Hungry for Hunger Games?

I am not a dedicated book reader. Usually reading books like "The Scarlet Letter" lull me to the verge of sleep, but after I got a copy of "The Hunger Games," I could not let go.

It was a good read, one that I spent a chunk of my time on, but after I was finished, I set it aside to gather dust and later gave it away. I figured that the book would never become relevant again, but I was wrong–the book managed to resurface once it entered the Hollywood to be put on the big screen.

I was confused. "The Hunger Games" book series was not nearly as popular as the Harry Potter series, yet the movie was attracting attention almost equivalent to that of a Harry Potter film. I had not been reminded of the book since freshman year when I read it, yet it seemed that everyone was jumping in excitement over the release of the movie.

Because of all the newfound attention, I decided to go back and reread the book. I had forgotten the plot of the story, so I bought "The Hunger Games" as an ebook on my phone to reread before the it came out in theaters. I even shared it with a couple of my friends in case they wanted to a be part of the new hype and excitement surrounding the movie.

Only after the flick was released did I begin to realize why there was so much hype. While millions of people went to see it because they had read the book and were eager to see the characters in action, the other chunk of the audience may have  watched for the Harry Potter and Twilight experience. All of these films featured an action-packed and adventurous plot that had a love story added on the side. They were also based on books and were both very successful, and with the absence of Harry Potter in theaters, "The Hunger Games" was bound to  thrive.

I have heard fanatics quoting the movie and raving about certain scenes. And I have also seen numerous comparisons to the Twilight Saga, with some fans joining "Team Peeta" or "Team Gale" according to the male character they think is the best fit for the female protagonist. 

There certainly has been a lot of hype and attention poured out onto the movie, and its success in the box office has created a bright future for the sequel, "Catching Fire." It will be interesting to see whether future audiences will go back to the theaters hungry for more of "The Hunger Games."