North America has been completely eradicated and reborn as Panem, a bleak and twisted shadow of the nations it once comprised. Under the totalitarian regime of the Capitol, citizens are segregated into one of twelve districts, making equality and personal freedom a thing of the past. To further exude their absolute authority over the masses, the Capitol holds a spectacle of blood every year known as the Hunger Games. Every year, one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve to eighteen are picked randomly from each district to become tributes. They're then sent to the Capitol to be placed in a massive outdoor arena to fight to the death for the entertainment of all of Panem, and for the glory and benefit of the victor's district. For the denizens of District 12, poverty and the struggle for survival is their entire existence, no one understands this more than sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen.