1) It strikes me that exacting a tribute of kids to be killed from each district is not a great way to keep subjugated territories in line. Sure, it inspires fear, but what then? How long can you keep subjugated lands under control by means of an event that is largely symbolic (they’re not decimating the population, they’re forcing a token human sacrifice of a few kids per district per year)? Premise feels too forced. Author should read up on the Roman Empire for empire-building, and on the Aztecs for keeping people subordinate via fear.

2) She really named her dystopia “Panem”? She named it the Latin word for bread*? In a book called The Hunger Games? Okay then. Subtlety, not so much.

So I will probably not read this one.

*accusative case = direct object. That’s where the -em comes from, for folks playing at home. The pan- root will be familiar to any speakers of Spanish, French, etc — i.e., you don’t have to be a classics scholar to groan at this one.