The Hunger Games

In my Intro to English major class today, we discussed the fact that many people in the United States aren't reading, or at least aren't reading like they used to. Today, everyone is crazy over the Twilight series and trashy novels like Fifty Shades of Grey. What happened to the older, more elegant literature that people  used to love?

Honestly, the only answer I have is that the love of reading is still there; it's just not captivating as many people. Young people still read, they just read different genres. I believe that people like books such  as Twilight and The Hunger Games because they are exciting! There is also intense action, which is highly popular in the age of movies and technology and video. Everyone loves a good, exciting movie. Even I have to admit that I love the entire Hunger Games series, and the Divergent books. The concepts and the story line pull me in, and I feel as though I've left my world and entered the dystopic world of Panem or the city in Divergent. Young adults especially need excitement in their reading, and the fact that they are reading at all is at least a somewhat good sign.