Why so HUNGRY for The Hunger Games?

[Brantford]

The Hunger Games has become a phenomenon with rocket high readership and a commitment to three feature films. You can see evidence of it everywhere. People are reading, talking, blogging and tweeting about this trilogy. Author interviews, movie clips and reader reviews flood the internet. What do you think the appeal is? What was the element that attracted your interest?

[Anna]

I read the first book shortly after it was published and I knew very little about it except that there was already some hype around it. I suppose that's why I read it in the first place. I was curious about the hype but I really had no idea what to expect.I enjoyed the first book more than the rest but overall I still think it was a great series.

[Karen]

Well, I have to admit this, but I did not read these titles when the rest of the world was. I have not read book 1 of the series, but am reading Catching Fire because it is BPL's next online book. This is not the type of book I normally read but I am enjoying it so far. I think the series would have interested the teens because of the romance but also because of the challenges the characters face. They defy authority, a key element in a young person's life (admitedly not all teens).

[Robin]

I didn't intend to read the books until I received them as a gift (and then a friend asked if I'd read them yet ... repeatedly). Once I started I read all three, very quickly, over a weekend.

I'd never characterize them as great art, but I think the author has tapped into some really timely social issues -- and, well, I ended up liking Katniss more than I expected, so reading more of her story wasn't exactly a hardship!

[Kathryn]

I started to read the series because my niece, an avid reader with a great sense of what will appeal to teens, told me I'd like them. I don't read in this area much but I'm glad I read these. My own teens started to read them as well so it is handy to be reading the same things in order to be able to talk to them about the issues raised.

[Brantford]

Kathryn wrote: "I started to read the series because my niece, an avid reader with a great sense of what will appeal to teens, told me I'd like them. I don't read in this area much but I'm glad I read these. My ..."

It is nice to have a book that crosses generations. There aren't many books that do that to the satisfaction of both parent and teen. The Fault in Our Stars was a good book for that. It was definitely written for a teen audience but it was readable for an adult and it provides great fuel for discussion.

[Kathryn]

Maybe you'll consider that title for a future book club. I've been hearing a lot about 'The Fault in our Stars' lately. What do you think?