The Panem Companion: From Mellark Bakery To Mockingjays, by V. Arrow

How much you get out of this book will depend in large part on your tolerance of goofy fan theories that have a thin veneer of scholarly research about them. This book is obviously written by someone who is fond of the Hunger Games and also fond of contemporary social agendas. Even as someone with a limited tolerance for such things, there was still a lot in here that is comical. If you are willing to read a book about the Hunger Games that has a lot of fan theories in it, and find that sort of thing enjoyable, this is the sort of book that you will likely find much to enjoy here. Not all of these theories are equally plausible, and they reflect the biases/perspectives of the author herself. Still, is likely that at least some of these particular theories hit close to the mark, and that gives at least some reading value to this book.

This book is about 200 pages or so and it is divided into fifteen chapters and other supplementary material. The book begins with an introduction. After that the author discusses a map of Panem (not official) (1), and a discussion of how Panem came to be (2). This is followed by a discussion of race, ethnicity, and culture in Panem that argues that Katniss is bi-racial or even possibly tri-racial because of the way that she is described in a vaguely Mediterranean way (3). This is followed by a discussion of the socioeconomics of Tessarae (4). An essay then theorizes that Primrose Everdeen is the secret half-sister of both Peeta and Katrniss based on some dodgy oversimplified genetics (5), as well as a look at family life in Panem (6). There is a discussion of the games as exploitation and entertainment (7) which seems pretty straightforward, and an essay on gender and sexuality that shows the author’s own interests (8). A couple of essays look at District 4 (9), theorizing that Mags is Mexican and not just hard to understand as a stroke survivor, as well as District 11 (11) and its racial politics. Other essays look at mythology and Music in Panem (10). An essay about the architects of the rebellion (12) leads to a more specific fishing expedition about information about Cinna (13). A comparison of District 13 and the capitol follows (14), along with the question of accountability for acts of war in the Hunger Games (15), after which the book ends with the new Panem, a lexicon, and a note on names that take place in the series.

There are at least a few aspects with this book that make it less enjoyable than it otherwise could have been. For one, the author’s theories tend to focus on some dodgy views of race, gender, and sexuality. At least a few of the essays spend way too much time speculating on these matters in ways that generate little insight about the Hunger Games and a lot more insight into the author’s own thinking. The author’s thinking is not nearly as interesting as reading what Suzanne Collins was thinking in writing the Hunger Games. It is noteworthy that this book was only written after the first film, so nothing is included in the aftermath of the three later films nor The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, which at least hints at Katniss coming from a background that could be considered Roma, which is not even considered in this book. The author appears to have assumed that just about everything in the Hunger Games is connected to something with serious thought and seeks to make everything connected to the social concerns that she is most fond of. Whether or not this appealing to you is going to have to be something you consider as a reader.