Before the Hunger Games there was Twilight, and before Twilight there was Harry Potter; our generation certainly has never lacked a popular series to obsess over! However tempting it may be to spend your days discussing the pros and cons of the swoon-worthy male main characters, collegiettes must find a balance between causally enjoying these series and visiting IMDB fifteen times a day to see if there are new movie stills of Liam Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence.
Although some may debate the educational value of these series, it would be difficult to argue that the books do not draw in a variety of readers. They might be labeled as “teen fiction,” but that does not explain the hordes of middle-aged women at the book releases! Fundamentally, these books appeal to persons looking for an escape from reality, with characters that we can easily relate to and envision within our own lives. In these series, the settings are very natural and removed from what most collegiettes encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Even though Katniss is “girl power” personified, her personality and conflicting emotions are similar to Bella’s deliberating over which path to take and which eligible heartthrob to choose. Both heroines have many of the same issues we have to face; theirs are just woven into elaborate stories with fictional elements. It is not hard to engross oneself into these novels and romantic heroes, especially when one’s personal romantic life might be going through a bit of a dry spell. Also, these protagonists have qualities to be admired that we might hope to absorb and translate into our lives that could possibly lead to relationships with our individual Edwards, Jacobs, Peetas, and Gales. Nevertheless, if you already have a man in your life, it would be wise to tone down your obsession with Twilight and Hunger Games characters so he doesn’t get too jealous and feel inadequate in comparison!
While these books definitely have some good messages, they can also lead to pretty extreme reactions. Stars of the movie adaptations are stalked by fans of all ages as well as paparazzi. Clothing, notebooks, posters, and jewelry are sold with the franchise’s emblem. As college students, showcasing our obsessions with teen series might not be the norm, but indulging our youthful sides every so often is nothing to hide! So feel free to start re-pinning Mockingjay symbols and break out “I Loaf Peeta” t-shirts and enjoy the premiere on March 23. Just remember to stop celebrating outwardly until the next big midnight release.
Can’t get enough? Check out these sites:
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/
http://jabberjaynet.tumblr.com/
http://www.mylifeistwilight.com/