YA Speculative Fiction
Published in 2008 by Scholastic Press
Book 1 of The Hunger Games Series
A masterclass in chapter endings
Every year, one girl and one boy from each district of Panem are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised battle to the death. When Katniss's younger sister Prim is chosen as her district's tribute, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.
Things to Emulate
The Hunger Games has a plot that moves like a freight train. It is relentless, pulling the reader forward. This is perfect for the narrative as it keeps the reader in the same state of stress and uncertainty as Katniss. Other than Collins's use of the first person, there is no better way to put the reader directly in Katniss's shoes. While this pace doesn't work for every narrative, examining how Collins achieves this effect is useful to learn how to keep your story moving forward, even if these techniques should be used more sparingly in most novels.
Chapter Endings
In The Hunger Games, each chapter ending acts like rocket fuel, driving the narrative forward and making it incredibly difficult to put the book down. There is always the promise of something exciting on the other side.
The chapter endings in The Hunger Games cover the four main forms of chapter endings: Obstacles, Foreshadowing, Action Breaks and Revelations. Regardless of the type of chapter ending, each one poses a question the reader needs the answer to. The use of each chapter ending is directly tied to their place in the narrative.
Before the games begin, the chapter endings are all revelations and foreshadowing, providing the reader with information to immerse them in the world of Panem. It is curiosity about the world and the characters that draw the reader in.
The ending of chapter one is a perfect example of a revelation:
It's time for the drawing. Effie Trinket says as she always does, "Ladies first!" and crosses to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches in, digs her hand deep into the ball, and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd draws in a collective breath and then you can hear a pin drop, and I'm feeling nauseous and so desperately hoping that it's not me, that it's not me, that it's not me.
Effie Trinket crosses back to the podium, smooths the slip of paper, and reads out the name in a clear voice. And it's not me.
It's Primrose Everdeen.
Chapter one has established three important things: Prim is a sweet, gentle girl; Katniss is completely devoted to her; and Prim only has one entry in the draw (to Katniss's 20 and her friend Gale's 42), so there is almost no chance she'll be selected to participate in the Games. The ending of chapter one engages with all three of these facts.
First, there is the initial shock. How was Prim's name pulled when she had only a one in thousands chance?
Then, How will the sweet little girl who saves ugly cats survive the brutality of the Hunger Games?
And finally, What is going through Katniss's mind? The older sister who does everything she can to protect her little sister, who took extra entries in the draw to make sure her sister had only one. What is she going to do?
A big part of why this chapter ending works is because Collins took the time to let the reader get to know Katniss and her world. We are attached to Katniss and can feel the shock rippling through her when she hears her sister's name announced. This shock alone would be enough to propel the reader forward, but Collins has also built in all these questions about what will happen next, providing clues in what has come before, but not giving any answers until we turn the page.
Chapter two presents us with an example of foreshadowing:
To this day, I can never shake the connection between this boy, Peeta Mellark, and the bread that gave me hope, and the dandelion that reminded me that I was not doomed. And more than once, I have turned in the school hallway and caught his eyes trained on me, only to quickly flit away. I feel like I owe him something, and I hate owing people. Maybe if I had thanked him at some point, I'd be feeling less conflicted now. I thought about it a couple of times, but the opportunity never seemed to present itself. And now it never will. Because we're going to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death. Exactly how am I supposed to work in a thank-you in there? Somehow it just won't seem sincere if I'm trying to slit his throat.
The mayor finishes the dreary Treaty of Treason and motions for Peeta and me to shake hands. His are as solid and warm as those loaves of bread. Peeta looks me right in the eye and gives my hand what I think is meant to be a reassuring squeeze. Maybe it's just a nervous spasm.
We turn back to face the crowd as the anthem of Panem plays.
Oh, well, I think. There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do.
Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late.
There is a lot of foreshadowing going on in this chapter, hinting of what is to come between Peeta and Katniss. Once again, this ending presents the reader with a series of questions, this time from the setup of Katniss and Peeta's relationship. What makes this ending so effective is that Collins has upped the emotional stakes. We read on in anticipation, not because Peeta is an obstacle to Katniss returning home alive, but because he is an obstacle she has an emotional attachment to. How can she kill someone she feels she owes her life to? The final line is the one that seals it: "Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late." This makes it clear that Katniss will have the chance to kill Peeta. The question is, Will she be able to go through with it? The promise of this emotionally rich moment alone is enough to keep the reader reading.
Once the Games begin, the chapter endings most common to the adventure/quest/thriller genres take over: obstacles and action breaks.
Chapter twelve presents an example of an obstacle:
A few hours later, the stampede of feet shakes me from slumber. I look around in bewilderment. It's not yet dawn, but my stinging eyes can see it.
It would be hard to miss the wall of fire descending on me.
This obstacle presents not only the immediate question of how will Katniss escape the wall of fire but also a series of others that relate to how Katniss's overall chances will change as the result of the obstacle. By this point, the reader is completely invested in Katniss. They want to know not just how she will escape but if she will escape unscathed. Will the fire kill other tributes bringing her closer to winning? Will it affect the forest that has been keeping her alive and relatively safe? Will it drive her into the vicinity of the other tributes? All of these questions propel the reader forward looking for answers.
Chapter sixteen is an example of an action break:
For a moment, everything seems frozen in time. Then the apples spill to the ground and I am blown backward into the air.
This is probably the most propulsive chapter ending of the given examples. The chapter ends right in the middle of Katniss's flight through the air, suspending time. For her to hit the ground, the reader must continue reading. In addition to this defiance of physics the reader feels compelled to correct, it also presents a whole range of questions: Will Katniss land safely? Will the explosion bring the other tributes running? Will she be in any shape to fight them off? Did she succeed in destroying all the supplies? How does this affect her chances of winning the Games?
Conclusion
Whatever type of chapter ending is used, the end goal is the same: present the reader with questions they want to know the answer to. Simply presenting questions to the reader isn't enough. They have to care about the answer. The reason the chapter endings of The Hunger Games are so effective is because Collins has created characters we care about and placed them in an engaging world. This makes her well-crafted chapter endings gold.
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