Is it possible that the Twilight saga novels have finally met their match? Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, released in September 2008, followed by two more in the series, has become a national sensation. The book is being converted to a film to be released in the spring of next year, and, like the vampire romance novels, is predicted to be a huge cultural sensation.

As was the case with Stephanie Meyers’ novels, younger audiences are not the only ones enjoying the series. Despite the simplicity of the language used in the books, its high-intensity content draws in readers of all ages.

 “The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is fiction in the young adult genre, which is not my age group, but I found myself unable to put it down. Its combination of nerve-racking tension, thrilling action, and engaging love story kept me up until the wee hours,” said Brittney Brow, blog critic for the SeattlePi.  

The fact that the books were aimed at a young audience can at times be confounding. The books focus on a vicious, Spartan-esque competition that pits teenage children against each other in a fight to the death and the horrible effects it has on society.

 “(Collins’) heroine, Katniss Everdeen, lives in one of twelve numbered districts dominated by a decadent, exploitative central city called the Capitol. Every year, two children from each district are drafted by lottery to compete in a televised gladiatorial contest, the Hunger Games, which are held in a huge outdoor arena. The winner is the last child left alive,” wrote Laura Miller of The New York Times.

The characters that emerge in the Hunger Games truly endear themselves to readers. Katniss Everdeen (who is about as far from a love-sick vampire groupie as possible) experiences emotional turmoil throughout the three books, and has her share of growth and degeneration. She becomes a real person in the books-someone for whom audiences feel an emotional connection.

 “…when her little sister's name is chosen as one of the contestants in the upcoming Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. A gutsy decision, given the fact that District 12 hasn't produced a Hunger Games winner in 30 years or so, making them the Chicago Cubs of the postapocalypse world,” said Stephen King’s reviewed Katniss for Entertain Weekly.

The amount of violence that faces the characters in The Hunger Games trilogy is astounding. There are many who are surprised and critical of the movie’s predicted rating of PG13.

 “It seems extremely intense for anyone younger than 16 or 17. For example, there is a scene where one young tribute is slowly eaten alive by wolf-like creatures all night long, and Katniss has to finally throw a weapon at him to end his misery. I found this a little too disturbing when I considered the age of the character,” said Brittney Brown.

Despite the expressed apprehensions about the graphic nature of the books and upcoming film, The Hunger Games have become the new obsession. The movie is predicted to draw in just as many, if not more, crazed fans than the Twilight films ever have.