A ‘Hunger’ for Young Adult Fiction

I recently read the “Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins, which includes The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. Actually, devoured is a more appropriate term. Collins has created one of the greatest science fiction stories of all time. The first book in particular, The Hunger Games, should be put on a shelf next to the genre’s great works. Yes, it’s that good.

The trilogy tells the story of Katniss, a teenage girl in a post-apocalyptic world who is forced to represent her territory in a televised barbaric fight to the death. She and 23 other combatants must fight the elements – and each other – in a trap-infested outdoor arena. There are some familiar themes that you’ll find in other science fiction tales, but the story is fresh and compelling. By the end of the first chapter of the first book, I was hooked. At the end of the second book, I had goosebumps. When I began the final book, I was resolved to the idea that I was just going to have to make due with minimal sleep until the last page was turned.

But it’s just dumb luck that I found the trilogy at all. It was only after repeated coverage in Entertainment Weekly that I decided to see if the story was worth all the hype. You see, The Hunger Games is classified as “young adult” reading. As a general rule, I don’t loiter around the young adult section of my local library. I have a young daughter, but still, it’s kind of creepy. Do you want your child talking with a 40-something guy about a book that was supposedly written for someone 30 years his junior?

What does “young adult” really mean, anyway? When I was a young adult, I read a number of great books, many of which still rank among my favorites and still reside in my bookshelf. Five come to mind immediately: Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Animal Farm. Classics one and all, literary treasures to be shared and revisited. Yet, I don’t think most people would consider them young adult novels, though several feature young adults prominently in their storylines.

Just like graphic novels are often dismissed as simply “comic books” despite amazing stories and artwork, young adult novels can be overlooked because they are perceived as “kid stuff.” While the “Harry Potter” series broke free of its young adult label to become a publishing and cultural phenomenon, it is more the exception than the rule. The Hunger Games appears to be enjoying a similar success, with millions of copies sold and a Spring 2012 film adaptation in the works.

Granted, there are some books that really are best suited for 12-year-old readers, but The Hunger Games is much more than its young adult label. In time, it could find its place on required reading lists for high school students, though it will face an uphill battle against the stigma of science fiction (very few sci-fi novels make the cut as “serious” writing) and its perceived place at the kiddie table. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and make some room on your bookshelf or e-reader for a new classic.