sense or were supported by ridiculous pieces of evidence.

It was like reading one very, very long, boring essay on little details that didn't really concern me. Don't get me wrong, I'm...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Taryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-i-read-in-2012, arc

Certain popular books just cry out for deeper analysis. What does the United States’ obsession with the Twilight series mean for our perceptions of women and of healthy relationships, for example? Why have the Harry Potter books held such a grip on not just children, but adults, for literally a decade?

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is perfectly deserving of critical analysis–its statements on race, justice, economics, war, and media are thoughtful without being preachy. Written by V....more Certain popular books just cry out for deeper analysis. What does the United States’ obsession with the Twilight series mean for our perceptions of women and of healthy relationships, for example? Why have the Harry Potter books held such a grip on not just children, but adults, for literally a decade?

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is perfectly deserving of critical analysis–its statements on race, justice, economics, war, and media are thoughtful without being preachy. Written by V. Arrow, a Hunger Games superfan and critical reader, The Panem Companion is a great introduction to some of the deeper themes and sociopolitical commentary found in THG.

While other reviewers may have found this book dry, I went into it expecting a compelling critical analysis, and for the most part, that’s exactly what I got. I also thought that Arrow’s voice was wonderful: informative without being condescending, funny without needing to try too hard, sensitive without pandering. You can tell Arrow loves THG, yet is also willing to analyze and critique it, something that many fans aren’t necessarily able to do.

My favorite chapters had to do with the socioeconomic and racial demographics and histories of Panem. They were in-depth and well-thought out, yet also fairly readable for someone who is perhaps new to critical race theory. I thought the chapter that dealt with Katniss’s race was especially well-done. It acknowledges the “controversy” of Katniss potentially being a non-white heroine (though represented by Jennifer Lawrence, a white actress, in the movie version) with a level of nuance and understanding that I had not previously read. I loved the conclusion Arrow came to, as well–that while Katniss may very well be racially white, in the social and political structure of Panem, she is definitively ethnically non-white. It’s a fair way of using the information given to us by Collins, while still acknowledging current racial inequalities and disparities in a thoughtful and significant way. Kudos, V. Arrow, kudos!

To read the rest of this review, please visit Bookwanderer!(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Athena Nagel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I am definitely part of the Hunger Games fan base. Did I like the movie? About as much as I like any movies that I have read as books first. But the books?! Awesome. The Panem Companion is unlike other Hunger Games companion type books. This one deals more with the Panem world and environment rather than the games themselves. District cultures, society, gender roles, characters, and families are elaborated upon. This is a must have book for anyone who is a fan of the Hunger Games. Here you can l...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Kait rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally posted on Victor's Village

Companion books are a tricky subject. Most of them come from professional companion book creators who look to make a quick buck by tossing together a weak analysis of other people’s work and pissing us of by claiming all their ideas are original. Or the books are aimed at the casual fan, thus feel totally predictable and bland to anyone who’s taken part in our online community. Either way, there’s a huge disconnect between the writers and the fandom.

The only...more Originally posted on Victor's Village

Companion books are a tricky subject. Most of them come from professional companion book creators who look to make a quick buck by tossing together a weak analysis of other people’s work and pissing us of by claiming all their ideas are original. Or the books are aimed at the casual fan, thus feel totally predictable and bland to anyone who’s taken part in our online community. Either way, there’s a huge disconnect between the writers and the fandom.

The only book that we ever really liked after more than a couple chapters, after much convincing from fandom friends, was The Girl Who Was On Fire, a series of really smart essays from popular authors about the books (and later, the movie). Still, we were skeptical when the publishers behind it said they’d be making a full-on analytical companion… until we saw that the author was V. Arrow.

For those of you who don’t know V., she is a very passionate, very active member of The Hunger Games fandom. She’s been a panelist of Hunger Games Fireside Chat. She’s talking about the series on Twitter, Tumblr, and hell, even LiveJournal! And nobody even uses LiveJournal anymore! …Anyway, there are a lot of people paying attention to what she has to say. True, we once accused her very popular map of Panem of logic-ing us to death and ignoring the possible speed of futuristic hovercrafts, but after seeing some recent, more official maps of Panem… we could go for more logic. Either way, V. has street cred. Lots of it!

Lucky us, we were given a chance to review the book four months early! So now, instead of rambling to death, we present… OUR REVIEW OF THE PANEM COMPANION BY V. ARROW!

Let’s start by saying this is NOT a book about the movie. It’s about the book series and that point is made very clear. That still leaves us with loads to dive into! Because V. is active in the fandom, this book is not a 200-someodd-page lecture about obvious themes. She certainly talks about important themes– racism, classism, sexuality, parallels between the books and real life, character origins, etc.– usually in more detail than what we’ve seen in the past.

However, she also talks about the nitty gritty fan details, some of which we don’t agree with (like Prim being Mr. Mellark’s child or a possible Finnick/Cinna relationship), but there’s plenty of other “fanon” that we believe in too. So really, there’s something for everyone. V. not only admits that these ideas are part of the fandom, she quotes and references other fans’ thoughts. It’s super gratifying to see an author who recognizes they’re part of something bigger than their own opinion.

On a scale of 1 to 10 between “This was written by a chimp, apparently” and “I’m dying, this is a textbook”, we’re going to just this companion a SEVEN. V. is a lot smarter than us, to put it lightly. We’re big on very simple vernacular, but she pulls out the big kid words and plenty of research. At the same time, anyone with a ninth grade education should do just fine, because the language isn’t off-putting and usually helps validate each topic. We never thought “Urgh… I can’t even read this because my brain is working too hard to find any joy in it.” And we think that about books far more often than we’d like to admit.

There’s a reason ya don’t often take us seriously: We goof off and use words like “shizz”. V. doesn’t because she is a professional, dammit! But she also does it without boring us to death. Don’t let the intro scare you– it’s the part that reads the most like a term paper, but it’s much smoother sailing after that.

We really enjoyed The Panem Companion. It’s unapologetically smart and refuses to trivialize the series or its fandom. You just don’t see that around these parts anymore!

If you’re not into companion books at all, that’s cool! We get it! But if you’re going to read one, we suggest you go for this one.(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Miss Anderson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review copy from NetGalley. Review originally posted at The Librarian Who Doesn't Say Shhh!

If you've read The Girl Who Was On Fire, then you have a pretty good idea of what this book is. The Panem Companion is a series of essays on the popular Hunger Games series. While The Girl Who Was On Fire was a collection written by various YA authors on different topics, The Panem Companion is written by a single author. V. Arrow dives in to explore the depths of Suzanne Collins' world, analyzing everythi...more Review copy from NetGalley. Review originally posted at The Librarian Who Doesn't Say Shhh!

If you've read The Girl Who Was On Fire, then you have a pretty good idea of what this book is. The Panem Companion is a series of essays on the popular Hunger Games series. While The Girl Who Was On Fire was a collection written by various YA authors on different topics, The Panem Companion is written by a single author. V. Arrow dives in to explore the depths of Suzanne Collins' world, analyzing everything from the geography of Panem to gender roles in the series. There's even a very detailed etymology of every name from the series at the end.

The major flaw of this book is that I feel it tries to work an in-depth analysis around very little substance. Some of the essays felt a little forced, almost like student essays. The book gives very little information on certain topics for good reason -- the topics are mentioned in passing, and aren't crucial to the plot. To write a whole book analyzing these points means making a lot of assumptions and over analyzing a lot of minor plot points.

That being said...it's also fun. I'll take the over analyzing with a grain of tasty, tasty salt. The point of this book is to think critically about the series, to ponder some of the hidden points of the plot. To read between Suzanne Collins' lines (whoa. that sounds like a pick up line). Some of the chapters are better than others, so this would be best enjoyed by reading the sections that interest you. I think any reader could find some of Arrow's points quite interesting. It may even inspire a re-read of the series.

FINAL GRADE: C Not a life-changer, but definitely a neat read. It does have some flaws. And I did have to force myself to keep reading in some of the less interesting chapters. However, I love what Smart Pop is doing with these types of books that take a deeper look at some of my favorite series (next up is a book about Ender's Game!).
Required reading: Required for fans of The Hunger Games or The Girl Who Was On Fire. Also required for any teacher who uses The Hunger Games in the classroom -- you will probably find some essays/info in here that will help in teaching various aspects of the novel.
Library Recommendations: A definitely buy for both middle school and high school libraries, since kids will definitely want to check this out. Even if they don't read it like an adult might, they will enjoy the map of Panem. Consider buying a copy for your professional collection if any teachers use the novel in the classroom.

(less)

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Apr 11, 2013 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book really did not add much to my knowledge of Panem and the thirteen districts from what I had read in the books. It is an insight into what could happen in our world to cause American to turn into a Panem type society. The information and ideas in this book seemed to base most of the reasons for Panem turning out like it did to Race issues. I really didn't care as much for this book as I thought I would when reading the blurb.

*I received a free copy of this book for this review. All rev...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Kasey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

usually i am very interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the books i have read. this book however did not give me any extra insight to the hunger games trilogy, which is saying something. this book picked up on details that seemed to have almost no relevance, and the few topics that were discussed that were worth reading were poorly supported. the book could have been easily cut in half because the author kept repeating the same things throughout each chapter and used big words that rea...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Traxy Thornfield rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

When I got the chance to read The Panem Companion, I thought it would be a good way of getting to know more about the world the Hunger Games series is set in. It certainly delivers!

If you want an analysis of where the districs might be placed on a map of the US, you get that. You also get an analysis of different races and gender roles in Panem, and how Suzanne Collins might have been inspired from real life characters, such as a variety of Roman leaders. If you like the books but don't particip...more When I got the chance to read The Panem Companion, I thought it would be a good way of getting to know more about the world the Hunger Games series is set in. It certainly delivers!

If you want an analysis of where the districs might be placed on a map of the US, you get that. You also get an analysis of different races and gender roles in Panem, and how Suzanne Collins might have been inspired from real life characters, such as a variety of Roman leaders. If you like the books but don't participate in the fandom (like me), you'll probably find this interesting (I did). If you're a big fandom participant, you've probably heard it all before, as the author makes many references to discussions within fandom.

There are so many quotes from the books I can't help but wonder if this publisher is going to get into as much hot water as the ones that did the printed version of The Harry Potter Lexicon a few years back.

The book finishes with a lexicon of the names used in the series, and where they might have come from. Many of these have already been discussed previously in the book, such as Cinna, and often, I get the feeling the author is trying too hard. Sometimes a name is just a name, plucked out of thin air because the author happens to like it and find it fitting. They don't all have to be explained by a real life counterpart.

To call the book The Panem Companion is misleading, as it's not actually a companion book. A companion book works as a bit on the side to refer to while reading the main series, where you can read about the various districts and about who the characters are - it generally doesn't delve into the actual plot of the books, which this one does in a major way. If you've not read all three Hunger Games novels, don't read this until you have - it's jam packed with spoilers! Not just small spoilers, but really big ones: who lives, who dies, how it all ends, and so on.

Still, it's interesting to read a deeper view of Panem and its characters, and if Collins really did mean for 99% of the characters to mirror the lives of real-life historical figures, fair play to her. I had no idea. If that wasn't the case, then The Panem Companion is really just one fan's overly analytical interpretation of a book series. Not a bad interpretation, admittedly, although some of the fan speculations voiced in this book are rather ... out there.

I'm in two minds about this book, but then, that also goes for Collins's trilogy. On one hand, it's nice to do more than just scratch the surface of the post-apocalyptic Hunger Games world and what might have inspired it, aside from channel hopping. On the other, I'm not really all that bothered, to be honest. It goes from being a reasonably interesting world analysis to being slightly too fangirlish and taking itself and the trilogy too seriously.

I was provided with a review copy from Smart Pop through Netgalley. Many thanks! :)(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Abby rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was definitely an interesting read. I read it in a couple days because just like with the series it kind of draws you into Katniss' world, it gives you things to ponder on. The lexicon in the back was probably the most interesting part in my opinion so many of the names make so much sense when you understand their origins and meanings. There is a lot that links our world to that of the hunger games that I never picked up on. I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the series.

~Also the fa...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Lori Spier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Most fans of book series jump at the "companion" pieces that eventually appear. They want to *see* the world that the author has created, perhaps get a bit more background, insider information on what is happening.

The Panem Companion is not that sort of book. Rather than drawing maps of "this is the section of the Capitol that Katniss escaped from", this is a anthropologic and socio-economic analysis of what created Panem, how the Districts were divided, who was the true architect of the rebelli...more Most fans of book series jump at the "companion" pieces that eventually appear. They want to *see* the world that the author has created, perhaps get a bit more background, insider information on what is happening.

The Panem Companion is not that sort of book. Rather than drawing maps of "this is the section of the Capitol that Katniss escaped from", this is a anthropologic and socio-economic analysis of what created Panem, how the Districts were divided, who was the true architect of the rebellion, sex and gender roles in Panem, as well as an examination of the two sides: District 13 and the Capitol.

Arrow has exhaustively researched the material for the book, incorporating both canon and fan theories. Occasionally I felt that perhaps Arrow was stretching too far and attributing to Suzanne Collins a bit more authorial intent than what was intended, but overall it was interesting to see where Arrow's theories fit in the world building of Panem. Arrow's theories and conclusion also give the reader something to think about when they're re-reading the series. Once the readers eyes are opened to the racial and economic divisions inherent in the Districts, they find an entirely new depth to the novels that was previously overlooked.

For example, the case of Finnick. He's presented in the novels as handsome, sensual, sexual - someone who always has a "companion" on his arm. It's not until the reader is presented with Finnick's tale of being sold to various sponsors that you realize there's more depth to him than you thought. Arrow posits Finnick's character as a rape survivor as, essentially, he has no choice but to comply with the Capitol's demands or risk having his family killed. While I've read the series several times, I had never considered that aspect of Finnick. Once I did so, his actions could be viewed in an entirely different light than before.

If you truly love The Hunger Games series and want to explore the world of Panem in more depth, this is the book for you. You "see" the Games, the Capitol, the Districts and the characters as an outsider would see them which, contrary to expectations, helps you better understand just what happened to Panem, how North America was divided up, how the Capitol works to enslave and keep the population in line, and why the characters behave as they do. (less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Jillian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, media-tie-in, netgalley, smart-pop, kindle, book-nooked

{ I received this as an ebook from NetGalley. Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }

I'm a big fan of the Hunger Games series, so when I discovered The Panem Companion, I knew I had to give it a go. I don't usually read unofficial guides or criticisms or that sort of thing, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found The Panem Companion to be an interesting commentary from a devoted fan who knows the subject matter well and clearly did a lot of research, but leapt to a few too...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Ashley (yAdult Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, blog

Originally posted at Nose in a Book (blog)

This is the type of book you read and then want to go re-read the main books over again because you missed some major points. This blog is a huge fan of The Hunger Games Trilogy so I was quite excited when I heard that this book was coming out. I love and adore books that go deeper into books I have read. Now, yes, I understand all books I read don’t need background and research, but certain books, such as The Hunger Games do.

Arrow goes on the path of lo...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Skyla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: info-book, info-dump, based-on-another-book, disappointment, dystopia

Like pretty much every "companion" book out there for The Hunger Games Trilogy this book contained a lot of information...not all of it good or even correct but there were some nice theories presented that made me think.

The whole first chapter is devoted to the districts, where they are located and their industry...which is all well and good except pretty much all the information presented for the Districts whose industry was never mentioned in the books was wrong. www.capitol.pn has a list of t...more Like pretty much every "companion" book out there for The Hunger Games Trilogy this book contained a lot of information...not all of it good or even correct but there were some nice theories presented that made me think.

The whole first chapter is devoted to the districts, where they are located and their industry...which is all well and good except pretty much all the information presented for the Districts whose industry was never mentioned in the books was wrong. www.capitol.pn has a list of thr Districts and their industries. This list has been approved by Suzanne Collins herself so why the fuck would you not use that list when creating this book? That list specifies what industry goes with what district and you still make guesses? Pathetic! Also the map is one made by a fan many years ago before all 3 books had been released so we can tell you right now it isn't accurate and that The Hunger Games Facebook game has released a map that is the "official map" except for the fact that they have only released like 5 district locations and that includes the Capitol but once again the map is available, Mockingjay.net has a picture of it on their site...so once again why not use the OFFICIAL MAP?

The first chapter made me so angry I didn't want to read anymore but when I threw the book across the room it landed on a page about a fan theory that Primrose Everdeen is actually Mr. Mellark's child and I thought that was interesting so I ended up reading it. I'm going to spoiler tag this for rambles sakes (view spoiler)

Another theory is that Finnick and Cinna were lovers or at least friends. This does somewhat make sense because Finnick read a poem to his one true love in the CAPITOL...Annie was in 4 at the time. The bracelet Finnick wears in the 75th Arena looked like Haymitch's bracelet but maybe Cinna actually made him that one himself and Haymitch may have still had his. How could Haymitch have handed over the bracelet without anyone noticing? Cinna made the bracelets and both he and Finnick have the same eye colouring and bronze hair as stated in the books...maybe Cinna is from District 4?

This book also mentioned something I thought about Annie.

1) That when she was tortured in the Capitol she was probably raped (she is the only one who when they arrive in 13 who is naked, she's wearing a sheet for God's Sake).

2) That she probably doesn't just have PTSD like Katniss and Johanna because she does display traits of having an autism spectrum disorder or maybe she just lost a lot of oxygen to her brain when she had to tread water for days which made her slightly odd, but her twitching and fascination with things outside of what is going on in reality do somewhat make her look autistic but we don't know what she was like before she entered the arena so who knows.

3)Also Annie may well be the strongest female character in the books and she and Finnick are perfect equals of one another and that is why I love them.

If you want to know one person's take on The Hunger Games world then read this book, it is quite informative about the tessarae and analyzing some of the characters and the theory about Prim was interesting but if you are looking for a Panem Encyclopedia or something this book isn't great.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Indira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved

I truly wanted this to be the first book I read in 2013, yet Amazon couldn't deliver it in time in Brazil, so I bought the Kindle version. Now I'm just sad, because I want to hug and smell this book ~~and maybe sleep with it under my pillow~~.

Just to add a bit of context, it is important to say that my major is International Relations, my research focus is social control and I had just finished reading David Galula and his laws for counterinsurgency when I first read The Hunger Games. Obviously, my...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Even having been involved in the Hunger Games fandom for the past year, The Panem Companion still brought up new and interesting ideas, and that, I think, is what made it great.

Now that I’ve started with the conclusion, here are some slightly-more specific thoughts:

- The new map of Panem, the one that gets the two pages, is GORGEOUS.
- The commentary on the relationship of the Games to modern reality TV was, quite frankly, terrifying. Those are real contracts? They air this stuff on TV? I always...more Even having been involved in the Hunger Games fandom for the past year, The Panem Companion still brought up new and interesting ideas, and that, I think, is what made it great.

Now that I’ve started with the conclusion, here are some slightly-more specific thoughts:

- The new map of Panem, the one that gets the two pages, is GORGEOUS.
- The commentary on the relationship of the Games to modern reality TV was, quite frankly, terrifying. Those are real contracts? They air this stuff on TV? I always thought better of society, but I really need to stop doing that, it’s incredibly disappointing.
- Dealing with a hot-button issue like race in the Hunger Games could be so messy, but with V it’s not, which is so brilliant. Her explanation of it is perfect and balanced, and gives an excellent primer for those who aren’t well versed in it, or who have seen it all and stayed far away from the fighting.
- I’m not sure I agree with the premise of the “Socioeconomics of Tesserae” calculations, in that I don’t think every older child would take on tesserae for their younger siblings, at least the ones of reaping age. I don’t think that would change the math in the end, though, with regards to the odds for Gale, Katniss, and Prim. And that was some really cool math.
- The chapter about District 4, which was really mostly about Annie Cresta, was fascinating. She definitely deserves to be thought about in a less weak way, because V’s point a: She grew up in a Career district, which I’ve always felt got sidelined when taking about her, as well as the other points.
- “Truly, My Name Is Cinna” just reminded me of “5 Places Cinna Came From”, which makes sense because V wrote them both. It kind of felt like rehashing that, but if I hadn’t read the fic, I’m sure that would have just been mind-blowing.
- My personal favourite chapters were mostly at the end - while I think sociology is fascinating, power struggles and politics are my weakness. Poli Sci major, goes with the territory. “The Architects of the Rebellion” is basically a chapter about my favourite characters - I find the rebellion to be the most fascinating part of the series, so I really liked it. “Two Sides of the Same Coin” was also great, because it’s a fairly obvious comparison, but one hat doesn’t get fleshed out very often. And “Accountability for Acts of War” was… I’ve written about it before, so yes, all my appreciation for this chapter. And that there isn’t a right answer just… the fact that it’s ambiguous, the fact that The Hunger Games is ambiguous, it’s wonderful.
- The discussion on the relevance of the names and the significance of them was, I think, super important. We do only learn so much when we’re reading a first-person text, and putting that in context was great. And the analysis of the names was brilliant. (I do think there were a few points where it missed things, especially re: Maysilee, Lyme, and Titus, but that didn’t in any way undermine my appreciation for the rest of the analysis.)

If at any point you’ve read any meta on The Hunger Games, or thought critically about it, or just looked at it and asked hows and whys, or seen the parallels to modern society, or… basically if you enjoyed the books, then this book has something to offer you. Even if you’ve immersed yourself in the fandom, this has something to offer you. This is basically just an awesome book. (less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a fairly die hard member of the Hunger Games fandom, I appreciated a more in-depth analysis of the world of Panem, and was mostly on board for some of the seemingly outlandish claims (Primrose Everdeen's parentage, Cinna's potential origins). However, I don't know how enjoyable this book would be for more casual fans of the series. My first interest in V. Arrow came about when I found her map of Panem via Tumblr. Arrow's mapping fascinated me and prompted me to think about the geography of Pa...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Alyssa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, critical-review

This third-party companion guide for the Hunger Games trilogy reads like a literature critical review, and I wouldn't immediately hand this to younger readers because of its academic writing style. That said, I am impressed with the depth of analysis and commentary of Panem and the characters who live within its districts. This book is an interesting, however slow, read. Readers, both young and older, would like this book if they are diehard fans of the world built by Suzanne Collins.

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Oct 01, 2012 Tabby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-reviews, non-fiction

Great book for any dedicated "Hunger Games" fan. The author ran with some ideas that were in the back of readers' minds while reading the series (also with some that didn't cross your mind at all). Best part: the section on Panem names; part that could use a little work: maps at the beginning. The author stays away from elitist wordiness, which makes it more enjoyable for a larger audience.
Improved maps or not, this is a fun must-read for anyone who loved the trilogy.

GoodReads-FirstReads-Givea...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this book! Arrow brought up so many interesting points that I didn't even consider after I plowed through The Hunger Games for the first time. I loved all of the fan theories, thought Arrow's analysis of the sociological and economical implications behind Panem was extremely interesting, and simply couldn't put this book down! Now with all of these new theories fluttering about in my mind, I need to go re-read the series again!

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Nov 08, 2012 Wendie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think this is the best Hunger Games study book. Since I love the Hunger Games, I thought it was really interesting, but I think if you're a more casual fan it might seem nitpicking. There is a lot here that I'm not sure Suzanne Collins did on purpose but it definitely makes sense and now when I reread the Hunger Games, I will be thinking differently! :)

I got this book free from the publisher.

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Oct 15, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quite good. Very well thought-out, and backed with relevant sources. If you want to actually *think* about what you're reading, you could do far worse than this book.

One quibble: the author seems to have missed one fairly obvious explanation. In a chapter about Prim's possible parentage, she seems to have forgotten about or ignored one possible explanation for "merchant" genes to be hiding in the Seam population, despite the lack of intermarriage: you don't need marriage to make a baby, and ther...more

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