Some of you may remember a few days ago when I made a topic asking B8's opinion on Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games," trilogy. I got a lot of good responses and positive feedback, so I've decided to do a read through topic.
Both Inviso and FD expressed interest in joining me on my quest, so you’ll be getting their thoughts and opinions along with mine. Basically three for the price of one. What a deal!
After every chapter I’ll be posting my thoughts, opinions, and predictions on events and characters. The first book in the trilogy is 374 pages, and my hope is to have it completed in time for the theater release of the movie on March 23rd. I think the movie only covers the first book, but I could be wrong about that. However, I plan to cover all three books in my read through.
So sit back and enjoy! If you’ve read the books previously I ask that you please do not post spoilers (even vague spoilers) for anything past where the three of us are currently in the book. The first update from me won’t come until this evening, as I’ll be without internet for most of the day. But Inviso and FD may decide to update before that.
Until then, feel free to discuss. And HYPE HYPE HYPE!
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Tagging this. I just finished the first and second book. Thought I would take forever to read them as I often do with books, but I ended up reading them each in a day or two. Fasted I've ever read a book lol.
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Account created-9/10/04. Just a normal GameFAQs user/leprechaun Ramza: rofl. Rofel: You say my name? -Eise
Tag. Cannot wait to see how others respond to this series.
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I bring order and chaos, I am life and death, creator and destroyer, just like the rest of humanity. My bunnyslug: http://img.imgcake.com/nio/catapngzu.png
”I try to forgive her for my father’s sake. But to be honest, I’m not the forgiving type.”
Summary: In the first chapter we’re introduced to who I assume is our scrappy little heroine, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen. Katniss explains how she basically lives in a coal filled dirt hole called The Seam, and how pretty much everyone is really, really hungry all of the time. We’re also introduced to Katniss’ apparently negligent mother and her allegedly adorable 12 year old little sister Prim. We also discover that poor Katniss’ father was blown apart in a coal mining accident when she was just a little girl, but not before teaching her how to hunt and making her some sweet bows to shoot dogs with. Awe yeah. But I guess weapons of any kind are frowned upon by the government, so she has to be secretive with her animal slaughtering and selling for sweet profit. Additionally, we meet Gale, an 18 year old guy that Katniss calls her best friend. Gale is a girl’s name. At the end of the chapter, the whole population of The Seam gathers in the town square to hear who will be playing in The Hunger Games. The Games are a Battle Royale type tournament held once a year in which one boy and one girl, ages 12-18, from each of the 12 Districts is selected at random to participate. They all kill each other until only one is left; the winner being showered with food and riches for I guess the rest of their life? In addition, the winning District also receives very much needed governmental aide in the form of food and goods. And guess who is selected? Why Katniss Everdeen of course! No. Wait. That’s not true. It’s Prim.
Thoughts: Only 20 pages in, but I’m digging this so far. Katniss seems like a bad ass already, so I hope that continues on. What’s up with the parents in this place? Katniss and Gale both talk about how they’re pretty much the only ones providing for their families. Katniss also mentions how she used to rage at her mom for letting she and her sister basically waste away to skin and bones. I don’t know if this point will ever be addressed, but I just found it kind of odd.
I really like how the drawing for the Games was set up. Rather than just having it be a straight lottery each year where 1 person = 1 slip, an additional slip with your name is added every year older you get. So when you’re 12, one slip with your name on it is in the pot. 13 = 2 slips. 14 = 3 slips, etc. And the slips are cumulative, so instead of resetting each year, the number is just added to your previous total. So really when you’re 13, you’ve got 3 slips. 14 you have 6 slips, and so on. And if that wasn’t bad enough, you’re allowed to add additional slips for yourself in exchange for a year’s worth of meager rations, and you can add one slip per person. So at this point at 16, Katniss has like 40+ slips in the drawing. Gale has like 60+. This also means people with enough money to feed themselves automatically have less of a chance of being called, since they don’t need to put in the extra tickets. I thought it was a pretty interesting take on just a simple lottery system. Onward!
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
”…we’re going to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death. Exactly how am I supposed to work in a thank-you in there? Somehow it just won’t seem sincere if I’m trying to slit his throat.”
Summary: Ah so, the lovely Katniss steps forward in tribute in lieu of her little sister. I can’t say I didn’t see this coming, I’m pretty sure I saw it in one of the trailers for the movie – but it’s all good. We also get to see her struggle through the loss of her father and the uselessness of her mother, basically anointing herself head of the family at age 11. Katniss is like, “listen, we’re gonna live off these mint leaves, so don’t worry about it mom. Mint leaves and water are totally an appropriate meal for two growing girls. Yeah, yeah, you just sit there. It’s cool.” Oh wait. It’s not cool because now little Katniss is sitting out in the rain picking through the trash wishing she could just rage quit her life. But wait! St. Peeta is there to throw her burnt bread! It’s a rainy day miracle! Just in time too, because the next day Katniss gets a great idea about how to keep her family alive. All she needed was a little bread and the stalking leer of a blond baker boy. Hooray! While all this flashbacking is very insightful and lots of fun, we have to get back to the games. Katniss is like, “**** crying on national television. That’s not gonna happen. No. Way.” Unfortunately for her, her luck keeps getting worse, as who else but St. Peeta is called as the male tribute. As the national anthem plays, Katniss silently hopes her luck will improve – to which I say, don’t hold your breath girl!
Thoughts: Katniss’ mom just seriously makes me so mad. I hate how weak she was in the face of losing her husband. Yeah it’s a tragedy, but you’ve still got two little girls to take care of you pile of crap. You can’t afford to just sit and look forlornly out the window for months on end. Good thing Katniss is like, “*****, I got this – gtfo.” Anyway, I somehow doubt the mom is an integral part of the story. I think she’s more just a device to show us how Katniss became so strong and independent. I don’t particularly like where this whole thing is going with Peeta. I’m foreseeing love interest, and that’s not cool. We’ll see where it goes though. One question I always think to myself as I’m reading a battle royale is “Would I try and team up, or would I just stay on my own from the get go?” I think each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. It’ll be interesting to see what Katniss does. One thing I don’t exactly get is the level of technology available to the general populace. The Hunger Games are a televised event, yet it doesn’t seem like the citizens really have access to any technology. Katniss is hunting with a bow and arrow, there doesn’t seem to be modern medicine, etc. Perhaps it’ll become clearer later. Not that it’s a big deal, it’s just not very apparent.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Update: My book did NOT come in today. I'll catch up tomorrow and for now I'm going to studiously not read anything else posted here as to not spoil anything for myself ;_;
I also wanted to know how people were doing with Gone. I know a few started that series in the last topic.
”You know how to kill.” “Not people,” I say. “How different can it be, really?”
Summary: Now that we’ve got all the flashbacks and volunteering out of the way, it’s time for Katniss to say goodbye to the family. She also gets a couple unexpected visitors in Peeta’s dad and Gale, who still has a lady’s name. Katniss has to bust her mom’s balls to make sure she’s not gonna let Prim die in a gutter or something, but luckily the baker and Gale say they’ll pick up the slack. Apparently Peeta comes from a long line of saints! Katniss still refuses to cry, and is happy when she catches herself on TV, looking almost bored. That’ll show those other little ****s. There is also some hot Kat on Madge action – which I am ever thankful for. Madge gives Kat a sweet mockingjay pin and it reminds her of her father. Congratulations Kat, you’ve just successfully equipped an accessory. Strength +10. We also got to see a little more of Haymitch being drunk and puking on the floor. It’s alright Haymitch, I think we’ve all been there before. Finally, we get a small glimpse of the other contestants. This fox-faced girl sounds sexy awesome and I’m looking forward to meeting her. Monster boy, gimpy, and little kid. Not as much.
Thoughts: Not much to write about this chapter. We’re pretty much just going from point A to point B right now, and I’m cool with that. The bit about the mockingjay was cute and gave a little insight into the government. Still, I don’t get why if they have cars and super fast trains etc. they’re using birds to spy on people, but that’s minor. I thought Kat’s conversation with Gale about the different terrain for the games was also interesting. Reminded me about similar conversations I’ve had with people about Survivor. “Why don’t they do a cold season?” “Why not a desert season?” And so on. The answer? Because it would be boring lol. Spot on Hunger Games. Spot on.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Ah Haymitch. He is one of my favorite characters in the Hunger Games series (at least for the first two books).
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I bring order and chaos, I am life and death, creator and destroyer, just like the rest of humanity. My bunnyslug: http://img.imgcake.com/nio/catapngzu.png
Yeah, after reading on a bit I think the movie is going to be really awesome visually. At least I hope it will be!
Chapter 4 Pages 48-60
”One time, my mother told me that I always eat like I’ll never see food again. And I said, “I won’t unless I bring it home.” That shut her up.”
Summary: Katniss is still riding the train on her way to the capital. She decides that relationships are for *** holes, and throws the cookies Peeta’s dad gave her out the window like an alpha. She puts on the clothes she wore the day before because why the hell not, and roles into the dining hall ready to eat her some eggs and hot chocolate. Both she and Peeta have a conversation with Haymitch in which they beat him up until he finally takes helping them seriously, since he is their lovable drunk mentor and all, and finally arrive in The Capitol. Which is apparently located in the Rocky Mountains. Peeta seems to already be playing the game, waving to people and trying to get in good with Haymitch, a fact which Katniss takes note of and doesn’t care for in the slightest.
Thoughts: I wonder if Canada is also part of Panem, Kat did say it was formerly North America and not just the United States. I hope the gimp comes from a Canadian District. Still not much to talk about, but luckily we’ve arrived in the Capitol, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to meet our stylist. No bad can come of this. Additionally, I really hope I get to see Katniss actually bust a few skulls. I hope she doesn’t just go under the radar and take the moral high ground. No. Katniss is clearly far too hard and bad ass for that ****. Make yourself a bow and shoot someone through the eyeball, I say!
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Sometimes they say it's all of North America, sometimes they say it's just the US. It could be that all the districts are in the former US and that Panem as a whole is North America.
The gimpy kid was from District 10, right? That one's either Grain of Livestock (with District 9 being the other). I imagine those two districts are in or around the midwest.
One of the districts is Lumber, which I imagine is probably Canada. >_>
There aren't any 'official' maps of Panem are there? I've tried figuring out where some districts would be located, but some I don't know.
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Account created-9/10/04. Just a normal GameFAQs user/leprechaun Ramza: rofl. Rofel: You say my name? -Eise
“It’s to the Capitol’s advantage to have us divided among ourselves,” he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine. If it wasn’t reaping day.
~Stuff that happened~
Enter the hero. At least I assume she is the hero. From what I gathered in the other topic THG follows a single person's perspective and so I might as well get used to her since it's probably going to be a bumpy ride.
I will say that it took me just a little while to figure out the main character was a girl. The book does a decent job explaining the intricacies of the overall situation, but does not provide a whole lot of specific description. The Seam (which is their part of the district in which they leave) is described, but only in very broad terms and so I have a general idea what the area 'feels' like but I can't see it very well. So I figured out she was a girl (it didn't take that long, honest) and we meet the best friend and likely love interest, Gale.
So they bring us up to speed on how hard life has been and what Katniss and Gale in particular have done to make life easier on their family. They break bread together and seem to mentally prepare themselves for the selection process that will be so ceremoniously performed later.
I immediately start to think it would be awfully contrived if both Gale and Katniss were selected for the same Hunger Game (especially since it would be Gale's last chance to get selected) and I start to wonder how they could mix it up. And then I think 'that's just what they want me to think, they are going to trick me by actually choosing both of them". Basically I WIFOM myself and end up having no idea what I actually think is more likely so I can safely say that I did not genuinely expect that Katniss' sister would get selected.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
Katniss: I like what they've revealed about her so far, and I hope she does stay the main character. It seems like she will, but then I'm not sure how she is going to be involved in the games now that her sister's been called. Maybe she'll be able to swap in somehow or maybe she'll be punished for hunting and thrown into the mix in addition to her sister. Anxious to see how the book stays behind her. (Or maybe it wont!)
Katniss' Mom: I wonder if there is a specific reason that Kat holds animosity towards her. It seems like a generally focused "you are the reason we're alive and in this mess so I'm gonna hold a grudge", but maybe there is something more. But (unless I missed it which is possible) they did not even give her name so it's entirely possible we wont be hearing much more about the mother figure. And any turbulent family past is going to cease to matter soon anyways. Figured I'd give her a mention since it might be her only appearance though.
Prim: We no virtually nothing about Prim right now. This is fine since it will be shortly remedied. I wonder how she is going to accept her role as one of the chosen for her district. Often times "young" main characters are often attributed a wisdom beyond their years and I think it would be refreshing to see Prim genuinely overwhelmed by the situation, at least at first.
Gale: Seems okay so far I guess? "Olive skin, black hair, grey eyes" can mean a lot of things and so I'd like to be able to visualize the character better. But we're just getting started and so for an introductory chapter it is very good. If I wasn't already committed to more chapters I know I would have a hard time stopping now.
And Gale seems like a shoe-in now that Kat is off the hook.I wonder how he's going to take it. Or maybe some other boy gets selected and Kat and Gale attack the game together somehow. Heck if I know.
To the everlasting credit of the people of District 12, not one person claps ... they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong.
~Stuff that happened~
From: Forceful_Dragon | #023 Maybe she'll be able to swap in somehow
+1 point for me. I was just getting used to the idea that Prim was stuck for the job, so I'm not entirely pleased by this turn of events, but I'm not surprised either. It makes a lot more sense, naturally. Kat volunteers to be the female tribute of district 12.
Kat does her level best to show no emotion. She knows that the other contestants will review the footage of everyone who is being selected for the Reaping and she doesn't want to display any weakness or give anyone a reason to single her out once things get started.
Finally the boy gets chosen. Peetla Mellark, not Gale, is the big winner. I was not expecting a not-Gale boy to hold any special significance to Kat, but Peetla's selection triggers a significant flashback.
Katniss' Mom: I wonder if there is a specific reason that Kat holds animosity towards her.
+1 more point for me. It seemed like they were just about done with the mother figure, but the Peetla inspired flash back serves to flesh out the reasons Kat has for despising her mother. When Kat's father died her mother appears to go completely catatonic, leaving everything on her 11 year old daughter to run the family in lieu of a parent who gives a ****. Struggling to get by it is none other than Peetla who "accidentally" burns 2 loaves of bread at his parents bakery and sneaks the loaves to Kat. The loaves keep her family alive long enough for her to accept the supplies of rations in exchange for additional Reaping Tickets. Basically he gets punished in a selfless (and risky) act which serves to give Kat the focus to start the life she is living now.
And so with his selection and Kat's inner monologue the ceremonies start to draw to a close.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
Awesome chapter. I could definitely feel and get into this chapter. When she was fighting back emotions I was definitely empathizing with both her decision and what she was feeling. I was also touched by the communities show of solidarity which I had to use for my chapter quote. I feel a lot more plugged into the community than I did before.
I'd mention Kat's mom but there is nothing to say that Crimson hasn't already said. It pisses me off that someone would react in that way and I also have to recognize that it's probably just a plot device to explain hat Kat became Kat.
Now that Kat is stuck in the Hunger Games and Gale is off the hook I'm wondering how Gale is going to stay in the story. He mentioned (albeit briefly) the idea of running off and living off the land in chapter 1 and I'm curious as to how he is going to deal with Kat's participation. My assumption his first reaction is going to have a plan of some sort to completely undermine the games. This first plan will naturally be doomed to being dismissed off hand as completely unusable, but unless I'm reading him wrong, he's going to want to do something about it, even if he can't figure out what that thing is yet.
I'm not sure how much time comes between the selection of the tributes and the beginning of the games though, so I don't know how much time there is going to be to work with.
The fact that everyone allows the kids to be referred to as 'Tributes' just serves to underscore how downtrodden the districts are. We've only seen district 12 though, I wonder if any of the other districts are on better terms with the Capitol. Time to find otu what happens between tribute selection and game time.
"I’m stuffing myself because I’ve never had food like this, so good and so much, and because probably the best thing I can do between now and the Games is put on a few pounds."
~Stuff that happened~
The kids are immediately sequestered. They have an hour to get their good byes in before they begin the embark on their train to Capitol.
First up is mom + Prim. Kat does a good job filling them in on exactly what needs to happen now that she's going away. I was surprised at how response Mom turned out to be. I suppose she isn't as bad as she used to be, but I can understand why Kat is still holding a grudge about it.
Then the two unexpected guests. First is Peeta's dad who gives her [Cookies]. (Crimmy forgot to mention these consumables. +10 HP/sec for 5 seconds).
Contrary to what Crimson would have you believe, the next unexpected guest is Madge, her school "friend" who had a small part in chapter one. Apparently they were closer friends than Kat realized. +1 Mockingjay pin get.
Last but not least is Gale. They share a moment, he starts to say 'I Love You' (either that or something completely different) but he gets cut off and so the trip begins. They ride a train, they eat lots of food, Kat thinks about mockingjays and Haymitch is drunk and throws up. Haymitch, in addition to being a previous winner of the HG is also going to serve as some sort of "coach" for them. They haven't really explained what sort of responsibilities he will have, but apparently he is vital to survival. Plot is pretty much on rails this chapter which suits the situation just fine.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
Augh, because I know book 3 is called 'Mockingjay' part of me is feverishly wondering about the importance of the pin given to Kat by Madge. (I wish that part of me would shut up and stop trying to ruin the story)
While she was on the train she thinks about what exactly a mockingjay is (genetically engineered songbird that can repeat complicated songs?) and the fact that the bird reminders her of her father and the trips he would take with her while she was learning to hunt. So how does (a) the golden pin or (b) the songbirds themselves or (c) her memories of her father relate in some way to the 3rd book so strongly that it is titled 'Mockingjay'. May it is more related to the fact that mockingjay's are considered an insult to the government and so its more of a symbolic title?
So now that I've wasted brain power over analyzing the bird/pin/memory/idea known as 'mockingjay', back on topic!
Gale did not deliver any kind of half baked plan of action so I guess I read that one wrong. Gale and Kat seemed as close as ever though and it's clear that even if romance was never on their mind previously it certainly would not be out of the question under different circumstances. While it's nice that he's so devoted to helping Kat's family I'm still hoping he comes back onto the scene later in a bigger way.
btw what kind of an awful name is "Eiffel Trinket". Under what circumstances does that become an acceptable name for someone. Although the horrible name is at least befitting the awful government official later who I guess helps run the Games.
She isn't yet as bad as the man 'in charge' in the Battle Royale manga, but I still hope she gets comeuppance later on.
From: CrimsonOcean | #013 Not much to write about this chapter. We’re pretty much just going from point A to point B right now, and I’m cool with that.
Yup, I guess i'm out of stuff to say as well. It's getting late but I can finish one more chapter easily. (It will be harder to force myself to stop, lol)
"A kind Peeta Mellark is far more dangerous to me than an unkind one. Kind people have a way of working their way inside me and rooting there."
~Stuff that happened~
Haymich goes to sleep and so Kat turns in as well, but not before another flashback about how they adapted after her father died and her mother checked out mentally.
Kat starts to take a more analytical approach to the situation and more importantly to her 'teammate' of sorts. Throughout this chapter he seems eager to please anyone and everyone which includes the uncaring bastards who live in Capitol and perpetuate the bloody he's caught in. Definitely playing the game, she thinks.
Kat agrees with herself that she will not be getting close to Peeta. But despite this the two of them combine forces to rouse Haymich from his drunken stupor long enough to get him to commit to some actual preparedness. But for now they have reached their destination and it's time to prepare to meet their audience for the first time.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
"Sponsors" got mentioned quite a few times during this chapter, but they never go out of their way to clarify exactly what is meant by the term. Obviously the decadent rich of Capitol will have some impact on their chances of which finances will play a role, but how does that all work. I'm the kind of person who likes to know the rules before I play a game and so I wish I knew just a little bit more than what they've given.
With regard to the characters as are now relevant though I have a feeling that Haymich is going to become extremely likeable and/or awesome in the near future. He seems well suited to the transition from drunken stupor to an actual "coach" who has not only valid experience, but his own brand of wisdom that will no doubt prove useful.
I'm still not sold on Peeta. When I initially read the quote I used for this chapter I immediately (and cynically?) began to assume that he will turn out to be genuinely not-nice. 5 years since a much younger Peeta showed Kat an unsought for act of kindness and I do not think she (or we as the reader) should be reading too much into it. I see a serious heel turn in the future. And not just the "he's looking out for himself and playing the game" as Kat is already concluding, but an actual, and likely malevolent, heel turn. Maybe I'm way off base, but that's what I feel is in the offing and so that's what I'm going to be looking out for. Maybe not any time soon, but down the road for sure.
I just have the impression that if he does choose to play the villan he is going to wear it particularly well, especially aided by this already assumed idea that he's "such a good person".
And that's all for now. I'll do my best not to get tempted and marathon the rest of the book at once. (I'll be good, really ^_^ )
Yeah! Glad you finally got your books FD. It's been lonely in here all by myself. I know, it's really hard to not just power through and read the whole thing. I honestly think I'd be done right now if I wasn't doing re-caps and writeups for each chapter. But I kind of like it. Forces me to think a little bit more about what's going on, and I feel like I'm getting to know the characters better. And maybe now we can get some discussion going! Also cool is you're using a lot of the quotes I almost used for my writeups :]
Chapter 5 Pages 61-72
“What do they do all day, these people in the Capitol, besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to roll in and die for their entertainment?”
Summary: It’s spa day! And it looks like Katniss is getting a pretty good waxing down, among other things. We meet her stylist for the games, Cinna, and lucky for her he’s not crazy on the outside. Just on the inside. Cinna’s particular brand of crazy becomes apparent when he decides to set Katniss on fire for the opening ceremonies. Portia (whom I’m now imagining as Portia de Rossi), Peeta’s stylist, sees nothing wrong with this, and puts a torch to Peeta as well. But no one cares about Peeta. Our two little District 12ers are paraded around the Capitol for a while, waving and cheering to their admirers. Apparently the fire did attract them some attention after all. Who could have guessed? It’s really a tossup when you’re talking about setting human beings on fire. Might get you noticed, might not. Who can say for sure? But it does and they’re happy. Katniss catches a rose and blows the thrower a kiss. I secretly like to think that it was Madge and she stowed away on the transport train to be with Katniss. Now that would be a fine romance my friends. A fine romance indeed.
Thoughts: The Games seem like they like their gimmicks, so I’m wondering if this year’s will be that it’s a team competition. Katniss and Peeta are getting far too close for my tastes, and I seriously doubt that Collins is going to have her murder him in cold blood. Or have anyone else do it for that matter. At least not anytime soon. That aside, I’m getting more and more excited for this movie. The subject matter is good, and really it has all the raw material to be visually stunning. I kind of dig the fact that they make it a point for the tribute to be styled and visually appealing. I’m a sucker for America’s Next Top Model so this is like candy to a baby for me. Looking forward to seeing what’s ahead in the Training Center. Also, President Snow? Get out of my head FFXIII!
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Summary: A lady named Effie Trinket from the Capitol, whom has been with us this whole time, is busy trying to set up sponsors for Katniss and Peeta. It’s been mentioned a few times, so I’m guessing sponsors are a pretty vital part of the Games for the tributes. Effie tells a delightful story about coal turning into pearls, and a grand time is had by all. We go eat some dinner and Haymitch, along with both of our pyromaniac stylists, is there. How do I know they’re pyromaniacs? First the clothes. Then the cake. You only get two strikes people! Katniss just so happens to lock eyes with a beautiful red haired girl. She’s such a player that she tries to pick her up with the whole “don’t I know you?” line, but everyone in the room is too smart for that. You’re going to have to bring your A-game here girl. Katniss’ luck hasn’t yet improved, because we find out her new little honey is an Avox, or a traitor to the Capitol. The Capitol doesn’t like traitors, so they cut out red’s tongue and put her to work as a waitress. A more terrible hell, I can’t imagine. Unfortunately for Katniss it’s not considered a good thing to try to pick up traitors, but luckily St. Peeta steps in and covers for her – making up some fakakta story about how the girl just looks like someone they know back home. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, and the tributes are excused from dinner. Peeta is determined to get into Katniss’ pants at this point, so he takes her up to the roof to talk about feelings and stuff. He gives her his jacket. Katniss name drops Gale to try and get Peeta to take the hint. Ya know. That she likes a more womanly type of man. Like. Just a woman. Instead of a man. Peeta must get the message because they thankfully go back inside and depart for their individual rooms without further incident.
Thoughts: Interesting intermittent chapter, but hopefully we’ll be getting into the Training Center next. At this point I’ve resigned myself to the Katniss/Peeta romance that is imminent, but it’s alright. I’ve found other ways to keep entertained throughout their interactions. Not much else to say here, except that it’s apparent even in the Capitol there’s a Big Brother type fear in the citizens. I guess what can you expect in a dystopian society, right?
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Suddenly I am furious, that with my life on the line, they don’t even have the decency to pay attention to me. That I’m being upstaged by a dead pig.
Summary: This time around Katniss is dreaming of her traitorous redheaded crush from earlier, except this isn’t the good kind of dream, it’s the bad kind of dream. She wakes up and, after a shower, lotions herself down and squeezes into some tight black pants and leather. Hey, I don’t make this stuff up kids. After getting dressed our heroine adjourns to the dining hall to get three or four plates of breakfast. I don’t know why this surprises me. Of course a book called “The Hunger Games,” is going to focus heavily on food. Peeta and Haymitch join her, and now it’s time to talk turkey – so to speak. Haymitch needs to know what they’re capable of so he can better assess how to train them. Neither wants to brag, so the other does it for them. This seriously ****es Katniss off, because **** if she needs Peeta to tell her what she’s good at. It’s some kind of tactic, obviously. Who in their right mind gives someone a compliment? No one, that’s who. What we do learn is that Katniss can nail a squirrel straight through the eye with her bow and arrow. Yes! We may just get some eye puncturing in this story yet! …and Peeta can hoist sacks or something. I wasn’t paying attention. So now that everyone is familiar with each other’s “special skills,” it’s time to go to training. Katniss and Peeta are instructed by Haymitch to stick by each other and appear friendly toward one another, much to Kat’s chagrin. We get another look at the other tributes, especially those horrible ass bags from Districts 1, 2, and 4. Obviously the jocks and cheerleaders of the group. Katniss wants no part of any swirlies, so she keeps to herself. Then there’s training and knot tying and spear throwing and getting stalked by a 12 year old from District 11, and then finally after everyone else gets a turn to strut their stuff it’s time for Katniss to dazzle the Gamemakers with her astute marksmanship. After she turns the Training Center into a smoking crater of accuracy, she nails a roasted pig right through the apple for her grand finale. Upon her exit she takes her bow in her hand, drops it, and walks off, with nary a word edgewise.
Thoughts: Nice to see Katniss has a real sense of showmanship with her weapon. I’m thinking the reason Haymitch and the others want Peeta and Kat to be so buddy buddy is to give them an edge over the other contestants. It could possibly be a ploy to get them more sponsors as well. Like no one ever does this, and obviously the Capitol likes to see different things to keep the Games fresh, so them actually liking each other might make people more interested. Seems plausible. It also seems that everyone is trying really hard to get District 12 a W for once, I think this might be due to the fact that Kat/Peeta have been the first decent contenders they’ve had in a while.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
From: CrimsonOcean | #027 Yeah! Glad you finally got your books FD. It's been lonely in here all by myself. I know, it's really hard to not just power through and read the whole thing. I honestly think I'd be done right now if I wasn't doing re-caps and writeups for each chapter. But I kind of like it. Forces me to think a little bit more about what's going on, and I feel like I'm getting to know the characters better. And maybe now we can get some discussion going! Also cool is you're using a lot of the quotes I almost used for my writeups :]
Also I wanted to know what you think about my predix that Peeta is going to turn super heel. As in, not just a 'sorry but i have to look out for myself' kind of way.
I think that would be awesome, and I would love if he ended up that way. It would definitely cause me to take a second look at his character, and probably make me like him a lot more.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Well, considering what's coming in the next few chapters for you FD (I'm currently on 10), Peeta would be one seriously devious smart mother ****er if he ends up being evil. I'll wait for you and Inviso to catch up before I post anymore :)
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
From: CrimsonOcean | #037 Well, considering what's coming in the next few chapters for you FD (I'm currently on 10), Peeta would be one seriously devious smart mother ****er if he ends up being evil.
bah, not what I wanted to hear lol!
It was just an impression I got at the time though and so I'll be more than willing to reconsider my predicted turn in light of new evidence. Onward to chapter 6
"I’m frozen ... floored by how breathtaking we look. In the deepening twilight, the firelight illuminates our faces."
~Stuff that happened~
What better way to kick off a government sanctioned killing game than with a Beauty Pageant! The beauticians from Capitol were kind enough to 'civilize' the poor barbarian girl from district 12. Really very heartwarming the way they go out of their way to make her comfortably beautiful before her fight to the death. </sarcasm>
But despite the frivolity of the situation it seems like Kat and Peeta were very fortunate to have to undergo the process. Their stylist, Cinna seems completely at odds with the rest of Capitol which suits them just fine. But in spite of this contrast he still thinks it would be a great idea to light 2 teenagers on fire in an effort to make them more attractive.
So they make their grand entrance and completely steal the show from the other 11 districts. It seems much more likely that they will get rich sponsors which purportedly has a very direct impact on their ability to survive. And as the chapter closes Kat suspects Peeta is trying to appear nice to lower her defenses so she decides to play ball and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
From: CrimsonOcean | #027 That aside, I’m getting more and more excited for this movie. The subject matter is good, and really it has all the raw material to be visually stunning.
I'm not entirely sure I agree. I'll probably have a better idea by the time I'm done with the first book, but right now it seems like quite a lot has already happened, and we're not that far into the book yet. And on top of that quite a bit of the emotions in the story are in the form of flashbacks, scenes that are just begging to be cut in favor of some of the high action scenes that are likely to follow. We'll see how they manage it though.
Everything is still building towards the start of the games right now. We have Katniss. We have her drunken (but probably useful) coach. We have (or had?) the stylist that helped make her recognizable. And now we'll probably be meeting the sponsor(s) that will result in her having kickass weapons (or not).
The only real development besides the steady advancement of plot is the friendship (or whatever it is) with Peeta which is fairly consistent so far with the two of them somewhat uniting as district 12ers now that they are stuck in a serious situation.
Also, President Snow? Get out of my head FFXIII!
I didn't even think about that, lol. Will not be able to unsee now, thanks a lot.
Forceful_Dragon posted... I'm not entirely sure I agree. I'll probably have a better idea by the time I'm done with the first book, but right now it seems like quite a lot has already happened, and we're not that far into the book yet. And on top of that quite a bit of the emotions in the story are in the form of flashbacks, scenes that are just begging to be cut in favor of some of the high action scenes that are likely to follow. We'll see how they manage it though.
That's a good point. The flashbacks really have given the story a sense of feeling thus far. I'm wondering how or if the movie will address them. Even still, I think I'll end up enjoying the movie regardless after having read the book. Just because I'll inherently know what Katniss was feeling at that point.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
"Perhaps the girl doesn’t even remember me. But I know she does. You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope."
(most powerful quote yet, imo)
~Stuff that happened~
So they enter the training center and then do.... absolutely no training!
They eat a big meal (again). They talk to all of the people who are 'in their corner' which atm includes Eiffel, Haymich, and the two stylists Cinna and Portia. Eiffel is clearly clueless, but now that her two charges are recognizable she actually seems to be trying to prove her worth. Completely brain dead mind you, but at least she's trying.
During dinner she recognizes one of the servants. It's a girl who was running through the wilderness in district 12 once. Her and Gale were on the hunt per usual when they heard two people fleeing for their lives. Moments later the girl is captured and her friend is murdered. Kat regrets not doing something to help at the time.
Then its on to the roof where Kat and Peeta have a conversation in which Kat relates the story of the slave girl. Peeta seems to be as nice as ever while he listens to rooftop story time.
~Forceful's Thoughts~
Peeta is being extremely nice, but the entire time Kat is being inwardly suspicious about his motivations for doing so. The fact that she is being so suspicious of every little thing makes me reconsider my thoughts about him. Now it seems more likely that she will continue to doubt him and then become truly saddened later on when he does something selfless to save her. And then she can feel extra bad for having been suspicious of him the entire time!
But It would still kickass if he became a villain. Then everything in retrospect becomes so cold and calculated and incredibly more impressive.
From: CrimsonOcean | #028 How do I know they’re pyromaniacs? First the clothes. Then the cake. You only get two strikes people!
Katniss just so happens to lock eyes with a beautiful red haired girl. She’s such a player that she tries to pick her up with the whole “don’t I know you?” line, but everyone in the room is too smart for that.
XD reading your write-ups adds so much fun Crim. I really enjoy the presentation and the "different angle" you present, even though I'm sure you don't actually believe that Katniss is just brimming with passion for every girl she locks eyes with.
Anyways, next chapter sounds like it's going to be Training with Haymich. I wonder what he has in mind, and I wonder what kind of strengths Peeta can bring to bear. It was mentioned that he was broad shouldered and strong as a baker's son, but I'm sure he doesn't have nearly the level of experience that Kat's particular upbringing will give her.
I also wonder just how much of this book is going to take place before the games begin. But the book hasn't felt slow yet so I'll just enjoy the ride while they line up sponsors and whatever else.
Not even sure what else to say to say now. 9's ending is just on some level expected, but at the same time incredibly harsh. Very pleased with Kat's interview.
I'll write 7 up later at least. Is Inviso going to be catching up at some point?
I dunno, I'll see if she's on AIM sometime tonight and ask her. I know! I just finished chapter 10 and I seriously had to force myself to put it down to write an update lol.
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http://img.imgcake.com/crimjpgpe.jpg Mo' buildings mo' problems ocean kinda grew on me like a flesh eating ...fungus. -BIGPUN9999
Well Ch 9 seems like a good spot for stopping since it's the end of Part 1, but augh.
I really don't know what I want them to do with Peeta anymore.
It could become amazing in the most sinister way.
Or extremely heart breaking in some rather obvious ways.
In any case emotions are running high and the game hasn't even started yet, but I really appreciate that. I think I will enjoy it a lot more than if they had jumped into the action much sooner. And I'll try not to cry except when it gets really sad <_<