Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.

My guess is that most of you all have either read the Hunger Games series or its sainted cousin, the Divergent series.  Both books have gained a good bit of publicity recently, and, as a teenager with insatiable curiosity, I was curious as to why.

So.

Here, in its concluded form, are my 3 Reasons Why Series Like the Hunger Games and Divergent Are So Famous to us teenagers along with 3 writing tips for each reason.



1.) The adrenaline spike.
Both books are written in such a way that the main character is either in the throes of change, in danger, or in some gorgeous guy's arms.  If that happened to me 24/7, I'd be pretty much living it (and in need of healthier adrenal glands).  But, instead of dealing with the heartbreak, mass murder, and pain that accompanies those three things, I'd rather be reading a book of someone ELSE living the life, yeah?
Get the good without the bad.

That to say, if you're wanting to write in this modern-sci-fi-adventure-romance genre, you'll want to keep away from dull moments, too much exposition, and too much description.  Keep the action flowing.  :)

2.) Ummm...lemme see...how do I say this...exactly?  Er...lemme think...uhhhhhhhh...

...

*FOOOUUUR!!!*  *GAAAAAALE!!!*  *PEEETAAAAAAHH!!!*

*everyone glares at person who yelled 'Peeta'*

...something like that.

Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth both have the capabilities to make their significant others really, really, really...significant.  I honestly can't really comment on my opinion, since most of the time when I'm reading a book where a character's personality/body description is flaunted, I'm reading as a student, picking up sentence structure and words so I can do the same thing with my characters...
Mhm, yeah.
Geeky me.

I STILL HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE, OKAY?  x)

But I can comment on a writing tip, which would be this:
Remember as you write your modern-sci-fi-adventure-romance book that you'll want your significant other to be as alive as possible.  Make him or her a real gentleman/gentlewoman with real weaknesses and real strengths and real social embarrassments, not someone who is seriously overpowered and sexy and...has a tendency to kiss when hot and...sweaty.  (Catch the rhyme?  =^.^=)

3.) Finally and most importantly, books like these give the reader a physical push.
Come on.
Admit it.
Most of us are jaded teens, spending way too much time staring our faces pale in front of a computer screen.  Our lives are too busy and ultimately too boring to learn martial arts, how to shoot a gun, or snare wildlife with tree saplings.  The work is simply too hard, too sweaty, and doesn't have dramatic film music playing in the background.
Also - Daniel Boone died decades ago.
And it doesn't come in an epic montage.
And dangit, it costs money.
So instead, we'll pick up books where SPOILER'S ALERT a girl nearly gets thrown over a chasm to her death, a girl faces Mario fireballs in real life, a girl has to watch her friend get beat up by her enemy without intervention, a girl sings a younger girl to death, a girl climbs a ferris wheel in a game of paintball, and both girls are harassed sexually just to give the notion that they're attractive.  END SPOILER'S ALERT

Again, the good without the bad.

However, a well-done modern-sci-fi-adventure-romance book WILL give a slight physical push to the reader.  The reader WILL find the drive to get up and do some of the awesome things named above.

Or why else do you think archery spiked after the Hunger Games came out?

On the other hand, be careful not to overdo it.  Some people, who have experience with said incidents, will consider your book dark and violent.  SPOILER'S ALERT For example, in Divergent, there's a fight between two girls, and one girl is basically beat up until she's sobbing and bloody.  END SPOILER'S ALERT That struck an ugly chord in me since I've seen stuff like that happen.  It might be exciting for someone else to read, but for me, I'm skimming pages, clenching my jaw and hoping the fight will be over.

Everything is different in life.
And that's why if you write a well-done book where life is sugar-coated and exciting with hot guys and lots of fire and tattoos and drinking and roofs, there will be a lot of attraction.  You're basically selling a cooler life to the reader.

Agree?  Disagree?  The comments box is below.  :)

Write on!
Clove