As students, we all need breaks from academic books now and then, and it is important that we take time to read something that we will not eventually be tested or writing papers on. In this case, there are countless books available for entertainment reading, some worthwhile and some downright ridiculous.

“The Hunger Games” and “Twilight” are two bestselling series celebrated nation-wide by adults and children everywhere for their entertaining characters and gripping narratives.

Both deal with topics like love and violence and both, because of the adolescent-focused writing, are easy to read. However, only one of the two, in the case of educated adult readers, is really worth picking up.

While I don’t hold anything serious against Stephanie Meyers’ vampire love story, I do think that “The Hunger Games” wins out in terms of valuable entertainment.

These books, by Suzanne Collins, deal with weighty issues like child poverty and responsibility, while also providing a vibrant narrative that is extremely entertaining and action filled. It touches on complex topics, engaging a narrative of children who must endure economic hardship, strict government control and a fixed class system.  

The books are more productive reads than “Twilight” mostly because, through the futuristic story, they confront issues that are truly relevant in the current world economy, as well as the new progressive age that we live in.   

The three books directly confront the issue of a growing awareness of darkness and evil among children, as it deals with the rather grotesque topic of child gladiators.

These concepts prompt the open-ended question of whether this progression, in current society, is natural or disastrous, while allowing the readers to make their own decisions.

The much-discussed topic of government monopolies and control, engaged by so many of our beloved dystopian novels, is also confronted, as the narrative is set in an exaggerated futuristic world that is now in a strict state-controlled society.

In contrast, the “Twilight” series, while fitting for child readers, confronts little to nothing of actual substance.

The author’s reworked vampire myth involving the vampires as “vegetarians” works almost exclusively to serve the romantic narrative of Bella and Edward. This story eventually ends up spinning out into a stereotype of two accidental lovers meeting, encountering a few bumps in the relationship then marrying. It creates a false sense of love and relationship for its child readers, and acts as a cheesy romance novel for adults.  

These brief but vital topics are what distinguish the two entertaining narratives from each other. The Twilight books, which deal primarily with unrealistic teenage love and a somewhat cheesy twist on the classic vampire myth, are inapplicable and not worth the adult readership they have gained.

“Twilight” confronts little of what children are dealing with today and “The Hunger Games,” bearing in mind both series are wildly unrealistic and mythical, truly holds a better, more sophisticated narrative.

Although I am certainly not trying to make the case that no one should ever read Twilight, or that it serves no purpose whatsoever, I do believe that as intelligent adult readers, it is important that we use our very limited time to engage with fiction that is purposeful and worthwhile. It is good to have a compelling book that also serves as entertainment for our busy minds.

So next time you are burnt out from studying and want a book that won’t compromise your hard-earned intellectual standards, pick up “The Hunger Games” series, not “Twilight.”