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5 reasons The Hunger Games remains one of the best YA series of all time

By Amanda Mullen

Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen”) stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen”) stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate /
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From front to back: Sam Claflin (“Finnick Odair,” back), Evan Ross (“Messalla,” back center), Liam Hemsworth (“Gale Hawthorne,” front center) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” front) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
From front to back: Sam Claflin (“Finnick Odair,” back), Evan Ross (“Messalla,” back center), Liam Hemsworth (“Gale Hawthorne,” front center) and Jennifer Lawrence (“Katniss Everdeen,” front) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2.. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate /

Its Characters

When it comes to characters, The Hunger Games excels at presenting its readers with flawed, realistic people to follow over the course of its three books — and for that, it definitely deserves applause. It’s not revolutionary to see such multifaceted characters in YA nowadays, but at the time these books were published, it wasn’t as common.

Katniss, in particular, is a protagonist that many female readers were able to relate to in a refreshing way. She’s not written as an archetype, and her character isn’t defined by overused tropes. Katniss comes off as a very real teenage girl — one who experiences anger and fear, and one who often makes the wrong decision. But she’s also a compassionate, good person at her core, and that’s what keeps readers rooting for her.

Of course, Katniss isn’t the only character fans have fallen for while reading these novels. Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Cinna, Effie — every single person introduced as Katniss wins her first Hunger Games and goes on to become the Mockingjay is charming yet flawed, and following them will make readers laugh and cry again and again.

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