Middle school, for me, was a time of avid reading as my friends and I happily devoured books such as “Percy Jackson” or “Harry Potter”- sometimes spending hours indoors just to get through the various chapters. This year, for the sake of both pop-culture knowledge and general nostalgia, I have been either reading or re-reading some of these classic picks. Some I had read and loved, others I had never read but wanted to, and others I barely even knew about. While some of these books continue to be an excellent choice for readers of all ages, others show how you can’t always trust the taste of a 13 year old.
- The Hunger Games
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“The Hunger Games” is a dystopian trilogy that follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a teenage revolutionary who protects her sister and eventually incites an uprising. Anyone not living under a rock knows these books and movies absolutely destroyed the dystopian genre as everyone rushed to read and see what would happen next.
At first glance, this series seems like your typical chosen one trope with a dash of love triangle. However, a deeper dive into the world of “The Hunger Games” shows how the wealthy minority is able to oppress and exploit the majority by keeping them divided. The capitol, Panem, is a reference to the age old expression of “bread and circuses,” which describes societies that keep their people docile through food and entertainment. Additionally, “The Hunger Games” shows realistic mental illness, disabilities, and family connections that were generally glossed over in the movies.
Therefore, considering the immense worldbuilding and thought that went into creating an oppressive society that is able to criticize elements of our own society, I’d say that the Hunger Games get a 10/10 from me on withstanding the test of time.
- Divergent
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“Divergent,” like “The Hunger Games”, is a dystopian novel that was incredibly popular when I was in middle school. Taking on similar tropes to “The Hunger Games”, this story involves a girl, Beatrice Prior, who essentially becomes the chosen one as she doesn’t fit into the pre-determined categories of her society. This series therefore has many similarities to “The Hunger Games.” However, unlike “The Hunger Games”, I don’t believe that this series is able to withstand the test of time looking back as an adult.
At first glance, this series seems like it should do well, especially considering that I rated another like it very highly. However, when it comes to the depth and thought that comes with a dystopian critique of society, “Divergent” falls flat. While Suzanne Collins, “The Hunger Games” author, spent her time creating a story that criticizes society and points out faults in government and the media, “Divergent” seems to simply focus on the main characters, which now seem very one dimensional and flat looking back.
The elements of a good dystopian story are present in these novels, but they lack the depth required to make this series impressionable beyond basic entertainment. Romance tropes, a brave female character, cool and dramatic scenes such as jumping off of a moving train, and people jealous of the main character were all thrown together into a book that seemed cliché and lacked real worldbuilding and analysis. Therefore, while I wouldn’t say to never read the book, it just isn’t on the same level as some of the other dystopias out there.
- Percy Jackson
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Seeing that “Percy Jackson” is about to be revamped as a new show on Disney+, I figured it was worth looking back to see if the immensely popular series is truly worth the hype, even after all these years. Percy Jackson is a demi-god, half human, half god, the son of Poseidon. After learning of this, Percy gets sent to a camp for demigods, where he makes new friends and engages in a journey to the underworld (in book 1).
I personally believe “Percy Jackson” is worth the hype, even now as a 20 year old. Percy Jackson is a main character that struggles with ADHD and Dyslexia, which is portrayed in a realistic sense and also gives him certain strengths as opposed to being considered character flaws or things that need to be fixed. Percy is a relatable character who learns to trust himself and his abilities over the course of the book as opposed to being defined by how he does in school.
One of the things that I personally appreciate about this book was how the abusive relationship between Percy’s mom and stepdad was treated. Instead of allowing the abuser some type of redemption arc or having Percy be the “bigger person” and get over it, Percy essentially murders his stepdad at the end of the book. Portraying Percy as a good moral character who makes this decision and refusing to make excuses for an abuser is one of the many reasons why Rick Riordan is a great author. Therefore, the official ruling on “Percy Jackson” is that it is still a great series.
- The chronicles of narnia
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Another popular fantasy series that we all loved as a kid, “The Chronicles of Narnia” is the last book that I’ve had the chance to take a look at now as an adult. This series tells a good story, and has some good elements of character and family that made it attractive to me as a kid. However, I have to say that as an adult, there are certainly some things that I missed.
The main thing about “The Chronicles of Narnia” that I noticed looking back on it is that the entire book “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” is a giant metaphor for christianity. The main characters come to a place that they have never been to, but are immediately seen as the saviors and the people who could fix the problems of that place. This plotline has striking similarities to a mission trip. Furthermore the death of Aslan (the lion) in the book is easily comparable to Jesus. Aslan is ritualistically killed and then mourned before his glorious return. Re-reading the book, there are many other aspects that appear to draw on christianity, which, for me, was weird.
Additionally, the author makes some bizarre storytelling choices when something needs to happen in the plot as opposed to having a more thought out process. For example, Santa Claus randomly appears in the first book to give the characters essentially items, before leaving just as suddenly. These seemingly random decisions make it much more difficult for me to get through the book as an adult as opposed to a kid. While this series is a cute story, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone over the age of 15.
Sometimes novels meant for kids allow for nostalgia and a mental break, and other times the fact that these stories were meant for children is blatantly obvious. Overall, as long as you are enjoying it, read whatever you want. But be careful when looking at stories you loved as a kid, because it isn’t always the same as you remember.
