Well tributes, last week, we lost another great series to the test of time. That’s right, The Hunger Games trilogy joined the greats like Harry Potter and The Hobbit. Heartbreak all over again.
I know we still aren't over Deathly Hallows: Part II. We are still not over the fact that the books are done and there will be no more movies, and adjusting to this is very difficult. Yet, like a domino effect, each beloved fantasy or science fiction series has to end, until filmmakers make movie franchises out of them. But, then those movies end and we are all just as sad. Voids of lost fandom freak-outs, midnight (or 8:00 pm) premieres, and anxious waits between Part I and Part II take over our hearts. Another series has ended.
While we writhe in a pool of our own tears, come to terms with the death of the beloved characters depicted in full detail on the big screen, and attempt to accept the fact that the series is officially over, let’s take some time to think. It would be a good idea to start moving on right? However, just like myself, some of us always need a book or story to keep our mind busy. Here are some books and series worth a read (or revisit):
1. Divergent
This series, commonly compared to the plot of the Hunger Games (wrongfully so), is an epic page-turner. A dystopian future set in the former city of Chicago, young people must make a choice between their family and their true selves and learn a new way of life. The female protagonist must figure out just what she stands for and how willing she is to fight for it- faction before blood. Plot twist after cliffhanger, putting each book down is quite impossible.
2. The Maze Runner
This is quite an imaginative series and once again another page-turner. A group of young men are dropped in the middle of captive grassland with no memory from before and an unknown relation to each other. Together, they must figure out a way to beat the curious and deadly maze to gain their freedom. However, they have no idea of the world outside waiting for them. There is only one movie out for this four-book series. So if it’s the anticipation between books and movies you’re looking for, catch up on the series soon.
3. Anything John Green has graced with his thoughts and words.
This guy just gets it. John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, and Looking for Alaska, perfectly balances knitty-gritty themes, harsh realities, and spins of romance into fictitious novels that can sometimes be all too relatable. While none of his books are part of a series, they are all worth the tears (tissues are a must for most of these books). The Fault in our Stars and Paper Towns have already hit the big screen, but make sure to jump on Looking for Alaska before it’s released in theaters.
My official top recommendation: The Fault in our Stars
If you’ve read these already, then you and I both know it never hurts to go back and read your favorite parts. No shame in that. If you haven’t, these books are an excellent chance to catch up on and obsess over just before they hit theaters.
