...and may the odds be ever in your favor
If you haven’t heard of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, don’t worry help is on the way, just let us know what rock you’re trapped under.
This book series is about a war-torn North America, now called Panem. After an uprising years ago, the current regime has cracked down hard on its 12 districts.
How do they do this? By annually holding a tournament–The Hunger Games. A boy and a girl (between the ages of 12 and 18) from each district are selected via lottery to compete for their lives as the entire country watches on TV. There is one winner, and they must kill all of the other competitors in order to be victorious.
Did I mention this a young adult series? It’s a young adult series that has gained a rather large following beyond its target demographic(and miraculously they’re not all mothers of the targeted young adults…Twi-moms).
When I first learned of The Hunger Games trilogy, I assumed it was the latest “Twilight,” so of course I was going to read it…eventually. I planned on letting the 12-18 year old girls of the world finish their squealing bouts over Team Gale and Team Peeta (it was never a competition girls) and then read the books in a year or two.
That didn’t quite work out. It was insisted that I read the first book, coincidentally by someone who is neither a 12-18 year old nor a girl. A whirlwind of commutes later (I read on the bus) and I’d finished all three of the books within a week and cried on the bus more times than I care to mention.
It’s a smart and moving book, that some question the “young adult”-ness of. On that score I have nothing but props for Suzanne Collins who brilliantly constructed a book that covers tough issues like war, politics, and poverty, while still keeping it appropriate for all ages.
With the film version of the first book of the series making its way to the big screen today, many observers (2WC included) are wondering which audience the film will cater to. With the seemingly unlikely, but nevertheless broad appeal of this book series it’s hard to guess where the movies will take us.
Personally, I am a firm believer in a strong story, and The Hunger Games has one. So whether they aim to please the tweens or the rest of us, it should be a spectacularly wild ride with an awesome cast, that 2WC will be sharing with you next Friday. Sorry guys, as hard as it was, we had to pass up the midnight showing…the screaming, the screaming!!!
Speaking of screaming, I have to fully address Team Gale and Team Peeta before I go. I understand that recovering Twi-hards need something to do with their time too, but I stand my ground, it was never a competition. However, I’m not one for spoilers, so you’ll just have to wait and see who wins the non-competition.
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“Peer Pressure? How About, Like, Fighting to Death”: New York Times
…bi-daily smile…
…yes, it is possible to spoof:
