The Hunger Games from a Non-YA Reader's Perspective (1)

Last night when the power was out (darn you, rain!), I learned something very interesting. My dad was going to read The Hunger Games. Why is this interesting, you may ask? Well, this is not the type of book that my dad would normally read. Like, this is literally on the opposite end of the spectrum for the books my dad reads, which is almost exclusively historical non-fiction. So no way in any world is he going to pick up a young adult, fiction book about a 16-year-old girl. The conversation is actually pretty funny, so here it is in script form:

EVAN (my brother): Well, now that the lights are out, it's a good time to get some reading down.

ME: *looking pointedly at him* Oh yes, you could read The Hunger Games, like I've been suggesting.

DAD: Oh I have to read that.

ME: *incredulous* You do?! (Aside: for some reason I thought he was going to read it on his own. Alas, I was wrong)

DAD: The whole school has to read it. (Aside: my dad is a teacher. Might I say that I think it's awesome that the whole school has to read The Hunger Games. So jealous!)

ME: OMGILOVETHATBOOK, etc.

ME: Wait, do you even know what it's about?

DAD: Yes...it's about...tribes.

ME: *confused* Tribes?

DAD: Sects.

ME: You mean districts?

DAD: Yeah.

ME: Okay so what else?

DAD: Well, I don't want to know anything, so don't say anything!

ME: Ok, I won't say anything. Just tell me what you think it's about.

DAD: These tribes are ... competing for food...and things.

ME: *confused* Oh.

I think it's hilarious that my dad doesn't really know what it's about...and a little annoying because he won't let me tell him. Like, I guess by having tributes in the Hunger Games, the districts are essentially competing for food and resources, but that's not how I would describe it. But since this book is totally opposite of what my dad would normally read, I thought people might be interested in what he thought, kind of, you know, another perspective. I'll update you periodically on his thoughts, which I will be pressing him for because I am extremely curious as to what he thinks about one of my favorite books. It shall be interesting.