Fantasy fiction is a genre that includes some of the United States’ most popular books. Between series like J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter,” Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson,” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” fantasy fiction has become a very popular book genre. For example, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series has sold over five hundred million copies worldwide.

Phoebe Quinn-Plemmons is currently a freshman at Tower Hill. She likes fantasy fiction because it gives her an escape from reality.

“They were given in so much depth and described so vividly that you had to think it was real,” Quinn-Plemmons said. “Sometimes fantasy is [like], ‘What if it is real, what if they are just disguising it?’”

Padua freshman Eva Pellegrino is also a big fan of fantasy fiction. She echoed Quinn-Plemmons’s thoughts about the effects of fantasy fiction.

“You can get lost in it in a good way,” Pellegrino said.

Quinn-Plemmons’s favorite fantasy fiction series is the “Harry Potter” series which follows an orphaned wizard and his journey going to a magical school and attempting to defeat a mass murderer, Voldemort.

“The characters are amazing and they just it’s cool to think that they could be real and there could be magical powers and we just don’t realize it,” Quinn-Plemmons said.

Quinn-Plemmons first started “Harry Potter” at age nine and was not very fond of it. She then tried reading it again the summer before her seventh grade year.

“My mom put it on as an audiobook in the car and I was like, ‘This is really good,’ and just went from there,” Quinn-Plemmons said.

Pellegrino’s favorite series is the “Uglies” Series by Scott Westerfeld. The “Uglies” Series follows Tally Youngblood and her journey to the smoke, her constant fight against Dr. Cable, and knowing what is right and wrong.

“I like how I can usually envision myself in the story and it makes me feel like I’m in a different world,” Pellegrino said. “There is nothing I would change about it.”

Furthermore, both Quinn-Plemmons and Pellegrino stated that fantasy fiction has helped them in some way.

“I feel like once I finished ‘Harry Potter’ I became much more confident,” Quinn-Plemmons. “I feel like when I see these characters… [they] kind of merge into me and they have definitely helped my self esteem.”

Characters also play a large role in making these types of universes come to life for Quinn-Plemmons and Pellegrino. Pellegrino’s favorite literary characters include Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger, while Quinn-Plemmons likes Sirius Black from “Harry Potter.”

“He is very loyal [and] cares a lot about his friends, and I love his persona and his name and how he broke free of his family and was willing to take that risk to be a better person,” Quinn-Plemmons said. “And Zoe Knight Shade… is very willing to sacrifice herself for others.”

Pellegrino and Quinn Plemmons “definitely” recommend fantasy fiction to others.

“Books are amazing and the fantasy just adds to it and gets your brain working,” Quinn-Plemmons said. “I would recommend ‘The Girl Who Drank the Moon,’ ‘Wonder Woman: WarBringer,’ ‘Harry Potter,’ and ‘Percy Jackson.’”