There is little doubt that Hunger Games fans are ecstatic now that Suzanne Collins has announced that she is working on a new novel. However, the new book will not feature Katniss Aberdeen, who was portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the movie adaptation. Instead, the author is writing a prequel to the beloved series that takes place in the fictional country of Panem. Interestingly, there are speculations that the prequel will focus on President Snow as well as a fan favorite who played a huge role in Catching Fire.
Suzanne Collins recently confirmed that she is bringing fans back to the dystopian world of Panem where children are forced to fight to the death for entertainment purposes. However, the new story will not follow Katniss Aberdeen after the Hunger Games were abolished. According to Collins, her book will be a prequel that takes place 64 years before Katniss volunteered as tribute to save her sister Primrose Aberdeen. With that in mind, the novel could reveal how President Snow came into power.
The Hunger Games writer offered some insight on what people could look forward to in the prequel. "With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival," Collins said. "The reconstruction period 10 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."
Interestingly, Collins even revealed some details about what will happen in the still-untitled book. The author shared that the first scene will take place "on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games." This tiny hint immediately had fans excited over the possibility that they will get to learn about the young Mags.
In the books, Mags was first introduced in Catching Fire as the District 4 female in the 75th Hunger Games. At 80 years old, she was the oldest tribute but she had actually volunteered to save Annie Cresta, the girlfriend of her fellow tribute Finnick Odair. Mags also happens to be the winner of the 11th Hunger Games so there is a huge possibility that she will show up in the prequel.
The Hunger Games prequel novel has not yet been given an official title. However, it will be released by Scholastic on May 19, 2020.
