The Finale of the Hunger Games and Thoughts on the Whole YA Thing

I have come to the conclusion, not only of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, but a final verdict upon the series:  worth a read!!!  As you may recall from my earlier post about The Hunger Games, the first book in the series, I had known about the book long before I contemplated reading it.  After all, I do not consider myself a YA (young adult) fiction fan.  Of late, though, I have read several books in that genre (aimed for that audience) that have changed my mind.  There are some incredible authors out there pouring their heart and soul into some of the very best reads available to a younger audience.  Might I say, the audience needn't be limited to teens nor young adult though.  If you are young at heart, believe in love, believe in the right to fight for what's right, to have values and morals, then YA may be for you.  At least, some of it.  In the last few years  I discovered the world of wizardry in Harry Potter, the surreal fantasy of vampires and werewolves in the Twilight series, the importance of love in Delirium (not that I hadn't already discovered this personally, but finally a book that addressed what a world without love could be like, a world without choice), and a world where a young girl of 17 has the power and ability to change a cruel savage existence under a controlling "Capitol" government by fighting for what she believes in, in the Hunger Games series.  Each of these books, in their own way, reinforces values and morals while doing so in an engaging manner that draws the reader into another world, surreal and impossible, yet in some ways not so unlike our own in the challenges we each face in a lifetime.

I'm not hooked on YA fiction, nor would I consider myself solely a YA reader, but I CAN say that I will not turn away from a YA book so readily as I have done in the past.  If you think any of the aforementioned books are airy without substance, then you probably haven't read them.  Being quick to judge a book based solely on its genre or focused audience, may leave you out of a world that is closer to reality than you might think, excluding you from the incredible experience of sharing in what could be some of the most meaningful writing you may have the opportunity to enjoy.  So here's a bit of a challenge to you, pick up something you never thought you'd enjoy before and give it a try.  I did and I was pleasantly surprised!

Have you discovered a genre, style or book that has changed your perspective of a particular kind of book?  If so, I'd love to hear about it.  

Some great Young Adult Fiction I have enjoyed lately!
Sudden Moves by Marissa Meyer, Delirium by Lauren Oliver,
Sudden Moves by Kelli Sue Landon, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins