Clove > Rue > Katniss > Peeta > Foxface > Glimmer > Thresh > Cato
The girl tributes definitely brought it more in terms of personality than the boy tributes. Cato was very one-note generic alpha male stuff. Thresh had potential but got far too little screentime. The girls (not Rue/Katniss) may not have gotten a ton of screentime, but they each brought something unique to the story. Clove being an absolute psychopath. Foxface being clever and crafty. Glimmer being completely incompetent and probably more baggage to the Careers than they'd ever admit. And then Rue was just adorable and sad to lose, while Katniss...honestly, I think the reason Katniss/Peeta works SO well is because the gender roles are reversed. If it was the other way around, with the weak, ineffective girl willing to sacrifice herself for the clueless boy she likes...it wouldn't have been nearly as compelling. And I'm stating that as a fact, given that that's exactly what happens at the end of a different book that I won't name so keep some semblance of not spoiling it.
Gale, meanwhile, is basically a male Katniss, which is why I don't really care about him. He's just the generic type of guy you get in most teen books, and it's not exciting to me. Also, Prim sucks, and Katniss' mother sucks, so really, Katniss was fighting hard to go back home to a bunch of lameass characters. Seriously, I HATE Prim probably moreso because she's so much more pathetic than Rue in the same book. Prim is the epitome of a damsel in distress, and if Gale is the male Katniss, then Prim is the female Peeta, and neither of these descriptions are good things.
Effie is adorable for what she is: a clueless Capitol citizen, and the same goes for the stylist team. Cinna is pretty awesome, despite being a very minor character compared to many others. In fact, I'd say he's probably my favorite non-tribute in the entire book. Haymitch is pretty awesome too, and I'll say it again...casting Woody Harrellson as him is pure genius. Really, the entire crew of Capitol characters was pretty awesome, with the one exception being the Avox girl, who honestly...I felt like anything with her was a bit cheesy. Like, Katniss just happened to spot these escape kids running through the woods, and then years later, she gets waited on by the girl she watched get taken away. Really? REALLY?
I definitely wish we got more viewpoints though. I know that a lot of tributes are dead in the opening bloodbath, but still, let us get to know them from their pre-game stuff. Also, I do wish we were given some more physical description, because it feels like Katniss wanders the forest for days and then still says "Oh, but there's an area I haven't gone yet where Thresh must be hiding out." Overall though, solid book, and it definitely improves on some aspects of Battle Royale while missing out on some others. So it balances out.
Can't wait to read through books two and three though. My two favorite characters in the series make their appearances there.
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Captain Tracy Mombaro and Agent Mirasuke Inhara: Two of the toughest, hottest furrs you'll ever meet.