This book seems to be hit or miss. You will either love it, or loath it.
Set in the future of North America (it never specifies if what is now Canada or Mexico are part of Panem), the government rules with terror. Each district (12 left as of this book) sends one teenage boy and one teenage girl to fight in an arena for the glory of their district.
In the post-apocolyptic world of the United States northwest, a drifter trades entertainment for room and board in villages of survivors. Set nearly 20 years after WWIII (also called the Doomwar), Gordon Krantz takes shelter in a rusted out mail truck. He takes the coat to stay warm on his journey, and develops an idea. Instead of badly-reenacted Shakespeare plays, he would claim to be a mail carrier from the Restored United States.
His marks respond in a way that surprises him. They begin writing letters to family and friends that they haven't seen in nearly two decades. Gordon gives no promises, but does deliver the letters to keep up his charade. This action has a side-effect that Gordon misses, at least at first. He has given the people hope that the world is getting better.
If you have seen the movie, but have not read the book, you would be surprised. The two have very little in common. I do like the movie, but the book is so much better. And more believable.
The movie and this book have very little in common.
The book takes place in the 70s (I believe) and a pandemic has changed the world as we know it.
This book takes place 8 or 9 years after the events of Dies the Fire. It does not actually have the war the title mentions, but the entire thing is the build-up to it.
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