The Panem Companion

The Hunger Games Companions

by V. Arrow

-What does Panem look like?
-How does Panem define race?
-How do Panem’s districts reflect the major themes of the trilogy?
-What allusions to our world are found in Panem names like Finnick, Johanna, Beetee, Cinna, Everdeen, and Mellark?

Go deeper into the home of the Hunger Games with the creator of the best-known fan map of Panem.

The Panem Companion gives fresh insight into Suzanne Collins’ trilogy by looking at the world of the Hunger Games and the forces that kept its citizens divided since the Dark Days. With a blend of academic insight and the true passion of a fan, V. Arrow explores how Panem could have evolved from the America we know today and uses textual clues to piece together Panem’s beliefs about class, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, and more. Includes an extensive name lexicon and color-illustrated unofficial map of Panem.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dystopia, Reference, Books About Books, Anthologies

264 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2012

About the author

V. Arrow (@aimmyarrowshigh) is not quite a certified Fandom Old, but she does remember VHS exchanges and GeoCities fansites. She has been writing fanfiction her whole life, and has been posting it online since 1998. As a result, she eventually obtained a Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults and has mostly used it to better compose fandom meta. She currently co-hosts the fannish podcast "This Week In Fandom History."

In her fandoms, V likes woman-focused narratives and analytical lenses, weird and thoughtful linguistic choices, rich worldbuilding, when the good guys (and especially gals) win, women written as full people with dignity and respect, men who adore the women in their lives, and devoted relationships after sad characters get the therapy they need.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Tarynwanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Ashleu · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 looking into as much as she can in a short period of time, and yes, she covers a lot. Arrow discusses various different districts, such as 4 and 11, and also discusses gender roles, Panem in general and certain characters such as Cinna. Arrow also includes maps and graphs to keep the reader engaged throughout the book, along with drawing many parallels that may have nothing to do with The Hunger Games but are too similar to not at least discuss.

It is clear throughout reading this book that Arrow has a passion for not only pop culture, but also The Hunger Games as a whole. Many reviewers have stated that this book is dry. I think reviewers are overlooking the fact that this is a compelling critical analysis of a book series. Maybe, I’ve read too many boring history textbook in my undergraduate career, but I found this to be a very compelling read. My only pet peeve, and reason I didn’t give this five stars is personal preference. I am not a fan of when authors’ use “I” in professional work; however, Arrow’s writing style and talent almost made me overlook that and give it five stars, because it was that good.

[mad mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

V. Arrow is the Fangirl on Fire!

Witty, insightful, passionate, engaging, highly readable and with keen attention to detail: V. Arrow’s The Panem Companion is all of this and more. I usually enjoy the stuff that Smart Pop puts out, but they’ve really outdone themselves this time! Arrow approaches The Hunger Games trilogy with the unabashed enthusiasm of a true fan and the critical eye of an academic, resulting in a guide that’s everything I wanted – and more.

In fifteen chapters, Arrow covers a wide range of topics – from gender roles to race and class to culpability for war crimes, not to mention all sorts of wacky fan theories:

1 – Mapping Panem – Drawing on canon, textual clues, and scientific predictions about the effects of climate change, Arrow (with a little help from “geek friend” Meg) posits a likely map of Panem. The maps are printed on glossy, full-color paper, which I appreciate – but owing to the small size of the paperback, it’s also a bit difficult to make out the details. This was the only chapter that didn’t fully hold my attention, but I suspect that’s because I’m not a very visual thinker and had trouble picturing the geographic changes. Still, the map is integral to some of the later discussions (such as race, class, and immigration), so don’t skip it!

2 – How Panem Came to Be – Using modern history as a guide, Arrow considers how the dystopian society of Panem might have risen from the post-apocalyptic ashes of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

3 – Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Panem – This is the discussion that THG fans – rightfully upset over the whitewashing of the film(s) – have been waiting for! Arrow presents a cohesive, convincing argument that Katniss (and her fellow Seam residents) are, if not persons of color as we understand the term, then most definitely “not white”; “other” - at least on Panem’s terms. Taking care to distinguish between race and ethnicity, Arrow examines how race and class intersect to create a society divided into multiple levels of “haves” and “have nots.” She also addresses the fan theory that Katniss has Native American or Melungeon roots.

4 – The Socioeconomics of Tesserae – In a chapter that can be seen as an extension of “Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Panem,” Arrow examines the ways in which the tesserae system – which disproportionately affects the poorest of Panem’s citizens – deepens race, class, and culture divisions. In addition to providing an awesome show of the Capitol’s power and brutality, The Hunger Games also help to quash rebellious leanings by pitting members of the working class against the merchants.

5 – The Curious Case of Primrose “Everdeen” – Is Prim really Mr. Mellark’s daughter? Probably not, but Arrow has fun entertaining this fan theory anyway!

6 – Family Life in Panem – The author looks to the Everdeens, the Mellarks, the Hawthornes, and the Undersees to provide four sharply contrasting examples of family life in Panem. Whereas the baker’s son suffers horrific physical and mental abuse at the hands of his mother – and even the Mayor’s family isn’t immune to tragedy – it becomes evident that even the most well-off in the districts still remain victims of the Capitol.

7 – The Games as Exploitation, Exploitation as Entertainment – Familiar to even the most casual THG fans is the series’ critique of reality television and exploitative media culture. Even so, Arrow manages to provide a fresh take on this oft-discussed topic, including a deeper (and more disturbing) examination of present-day reality tv.

8 – Gender Roles and Sexuality in Panem – As with the chapters on race and class, this one’s worth an especially close read. Arrow repudiates the characterization of THG as a “romance” featuring a “love triangle” between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, quoting the woman herself to drive her point home: “I really can’t think about kissing when I’ve got a rebellion to incite!” She also talks about gender roles and reversals of such, most notably between Katniss and Peeta.

Perhaps most significantly, she addresses the tragic case of Finnick Odair. As a Victor, Finnick was coerced into sexual slavery by President Snow and routinely raped by prominent Capitol citizens. Forced to play along to protect what remained of his family – namely, loved one Annie and mentor Mags – Finnick outwardly projects the image of a “hedonistic sexual being,” in Arrow’s words. Disturbingly, Finnick has been described as a “sexy playboy” and characterized as a happy, willing prostitute by many in the media (and worse, fandom), despite his lack of consent. Et tu with the victim blaming, THG fans?

9 – District 4 – Through Finnick and Annie, Katniss (and the reader) learns a bit about District 4 culture, including the ways in which it differs from that of District 12. In the absence of contact with one another, the various districts would have developed their own unique cultural practices and mores – further isolating them from potential allies against the Capitol.

Additionally, Arrow presents an impassioned defense of Annie Cresta as a Victor every bit as worthy of respect and honor as Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and the rest. Though she’s often dismissed as “weak” or “crazy,” Annie is a woman who suffered the loss of her family, possibly at Snow’s hands; survived The Hunger Games when 23 of her peers did not; was forced to stand by as her lover was sexually exploited, perhaps to spare her own life; and withstood torture (possibly of a sexual nature) during the Second Rebellion. After all this, she still found the courage and optimism to bring a new life into this world. Frail she is not.

Related to the dismissal of Annie is her mental disability and/or neurotypicality. While nearly all of the Victors suffer from PTSD, depression, and related disorders, Arrow considers the possibility that Annie has a condition that predates the Games – most likely autism, but perhaps schizophrenia or OCD.

10 – Mythology and Music in Panem – The character arcs of Katniss and Finnick mirror certain Greek myths – most famously, the story of Theseus and the Minotaur (in Katniss’s case), and Odysseus’s journey in the Odyssey and the Iliad (Finnick; though he’s a much kinder, cuddlier hero than that jerkface Odysseus). Evocative of antebellum “slave songs,” American folk music is also important to the story; Arrow traces the possible roots of “The Hanging Tree” to Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and “Darling Nelly Gray.”

11 – District 11 – Because we experience the story through Katniss’s eyes, our view of districts outside of Twelve are mostly lacking. During the Victory Tour, however, we do get a good look at District 11, which is populated primarily by (unambiguously) black agricultural workers. From the Peacekeepers’ strict enforcement of the rules to the citizens’ inhumane living and working conditions, allusions to slavery abound in District 11.

12 – The Architects of the Rebellion – Haymitch Abernathy, Plutarch Heavensbee, Seneca Crane, Cinna, Mr. Everdeen, Madge Undersee, or (perhaps most surprisingly) Mags – who was the mastermind behind the Second Rebellion? Mostly likely a mix of happenstance and design – with all of the above playing a role – Arrow nonetheless gives each fan favorite her consideration.

13 – Truly, My Name is Cinna – Seemingly an outsider in the Capitol, Arrow contemplates Cinna’s ancestry: might he have been born in one of the Districts? If so, was he an artist first and a rebel second – or vice versa? Were he and Finnick really lovers? (This fan theory is new to me, but I definitely ship it.)

14 – District 13 and the Capitol: Two Sides of the Same “Coin”: Delving deeper than the obvious comparisons between Presidents Snow and Coin, Arrow questions District 13’s culpability in allowing The Hunger Games to continue. She also draws parallels between other District 13/Capitol counterparts, including Boggs/Cinna, Cressida/Caesar Flickerman, and Katniss’s Prep Team/The Avoxes.

15 – Accountability for Acts of War in the Hunger Games – Assuming that Gale (and Beetee – you can’t forget dear, lovable Beetee!) built the technology that killed Prim, is he ultimately responsible for her death? Or does sole blame lie at Snow’s feet? What about the Career Tributes – to what extent, if any, are they victims of the Capitol, when they so eagerly volunteered to “serve” their country?

Also included is a comprehensive, 44-page lexicon of names. Though it’s impossible to tell at a glance whether Arrow includes every character that appears in the series, all of the major (and many of the minor) players are accounted for.

The Panem Companion is a true gem: exhaustively researched and documented, it’s an academic text that’s just as suitable for lay fans. Arrow is fastidious in her research, and diligently distinguishes cannon from informed inferences and fan theories. While you may not agree with all of her conclusions, Arrow never tries to pull a fast one by stretching the facts to support her interpretation of the text.

I also love, love, love Arrow’s focus on race, ethnicity, class, and socioeconomics. Initially excited to see that she’d devoted an entire chapter to the discussion of race, you can imagine my (happy) shock when I found that race isn’t limited to just one chapter, but pops up throughout the book. Yay intersectionality!

Likewise, I’m thrilled that she correctly identifies Finnick for what he is – a rape survivor – when so many readers would rather label him a sexpot. That’s rape culture for you.

In fact, there’s only one plot point I wanted to see Arrow address that did not come to pass: Peeta’s nagging (resulting in a decades-long campaign) Katniss to have a baby, despite her sustained objections:

“It took five, ten, fifteen years for me to agree. But Peeta wanted them so badly. When I first felt her stirring inside of me, I was consumed with a terror that felt as old as life itself. Only the joy of holding her in my arms could tame it. Carrying him was a little easier, but not much.”

His seeming disrespect for her bodily autonomy is disturbing, to say the least – though I’ve encountered few objections to this online.

I’ve read a few books on The Hunger Games trilogy thus far – both the original and updated movie editions of The Girl Who Was on Fire (also published by Smart Pop), Valerie Estelle Frankel’s Katniss the Cattail , and Of Bread, Blood and the Hunger Games , edited by Mary Pharr and Leisa A. Clark – but The Panem Companion blows them all out of the water. Honestly, I cannot recommend it highly enough. V. Arrow gets ALL the stars!

http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/01/28/...

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Indira · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 mind was blown and I may or may not have read the series more than ten times since then.

The Panem Companion was exactly what I needed. It's hard to find an analysis that goes this deep outside academic publications and most of the latter only scratches the surface when compared to this. In fandom, V. Arrow doesn't dip her toes to test the waters, she dives in head first and the result is a break through the age, gender and socioeconomic barriers placed on Young Adult Dystopian literature.

Reading this, my mind went back and forth between "You know, I thought about this before." and "WHAT? HOW? WHEN? OMG, this makes so much sense." I particularly adored The Architects of the Rebellion and Accountability for Acts of War, I fell in love with Cinna all over again and I thought the district analysis were brilliant. Gender roles, race and ethnicity are themes that cannot be stressed enough in light of the THG movie castings and society in general, if we are being honest.

As the first book of the year, The Panem Companion set the bar really high and I cannot wait to read what V. Arrow writes next. Seriously, I cannot wait. Where is it? Give it to me.

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.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 Collins’s Panem and how long this would take. There is a lot of carefully planned out information, and insightful commentary, however this is eclipsed by the authors views on race. In the book, it seems as if every issue in Panem is based around ethnicity. This gets very repetitive after a time, and it would be very interesting to see how other factors affected the creation and current society of Panem.

I found The Panem Companion okay, however it would be a good study aid for students evaluating the Hunger Games. I am unlikely to read any more by this author as a leisure activity. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked The Rivan Codex by David Eddings, or the Silmarilion by J. R. R. Tolkien, or who are studying the Hunger Games.

[Kate]

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 unaware. The section probing the deeper nuances of Hunger Games character names is equal parts insane, dumb, and fascinating (why are we looking at the etymological origins of the name "Eddy"--ie the kid who was killed in the hospital explosion in Mockingjay--when I'm pretty sure Suzanne Collins just pulled a random little kid name out of her hat? Was she REALLY thinking of Martin Luther King when she named the mentally disabled kid who was executed in District 11? Probably not, but WHO KNOWS).

Anyway, worth your $9? Reader experiences may vary.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I was not completely sure what I was thinking when I decided to read a companion novel to this popular series. There were some questions that I wanted to know an answer to, but in hindsight, I think it probably wasn't really something for me.

The thing is, that I can get annoyed when people start over-analyzing something, which most certainly is the case in The Panem Companion. There are a few interesting pieces like, where in America are the different Districts located and what do they all do, but a lot of the book is actually taken up either by fan theories (which you can find online by the truckload) or metaphors which are apparently planted into the smallest details of the story.

Not for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A combination of facts and opinions, this book reads more like a thesis than a companion book.

I found this book to be equal parts fascinating and difficult to read. I admire the author for their meticulous research and attention to detail, but at the same time I'm not sure if Collins really put THAT much thought into every little detail of the Hunger Games Series when she wrote it.

Some parts of the book riveting, some seem far fetched, but they are all interesting in their own way.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seen at my blog, Scott Reads It
I expected The Panem Companion to be a quick, short fun analysis about Panem and The Hunger Games. I had already read The Girl On Fire and I was looking for something Hunger Games related to pass the time. Unfortunately The Panem Companion wasn't exactly a great book to read in my free time and it soon became a chore to read. If it wasn't so short, I would have DNFed faster than you can say Mississippi.
There is spoilers for The Hunger Games in this review!

The Panem Companion's goal is to expand on The Hunger Games and provide further insight on it's world. The problem is that The Hunger Games is a pretty straight forward series and doesn't need much explanation. V. Arrow looks way too much into the text and is fishing for something deeper. For most of the book, Arrow was searching for meaning in such simplistic, obvious things that have no deeper meaning. It reminds me of when my English professor would ask us the significance of such arbitrary details. Not everything is a metaphor for something deeper, most things are supposed to be taken literally.

Did Suzanne Collins really write THG to discuss sexuality? I didn't think so yet the author spends pages discussing the importance of sexuality in this series. I think alot of the topics covered in this book are ridiculous and don't really pertain to this series. There is too much extrapolating and inferring on V. Arrow's part.

I don't mind theories as long as they are properly supported using evidence from the text. This book claims that Peeta's father could be Prim's baby daddy, I'm not even kidding! I couldn't make up something that ridiculous and nonsensical on my own. The author's proof was virtually non-existent and whatever proof the author had was pretty meaningless. I know it wasn't intentional but the whole Prim baby daddy gave me a good laugh.

I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I disagree with most of what Arrow said. He kept on alluding to the fact that Peeta is feminine, he doesn't say it exactly but he kind of casually indicates it. Sure Peeta isn't a killer but how does that make him feminine? The author also calls Finnick feminine multiple times which was pretty repetitive. V. Arrow is entitled to her own opinion but she needed to back up her ideas better because her evidence was weak and underdeveloped.

Then towards the end is where I felt like tossing my kindle across the room. The author claims that President Snow wasn't evil and that he was a product of his environment! That is such B.S., Snow killed thousands of people and didn't bother him in the slightest bit. The author instead places the blame for Prim's death on Katniss's shoulders for volunteering as a tribute. WTF! That makes no sense at all, that is so invalid!

Overall, The Panem Companion was way too academic and tedious for my taste. It can't help that V. Arrow's arguments are weakly supported, ridiculous, and just pointless. This book is supposed to be serious but it's hard to take such nonsense seriously (*cough cough* Prim's Baby Daddy!). Also this book was extremely repetitive, the author kept on mentioning how Katniss doesn't describe people thoroughly at least 100 times. If you've read The Girl On Fire, I wouldn't really bother with this companion because many of the topics in this book are duplicated. The Girl On Fire is a far better analysis of THG and it was way more entertaining. Thank you to Smart Pop for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review, this did not affect my opinion or rating of this book at all.

[Lori Spier · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 Wars, Lord of the Rings, and others but I didn't necessarily want to read anything other than the fictional texts, whether official or unofficial. Yet something about Collins' text really drives me to think about it more academically and makes me love it even more. I suspect that has something to do with the fact that instead of being fantasy, it is dystopia and as Arrow tracks in this book, events could occur that lead to similar circumstances to create the world of Panem. It's not likely. Also because of that closeness to our real-life, I feel more easily able to see the similarities and ways of approaching analyzing them especially in Collins' presentation of war and reality television, the juxtaposition of which Collins has admitted was a huge jumping off point for the series.

Besides looking at some of the most important characters, settings and themes of the trilogy, this book also contains a lexicon looking at the background behind the names of (I believe) all the named characters. Though these analyses are purely guesswork, they do provide interesting insight into some of the thoughts that may have guided Collins when naming as well as providing foreshadowing on their eventual fates to those who know.

The best part of this book though is that it is pushing me to reread the trilogy, something I haven't done since first reading it in 2010. I think that will be a 2013 goal and I can't wait!

[Athena Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 learn what makes this "world" tick. How Panem evolved from the world we have today in North America to where it ended up during the hunger games. This book has plenty of quotes from Hunger Games fans and those quotes are recognized by the author. The introduction can be text book-ish but once you get past that - the book itself is a much easier, less academic read. The author is very bright so the reading of this book may take a little more effort than some are willing to put forth. But I feel like I know the Panem world so much more for having read The Panem Companion. I may even re-read the Hunger Games with the whole - if I knew then, what I know now information.

I received this book from the author via Netgalley. All opinions, good or bad, are my own.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 sure some hard core fan is very interested in this sort, but it wasn't for me. I mean, come on, speculations that Prim is really Peeta's half-sister?

I really doubt Collins, as amazing as she is, really put that much thought into every single little detail. Some things are just meant to be left alone! By devouring the story and ripping it apart, you don't get to enjoy what the plot and story line actually have to say! It's just a big compilation of useless information that already travels around THG fandom, just packaged in waaay too many words.

I dunno, I just didn't get the point of this book. It was a waste of my time and I don't recommend it at all.

A big thanks to Netgalley and BenBella Books Inc. for the ARC!
Scheduled release date: 4th Dec 2012

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 found most interesting were: district and race relations, the mystery of Cinna's origins and true role in the rebellion, a comparison of Panem and District 13 (as in, how different are they really?), and the question of who's ultimately responsible for a certain character's death. Given Suzanne Collins' military background and love of Greek and Roman mythology, those parallels are explored as well. As if all this wasn't enough to chew on, there's an entire appendix on the origins of the characters' names. My hat is off to V. Arrow for her thoroughness and insight. I felt a little weird devoting so much brainpower to a work of fiction, but man was it fascinating. Thanks Netgalley!

[Scrittevolmente · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 troviamo così numerose informazioni.

Si parte da “Mapping Panem”, ovvero la mappa di Panem, dove nella cartina dell’attuale America ci viene indicato dove la Collins ha inserito i luoghi delle sue avventure.

Abbiamo poi “Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Panem”, dove scopriamo grazie alla distribuzione dei Distretti come Katniss potrebbe avere origini da nativa americana.

Per leggere la recensione per intero: QUI

[Olivia (Bookcomet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. A LOT. If you are a Hunger Games fan, a you NEED to read this. It is probably one of the best things you can do to rekindle your feelings for the trilogy if you're feeling a bit washed out or just like the series, because it reminds you of the genius that is Suzanne Collins.

The author has obviously put a lot of effort into their research. I had no idea that all the names had meanings and weren't just...chosen. It's just so clever! Plus there is a prediction of when (what year) The Hunger Games would be.

I just LOVED The Panem Commpanion and can honestly say it's the best book (if you know what I mean - facts or opinions on a book. Fan based) that is based on another book.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of the trilogy. It's probably better if you have already read the whole trilogy to get the most out of this book. I loved it!

5/5 stars!

[Kels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of essays compiles everything I enjoy about fandom analysis of my current favorite series into one compact, thought-provoking and thrilling read. While providing plenty of intriguing Hunger Games-specific analysis, Arrow strongly defends the importance of fandom and stresses fandom's importance to a new generation of media consumers/thinkers. From the introduction: "The Hunger Games is a story about public interaction with mainstream media."
It was extremely refreshing to read this book knowing it was written by someone so engrossed in The Hunger Games fandom (and the general culture of fandom), and therefore so passionate and articulate in explaining the pertinence of fan interaction to the broader issue of the role of media and pop culture in our society. The Panem Companion was a joy to read. Excellent work, V!

[morninglightmama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding analysis and reflections on the influences and deeper meanings of THE HUNGER GAMES series. I loved the author's approach of breaking down symbols and events in the books, from mapping Panem based upon the textual clues combined with logic and knowledge of North American geography and resources, to considering the sources of the names of characters throughout the books and their places in history and literature. This thoughtful volume encourages the kind of action that I absolutely love-- breaking down a meaningful piece of literature to discuss its parts, influences, and meaning. I wish I could have a long, drawn-out conversation with this author about one of the most thought-provoking series that I've ever read!

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 5 out of 5]

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-Giveaway
The Panem Companion

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 there *is* some history (textual, even!) of merchant-class men hiring Seam women as prostitutes...

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 fact that the author's name is Arrow is just perfect.

[Penny Cipolone · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting piece of "fan" literary criticism that did give me some things to think about in relation to this trilogy. Some seemed pretty far out but could be considered valid points of discussion. However the Lexicon of names at the end was silly. The author tried to find every instance of a name to explain the character name in the book. Some of the mythology and Roman history was plain wrong.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 really were more detrimental than helpful, probably in order to make her seem more intelligent, because this book did not help in that area.

[Tracee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, in-depth analysis of The Hunger Games trilogy. Many of V.'s claims are in-line with my own and they are all backed with factual evidence. I also love how she incorporated many of the fandom's speculations. It's a book that you can read and re-read for years to come. I also think it'll be one that I'll incorporate into my lessons while teaching The Hunger Games trilogy. The articles are excellent non-fiction pieces that students can read and respond with their own observations and opinions. Very well done.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Angie Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read a companion book before but I loved this series and was very interested in reading this one. I found it to be very interesting and brought up a lot of ideas that I had thought about as well as many others that I had not. It made me want to read the whole series again.

I received a copy of this book free on GoodReads.

[Magda Ivanoff]

It is an eye opening book. The author asked a lot of questions that I did not even think of when reading the book. There are some questions that I thought off when reading. This book gives you a lot of think about the world of Panem and our world. A good read if someone wants to think and learn more about us.