# The Hunger Games (novel)

> The original novel sold 11.7 million copies in its film adaptation’s release year.

- Owner: Suzanne Collins / Scholastic
- Kind: Book
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: 2008-09-14
- Milestone date: By end of 2012
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 43 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Identity badge, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy

## Summary

Scholastic circulated advance copies to booksellers and librarians. Readers shared the novel through schools and families. The film expanded book demand; its salute later spread among protesters in Thailand and Myanmar.

## Timeline

- Jan 2008 — Scholastic (Retail) — Scholastic sent bound manuscripts to booksellers before distributing advance copies.
- 2008-06-09 — Publishers Weekly (Press) — Publishers Weekly reported online buzz and a first printing raised from 50,000 to 200,000.
- 2008-09-08 — Stephen King / Entertainment Weekly (Press) — Stephen King reviewed the novel in Entertainment Weekly before publication.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/the-hunger-games-novel

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Hunger Games (novel).” Case HIS-01305. Spread Score v1.2: 43/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01305