Why We Love The Hunger Games More Than Other YA Dystopia
The modern era of teenage dystopia has left us depressed and pining for more quality angst. The reason? One saga stood out from the rest and became the benchmark that nothing else could reach.
The saga in question, of course, is The Hunger Games. The franchise could not have arrived at a better time.
The 2000s were a magical time with teen fantasy movies like Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia and paranormal romance movies like Twilight taking center stage.
It seems like we got tired of such hope-filled entertainment in a decade, so in 2012, The Hunger Games brought us into the age of despair and gave way to the rise of young adult dystopia. Maze Runner, Divergent, and many others followed.
Why was The Hunger Games so popular then and still is today? Many attribute it to the fact that the saga happened to come first. Sure, that may have been a factor, but not the main one. What is it then?
There is no denying that Suzanne Collins' original books and Francis Lawrence and Gary Ross' vision for the movies are a huge part of the franchise's success.
However, fans believe that the main reason why they enjoy the saga is that it is so realistic in its nature despite being a dystopia.
The way that people rebel (and some don't) against the system, the corrupt and divided system itself, and the horrible consequences of the characters' choices are essential to what makes The Hunger Games stand out.
Despite living in this horrible world of the future, the characters still have their personal problems to deal with – addiction, alcoholism, and other mental health issues are portrayed throughout the series in the most convincing way possible.
The thing that really sets The Hunger Games apart from other dystopias is its ending. The rebellion's victory does not equal a happy ending and is instead followed by betrayals and deaths that you never expected.
Even the protagonist, Katniss, does not get a happy ever after – at least, not completely.
Though she marries Peeta and ends up having children, the epilogue makes it clear that the trauma of the past is still there and will not go away anytime soon. Horrific?
Yes. True to life? Also, yes.