Harry Potter was a smash hit about a boy discovering he’s a wizard and going to school in a magical world full of wonder and adventure. Twilight didn’t hit quite that high a note, but the story of a teenage girl who learns her classmate is a vampire and falls in love with him did quite well. The Hunger Games popularized the dystopian genre with a bow wielding teenager stepping up to survive death games, have angsty romances, and fight the power.
As far as I can tell, nothing has quite hit that same kind of high since and it may be awhile until the next truly big wave. But if it were up to you, what would the next big thing be about?
Well said. I grew up on Roald Dahl. So many of his novels (e.g. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, the BFG, George’s Marvelous Medicine) start with children in powerless, miserable situations: poor, orphaned, bullied, abused, etc. Then something magical happens, and the kid’s life is transformed in a wonderful way! And anyone who was mean to the protagonist always gets their comeuppance.
It’s easy to see how this kind of narrative is very appealing to anyone going through the trials and tribulations of growing up.
James and the Giant Peach was one of my most favorite! kept rereading that again and again