Book on Fire

In the last couple of days I have seen about five different articles posted on facebook about The Hunger Games. Each one contained a thread of vehement comments either for or against the book and or movie. On the article site itself the comments section contained barely veiled hostility towards the authors for expressing a different perspective than their own. I can easily jump on the band wagon and express my opinions about the book. I can talk about the ethics, the character development, or the message it sends to children. However, currently I'm much more fascinated by the reaction that the release of The Hunger Games movie has caused. The book was published in 2008 and in a year and a half sold 800,000 copies. It was on the New York Times best sellers list for more than 100 consecutive weeks. The movie has been out a week and a half and is the highest grossing film of 2012. I work at the airport and we are having a hard time keeping the books in stock. Catching Fire, the second book in the series is the one that we can't get a hold of. We received five copies yesterday because they are so back ordered they couldn't give us any more than that.
 I had heard of the book, but didn't know much about it until my book club decided to read it in the fall of 2011. I read it in one day and was immediately swept off my feet into another world. The themes of the book and the characters stayed with me. I kept thinking about it throughout the day and I wanted to read it again. I read the subsequent books each in one day as well. I lined up with other excited fans to watch the movie when it opened and was pleased by how well the movie fit my image of the book. Since I went to see the movie I have heard snatches of conversation, read articles, and debated about the movie, about the book and it's contents.
What is it about this series that has captured the readers and essentially lit them on fire? Regardless of the individual sentiment about the book, Suzanne Collins is doing something right because I don't know of anyone who is indifferent to her story. First, I think she tells a compelling story. Her plot line is interesting with unique twists. Second, her characters are likable and realistic. I was all fired up about one article I read because it made a case that Katniss Everdeen is in fact a weak character and that she is a worse female role model than Bella Swan in Twilight. I about had a fit. I realized later, that I relate to Katniss. If I lived in that world I would want to be kind of like her. If Katniss is weak then I am weak. Third, Collins presents ethical and moral dilemmas where there is no good answer, there is no obvious answer. It begs the question, what would I do? Fourth, .... Insert here what you think makes these books so catching.
Many writers can only dream of writing a novel that goes viral like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or Twilight. Understanding what it is about these books that ensnared their audiences is a step in the right direction to be able to write one, but a keen insight into what your audience wants is also vital. If I can write a novel that captures my readers and provokes a strong reaction either positive or negative, I will know that I have done a good job (unless, of course, it is a reaction to bad writing).