The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins, set in a future North America known as Panem, which is divided into 12 districts controlled by the Capitol. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games, a televised event in which one boy and one girl from each district are chosen at random to compete in a fight to the death. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, who volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games. The novel explores themes of survival, sacrifice, and rebellion against oppressive power structures. It was first published in 2008 and has since become a popular YA series and a successful movie franchise.