The Hunger Games is NOT Twilight

I am so excited because of the fact that one week from tonight I will be watching "The Hunger Games." Of course I have been following all the details of the premiere that was held a few days ago, and I have been counting down along with this blogger who has done a weekly post anticipating the big event (this essay is my favorite). And I just have to say how much it bothers me that this huge movie event is being compared to the Twilight mania. Sure, it's comparable in its levels of popularity, but DO NOT compare the story or the fact that both stories have love triangles, etc. The Hunger Games is not in the same category at all.

I have loved this quote by writer Stephen King about the difference between Harry Potter and Twilight. And I think you definitely can substitute the "Harry Potter" for "The Hunger Games". 

"[The Hunger Games] is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend."

So true. I'm not going to say that Twilight is a complete joke. It's entertaining: that's its sole purpose. I firmly believe that we all need some mindless entertainment once in a while. But not all the time. And when your discussions of the story can't extend much beyond the intricacies of a vampire and how he loves but also wants to eat his girl, then you should probably just leave it as that: entertainment. 

Back to the other reason why people compare the two: they both have love triangles. 

I sadly have read all the Twilight books, so I feel justified in boldly declaring that Twilight is no love triangle. There's never a doubt ever that the main character only cares about the vampire. Not the werewolf. Only the vampire. The thing that makes love triangles so awesome in the history of literature is when you see a character who really is conflicted on who to choose, and for good reasons. The Hunger Games does this. That's what makes it so real and it's also what places it into that more memorable class of literature.

A few friends of mine have told me that they don't want to read The Hunger Games for the reason that so many people compare it to Twilight so they think that it's the same thing and they don't want to be involved in it. If they only knew! It's not fair to place The Hunger Games in the same category as Twilight just because they're both in the young adult genre and because they both are wildly popular. 

So please do yourself a favor. Please please read The Hunger Games. At least the first book just to say you gave it a chance. It is not at all like or comparable to Twilight. I understand that these books are not for everyone. But you can't knock it or categorize it without having given it a chance. I did it with Twilight, and those books just weren't for me, so don't be all mad if you are a Twihard. To each his own. 

One more side note: they cast the movie wonderfully in my opinion. And I love Katniss/Jennifer Lawrence. And Peeta/Josh Hutcherson of course. But then again, look at Gale/Liam Hemsworth. I would have a hard time choosing too. But for the record, it was Peeta for me all along. 

Anyway, Happy Hunger Games!!