The Hunger Games: Bigger than Twilight? | News

SACRAMENTO, CA - You don't have to go very far to find fans of The Hunger Games eager for the movie's opening day.

"I like that it's different than anything else I've ever read," Albert Einstein Middle School 8th grader Alexis Pinkney said. "It's not like (the) normal 'teenage girl falls in love with boy and end of story.'  I liked it because it's more than just a romance and more than just an adventure."

Before she read the book, Pinkney she didn't believe that it might be better than Twilight.

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"Now that she's the read the first book, she comes to me while I'm on the computer and she slams the book down, 'Mom! It's better than Twilight!'"  Alexis's mother Kris Pinkney said.

The story concerns a futuristic society where children are forced to fight to the death on a reality TV show until only one survives. 

Katniss, the heroine of the story, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the movie, gets involved in the Hunger Games when her younger sister Prim is chosen and Katniss takes her place.

There has been concern expresssed from some parents about the violence but Alexis' mom isn't worried.

"The violence she told me was in here is nothing compared to what you see on regular TV nowadays!"

Alexis calls herself the "Number 1 Hunger Games fan," but we also got an e-mail from Katie Anderson who believes she is the "ultimate Hunger Games fan."

"These books changed my life," Anderson said. "Through Katniss' story, I realized that even through all she has gone through - she is still a survivor. She keeps going and doesn't give up.  Katniss taught me to do just that, when things get rough to keep going. Sure, things are bad and we all hit our hard spots, but Katniss does what she does to take care of her family, to protect them at any cost."

There are three books, but four movies are planned.

By Jonathan Mumm, jmumm@news10.net