While sipping on a red and blue ICEE, I walked into my local theater during Thanksgiving break buzzing with anticipation. As a lifelong Hunger Games fan, I was ready and eager to watch Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth perform in “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” After more than a year of waiting, this prequel finally reveals the origins of the Hunger Games. Unlike the original films which highlight the bloodshed and rich-versus-poor conflict, this movie focuses on the allure of power — how it can corrupt people, complicate relationships and amplify the emotions of loss and achievement.

I exited the theater feeling unfulfilled. The movie ended with a twist, leaving the fate of one character up in the air. My curiosity heightened when Suzanne Collins announced a fifth Hunger Games book, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” which is apparently going to focus on the themes of propaganda and implicit submission.  Immediately, I texted my friends about this exciting news. However, after a while of reading about it, I saw a social media comment about how our constant desire for new books makes us no better than the world in the Hunger Games.

In the series, Suzanne Collins doesn’t shy away from the idea that the audience is just as complicit in the Hunger Games as the government. The citizens are forced to go to the “reaping” where the tributes are picked and watch the games unfold as their children and neighbors mercilessly kill each other on screen. 

In the second Hunger Games book, “Catching Fire,” this idea is heavily advanced when Peeta tries using audience sympathy for both support and justification of canceling the games.

In “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” Collins develops the premise that in order for the Hunger Games to continue, the audience has to be just as, if not more, invested than the government in seeing the children die. Coriolanus Snow, the main antagonist throughout the original series, orchestrates a way for audience members to send tribute gifts, thereby forcing them to be directly involved in the process. The authoritarian government recognizes that the goal is for the audience to demand violence just as much as they do. 

This dynamic in “The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes” demonstrates a harsh truth that lies semi-dormant in today’s world. We, the “audience,” may not be the ones causing these atrocities, but we are obliging witnesses to them. We see them and remain apathetic and are just as complicit. In the book, this theory is constantly reiterated — the games are not just for punishing the districts but are a tool that Panem uses to keep the oppressed people entrenched in a cycle of violence.

Several of the similarities between these dystopian books and our real-life society are shocking. For instance, the way the audience is used throughout the Hunger Games illustrates how people, including myself, become more desensitized to issues through repetitive events. I find it difficult to turn on the news and constantly view horrible things happening to people while not really knowing what I can do to change anything.

I find it easier and less depressing to ignore or forget it. Consequently, I am drawn to these books and movies with dystopian narratives as they reflect contemporary societies and our recognizable fears but highlight unlikely heroes actually beating the system. These heroes reflect our romanticized vision of ourselves — yet by buying these books, we are inadvertently buying into the system.  

As eager as I am to read “Sunrise on the Reaping,” I can’t help but realize the importance of personal reflection on the underlying message in Collins’ writing. As stated in an online article, the publishing industry calls readers consumers, but with the rise of BookTok leading to increased reading, people no longer simply read books. They consume them. 

In books that often develop the political message of opposition to an unfair system, we can’t just rapidly read words. Rather, we must delve into the concepts and reflect critically. Individual responsibility is paramount in every society that strives to become more civilized and humane. With increased awareness of the ethics presented in our reading, individuals can implement values that lead to building a better world.

Collins previously said she would not write another Hunger Games book unless she had something important to say. With the upcoming major election and the media overload, I’m sure there are a plethora of ideas and themes for her next book. As a fan of Collins’ concept of society, we just have to believe her desire is not to enhance her own profitability but to encourage people to recognize the potential within each of us to make a difference by living more productive lives.

Reading novels is so much more than just reading a book. While Collins’ series is innovative and interesting, the books also heighten the reader’s awareness of the stark realities of the influence of government on individual lives. The significance of this election cannot be overstated, and important political messages like the ones in the Hunger Games will be something I keep in mind when voting this cycle.