The Hunger Games

I am very much in love with the young adult fiction series, The Hunger Games. For one thing, the series is a well-written series that doesn't condescend to its young, target audience; just because these books are written for teens doesn't mean that they stay away from difficult issues. In fact, the books deal with extremely heavy issues (death, murder, government control, loss, love, war, etc.) and showcase young characters handling their problems, even when they think they can't.

But I also love the series because it screams feminism without saying anything about feminism.


What does that mean? I'll tell you. (And don't worry, no spoilers here!)

The series is written by a female author, Suzanne Collins, yet the books are violent and dark. Feminists have always known that women can write about themes that have been dubbed "masculine," but thanks to Suzanne Collins, a few more people in the world may finally realize it too.

Along the same lines, the main character is a female, yet she is not "feminine." Sometimes she likes to wear pretty dresses, yet she is most comfortable in her baggy hunting clothes. She doesn't spend all of her time thinking about boys. Actually, until the books get going, you get the impression she's never thought about boys at all. She is not overly emotional; in fact, in order to care for her family, she has often blocked out emotions in order to be efficient and to appear in control. She doesn't let others see her cry. I don't mean, of course, that she doesn't feel; on the contrary, she feels a lot. She just doesn't show it.

Basically, what I'm saying is that she's a human being. She doesn't fit into the molds of masculine or feminine. And the best part about these books is that all of the characters are like that! In the Hunger Games competition, boys and girls compete against each other and no one questions the girls' capability to handle themselves. Differences between the sexes are rarely important, or even mentioned, when it comes to a person's personality, talents, intelligence or capabilities.

Like in other young adult fiction (I'm thinking specifically of Twilight), there is a love triangle in the story. What I love about this book, (again, as compared to Twilight, since I've (sadly) read it too) is that the love story is complicated (like in life). Let's be honest, we all knew that however loud Team Jacob fans shouted, Bella was going to end up with Edward. No shock there. The suspense was not in "Who will Bella end up with?" but rather, it was all about "How can we end this series with Bella and Edward together without Jacob wanting to kill himself?" Now, I'm not going to talk about the silly plot devices that Meyers used to solve the latter question (imprinting? the baby? for REAL?), but I want to point out how much more mature Collins' love triangle is. You truly never know who Katniss is going to end up with, if she will even end up with either one, and you know that your heart as a reader will be a little broken either way. There's no team to cheer for, there's no last minute love interest to distract someone, there's just three people stuck in a mess with no easy way out. Is it like a fairy tale? No. But Collins seems to think (and I agree) that her young readers can handle a little reality and maturity in their love stories. And based on the popularity of her books, I'm thinking that she's right.

This series is great. The books deal with difficult issues, and not all of them get tied up neatly with a bow by the end. The world Suzanne Collins has created is messy, tragic, and rough, but it is also challenging and hopeful. More young adult fiction needs to be like this book, providing a good storyline with an easy-to-read narrative style while not compromising on intelligence or dumbing down difficult plot points.

I highly recommend The Hunger Games. You won't regret it.