Friend: So, I heard you read the Hunger Games finally.
Me: I did!
Friend: What did you think?
Me: Ehh… it was okay, I guess. I think the cliffhanger ending was a real cheap-shot to try to get me to read the sequels, which I definitely will not. Out of spite.
Friend: And the rest of it?
Me: It was fine. I mean, Collins tried to get me to emotionally connect with characters, but I was like “You’re definitely gonna die in the next ten pages” and BOOM yeah they’re super dead. And predictable stuff can be compelling- like, we knew Spider-Man was coming back in Endgame and it was still cathartic when it happened- I found that those story beats were a swing and a miss.
Friend: Do you just hate everything?
Me: Not everything
Me: But kind of, yeah
Friend: Well, you’re entitled to your opinion.
Friend: But you’re wrong and you should know that.