In the tenth chapter of Catching Fire, WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Catching Fire.
It makes no sense. My bird baked into bread. Unlike the stylish renderings I saw in the Capitol, this is definitely not a fashion statement. “What is it? What does it mean?†I ask harshly, still prepared to kill.
“It means we’re on your side,†says a tremulous voice behind me.
BOOYAH. I knew it. So there’s a rebellion brewing in Panem that Katniss inadvertently started and they’re using the mockingjay as their symbol. I greatly approve of this.
So this is all quite exciting, I’m not gonna lie. We’re now in Part II, “The Quell,†which means that none of the shit was real because now this shit is going to just start to get real. We’ve got a couple women dressed as Peacekeepers who are now clearly nothing of the sort. Why are they at the cabin and why is one of them limping and KATNISS HAS A SIDE? Oh man, this is seriously so awesome.
“My name’s Twil,†says the woman. She’s older. Maybe thirty-five or so. “And this is Bonnie. We’ve run away from District Eight.â€
WHHHHATTTTTTT. (I’m going to be saying that so much during this review because EVERYTHING IS SO DIFFERENT AND WILD.)
“Where’d you get the uniforms?†I ask.
“I stole them from the factory,†says Bonnie. “We make them there. Only I thought this one would be for…for someone else. That’s why it fits so poorly.â€
So someone clearly died, and textile factories…I’m guessing somewhere in New England? Oh man, NOW IS THE TIME FOR SO MANY ANSWERS.
“That cracker in your hand. With the bird. What’s that about?†I ask.
“Don’t you know, Katniss?†Bonnie appears genuinely surprised.
AKL;SDFJA;DLFKJASD NO, WE DON’T KNOW. Oh man, are there other districts getting involved with this too?
After learning that they left District Eight in order to escape the uprising, Katniss asks them what on earth they are up to next.
“We’re headed for District Thirteen,†Twill replies.
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU KIDDING ME. It still exists????? Oh my god, WHY WOULD YOU GO THERE.
“Thirteen?†I say. “There’s no Thirteen. It got blown off the map.â€
“Seventy-five years ago,†says Twill.
MEANING THAT IN THAT TIME, SOMETHING ELSE COULD BE THERE. Oh my poor brain, you were not prepared for this.
As they move inside to discuss this new development, Katniss notes that Twill and Bonnie are ill-prepared for this journey, but also acknowledges they have such a completely disparate experience in District Eight that they have no use for the wilderness skills that Katniss grew up with. It’s very honorable how much Katniss takes care of these strangers because there’s no proof (yet) that they aren’t actual Peacekeepers disguised as escaped rebels. Sure, that possibility is pretty slim, but she immediately gets to work feeding them and making them tea.
I didn’t like that method of the way that Collins disseminates the story of Bonnie and Twill because I feel like it takes me out of the moment and out of these two characters. Katniss narrates the story herself and it doesn’t sound like it came from the actual source, and that disconnect irritates me. I want to read about their reactions, the way they tell the story, the looks on their faces, the color of their pallor when they see the factory blow. I’m nitpicking, I know that, so I will say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the content of this story and how much we learn both about District Eight and the Capitol at the same time.
Since the vast majority of you have read this book, there’s no need for me to quote the whole thing to you. But the frightening thing about the story is the force that the Capitol used to crush the resistance. To me, that’s the most interesting thing about all this; initially, of course, the resistance in that district succeeded in taking control of the methods of industry and production and I hoped their story would end with a positive message, that they had succeeded and they were out to spread the message that the Capitol was suppressing information.
Alas, that isn’t the case. In just forty-eight hours, the city falls back into Capitol control. I mean, the sheer firepower and mass murder that had to be dished out…man, this makes the thought of rebellion in any district seem impossible.
After the factory was blown up, with Twill’s husband and Bonnie’s family inside, they escaped on a train leaving their district, only forced to stop after Bonnie twisted her ankle just outside of where they are now.
Ready for shit to get goddamn real as….I don’t know where I’m going with this.
“I understand why you’re running, but what do you expect to find in District Thirteen?†I ask.
Bonnie and Twill exchange a nervous glance. “We’re not sure exactly,†Twill says.
“It’s nothing but rubble,†I say. “We’ve all seen the footage.â€
“That’s just it. They’ve been using the same footage for as long as anyone in District Eight can remember,†says Twill.
GOOD LORD, MY HEAD IS EXPLODING.
“You know how they always show the Justice Building?†Twill continues. I nod. I’ve seen it a thousand times. “If you look very carefully, you’ll see it. Up in the far right-hand corner.â€
“See what?†I ask.
Twill holds out her cracker with the bird again. “A mockingjay. Just a glimpse of it as it flies by. The same one every time.â€
OSDHFJKHALKSDFJHAJSDFKHAKSDHFAJSHFD;KLAJSDF;LKHASFDJ
It provides a nice symmetry, doesn’t it? Not only is the mockingjay the symbol that represents Katniss and what she did in the Games, but it represents the hope of those in District Eight who noticed that something was not quite right with the footage the Capitol was using on television.
“Back home, we think they keep reusing the old footage because the Capitol can’t show what’s really there now,†says Bonnie.
My excitement for Catching Fire just shot up so much that I completely regret doing this one chapter at a time. This is incredibly suspenseful and fascinating. There’s no way I even considered District Thirteen to be a part of the story at all; I completely forgot about it since it was mentioned in the last book.
“You’re going to District Thirteen based on that? A shot of a bird? You think you’re going to find some new city with people strolling around in it? And that’s just fine with the Capitol?â€
“No,†Twill says earnestly. “We think the people moved underground when everything on the surface was destroyed. We think they’ve managed to survive. And we think the Capitol leaves them alone because, before the Dark Days, District Thirteen’s principal industry was nuclear development.â€
That’s it. I love this book. The love triangle can’t ruin it for me, the frustrating way Collins can write sometimes is not going to distract me, and the lack of character development in people like Prim is pointless. THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE COOLEST SHIT. FOR REAL. An underground society living in defiance of the Capitol because THEY MIGHT HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS? OH MY GOD. This is so fucking fantastic.
I don’t think it’s ridiculous for Katniss to disbelieve these two people. The idea, to her, is inconceivable, and her constant cynicism wouldn’t exactly lead her to rush into their shaky plan. In fact, I like the idea that Bonnie and Twill merely plant the seed in her brain, something that will eat away at her until she’s forced to accept it’s true. I believe it’s true myself, but that’s because it’s the next best thing to the earth opening up and eating a villain. I don’t know…I love the idea of secret societies and the thought that we are going to get to explore fills me with too much joy to believe that Collins would drop this thought and then never address it again.
Much respect to Katniss, though, for disbelieving the outlandish plan these two tell her and still teaching them as much as she can about surviving in the outdoors. I have been harsh on her, but her sense of morals when it comes to the impoverished and oppressed around her is spot on. It’s like second-nature for her to help people, even if it puts her at a disadvantage, and I really like her for that.
She bids them goodbye, a million thoughts running through her head, and heads back to town so that her family doesn’t worry about her being gone. It won’t be good for more attention to be drawn to her, so it makes sense that that also contributed to her desire not to leave for District Thirteen.
“It means we’re on your side.†That’s what Bonnie said. I have people on my side? What side? Am I unwittingly the face of the hoped-for rebellion? Has the mockingjay on my pin become a symbol of resistance? If so, my side’s not doing to well. You only have to look at what happened in 8 to know that.
That’s true, but I don’t necessarily think it’s something to worry about right now. The idea that people are rebelling is pretty hopeful too.
I’m crouched on one knee, preparing to enter the Meadow, but I’m still so preoccupied with the day’s events that it takes a sudden screech of an owl to bring me to my senses.
In the fading light, the chain links look as innocuous as usual. But what makes me jerk back my hand is the sound, like the buzz of a tree full of tracker jacker nests, indicating the fence is alive with electricity.
WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT. Oh my god THE DISTRICT KNOWS. THEY SAW HER LEAVE. Oh god THIS IS SO AWFUL. Sdl;kfjas;klfjasdl;fkhl; al;kjfd;lk a;slkdj sdiofu ;lakfs
Katniss what are you going to do now?
I could only think in keymashes at this point in my reading, too.
I must have devoured this book in a few hours. I don't know how you restrain yourself!
Ugghhh do more than a chapter a day for Han’s sake. You are totally not prepared.
Maybe Mark would rather kiss a wookie?
Does that make Mark Leia? Also I wonder what Chewie would think about that XD
Well, we've already discovered that Katniss is Han, and Gale is Leia, so that would mean Mark is Luke, and all of us would have to be Admiral Akbar………..
IT'S A TRAP!
<img src="http://knowyourmeme.com/system/icons/157/original/Atrapitis.gif?1240007111"/>
The Capitol ~knows~ everything, Katniss… In other words, you're screwed.
Katniss's reaction to these two women is very interesting. She's been so caught up in her side of things, her way of standing up to the Capitol and/or avoiding a bad fate at their hands that although she knows about the uprisings, she's forgotten it's a bigger movement than just her. It's no longer what she's doing to protect her family and friends in D12, but now she's looking at a much larger movement. It's a lot to take in, and honestly, the plan these two have to run away to maybe possibly existent D13 based on some footage that may be fake sounds about as smart as Katniss's plan to hide out in the woods in the middle of winter. Her disbelief? I totally understand. I love how she tries to prepare them as much as possible in the short time she has, though.
Shit is still unreal in its seeming realness, for the record.
Your Unpreparedness is just killing me.
Mark = UNPREPARED
So so very UN-FUCKING-PREPARED.
Everyone reading this for the first time=UNPREPARED.
When I reread this before Mockingjay I WAS STILL UNPREPARED.
And this is why I didn't mind that we didn't get to see too much of the Victory Tour.Collins already told us that District eight was textile, but now we get the extra information about them. That even school children already work shifts at the factories/ Yet another thing where District 12 in a way has been lucky so far. No one under 18 is sent to work in the mines. At most the kids get sent to take school trips, (which can be bad to those who lost parents there, but at least they don't have to work there)
Yet in District 8, like in District 11, kids have to start working even before they've left school.
I mean, Katniss' has worked as a hunter and I'm sure Peeta helped in his parents bakery. And there's probably plenty of other kids who either help their parents or try and look for other jobs. But they don't have to, and only do so to support their families. Yet in District eight, kids have to continue on after school o go spend four hours working in a factory.
I agree. Also, I get the impression that if there is more of a resistance movement during the book we'll get to see/hear about the other districts in a similar fashion to this, which would be far more fascinating than the Capitol-approved view Peeniss got on the tour.
Exactly, I love the spreading out of tidbits, it keeps you interested, where as if she'd given info on the Districts during the tour, it would have been an exposition dump of the worst kind and I for one would have probably lost interest before we were halfway through. Whereas now people are curious and want to see more.
It's really interesting how that works. And didn't Katniss say somewhere that the fact that they don't work until they are 18 is one of the reasons that the tributes from their district never win?
I'm starting to get a little scared to comment because I know what's coming and, re-reading this through Mark, it all seems so obvious. I guess everything is in hindsight. More reviews please?
EDIT: I do like that this entire book so far is just Collins going "oh, you thought you knew what was going to happen? Well you were wrong!" So many twists and turns.
Soooo, District 13 is made of molemen?
13 is fucking hardcore, man. They dig through the ground with their bare hands, and they live on rocks and uranium.
No wonder the Capitol pretends they don't exist.
<img src="http://pokedream.com/pokedex/images/sugimori/050.jpg">
D13 residents?
District 13 people live on protein shakes, falcon eggs, and rocks.
We all know who their mama is.
Molemen with NUKES.
I watched the 1960 version of The Time Machine as a kid and it forever scarred me and because of that everytime I think of underground dwellers this is the first thought that pops into my mind —
<img src="http://thetimetraveller.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/morlocks.jpg">
If I had to choose between the two, I would take my chances with the Capitol. Probably. Maybe. Actually that is a pretty tough call.
It was a toss-up between molemen and morlocks! But this way I get to envision everyone in 13 looking like Hans Moleman:
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2iw3hhi.jpg">
Far less traumatizing.
Good call. Hans Moleman is probably pretty fun to hang out. Also he doesn't have glowing eyes. And he isn't a cannibal.
LAUGHED SO HARD.
DOES THIS MEAN WE GET A SECOND REVIEW TODAY??? XD
I love how this book has completely spun out of control and thrown all of my expectations in the dirt. I always knew there had to be some kind of rebellion, but I just never expected it to happen like this.
DISTRICT 13 IS STILL ALIVE??? This blows my mind hole. It makes so much sense now that I think about it – the Capitol uses the media to force the entire country to swallow a lie about this genocide that never suceeded.
@#@$@$##$@#$@!@#(*&^%$#@#$%^
"Blows my mind hole" = I must start using this.
probably the biggest WTF moment in the series.district 13 FTW.and mark still isnt prepared for one of the best climaxes put on paper ever
please read the spoiler policy. if you don't see the link at the top of the page, well, here it is: http://markreads.net/reviews/about/
saying a book ends good is spoilerish?
k.maybe a spoiler.but how do i delete my comment?
and i have got a doubt.what if i say something about the book as a whole?suppose mark starts reading breaking dawn(he has already finished it ik) and somebody comments ‘this book sucks’, is that a spoiler?
I predict Mark is so Unprepared that when, finally, Shit Gets Real he will have no choice but to do more than one chapter a day.
I agree with that, I know I could never wait to read another chapter for when shit gets really realXD
Oh know. Mark i read this in an afternoon. I hate to say it but you're gonna need to speed up. 🙂 Love your stuff though. Decided im gonna read all your Harry Potter ones to. :):)
As prepared as you think you will be, you will never truly be fully prepared.
fucking truth.
And that's what I love about this series … You think you've got it then Collins pulls the mat out from under your feet.
"Oh my poor brain, you were not prepared for this."
Nope not at all. I agree- this chapter gives you tingles! District Thirteen could be alive? WOW!
And the cliffhangers- oh man, I give you credit for continuing this one chapter at a time because I could not have done it!
I love that this chapter really got you excited for this book. It was here that I was like, WTF, HOW IS SHIT EVEN MORE REAL NOW THAN IN THE LAST BOOK? Four for you, Collins.
Ahahahahaa you are totally freaking out and not even halfway through the book yet!!!!
I gotta admit I’m shocked that I was the only person here (as far as I’ve read) that assumed District 13 was still alive, that they were reusing old footage, etc. I kinda wish I hadn’t (that and the big finale with the single arrow we’re both utterly unsurprising for me) because, reading through Mark’s eyes, it seems like a lot more fun to get fooled. At least a little bit. It always frustrates me when an author ends a chapter with something very dramatic, and it’s obviously supposed to be a big shock, but instead you’re all like, “Yeah, thanks, duh.”
This, this is why I love Mark Reads so dearly. It is like reading a book all over again when you review each shapter, I get just as excited for you as I did for myself, maybe even more so! MRHP had me hooked, and I just really enjoy this little online community.
BTW – We need MOAR Harry Potter!!! Siriusly – I miss Our Boy, and I need to get back to Hogwarts. 😀
We do need it! I am reviewing in near-real time these days, though, because my work keeps me so busy. I am usually a few chapters ahead of myself, but not here. I promise to set some time aside to knock out some Harry Potter reviews. 🙂
Is it just me, or do the absolute poorest districts have the most important industry? Seriously, 11 and 12 GROW FOOD AND POWER PANEM!!!
And 8 makes their clothes. It's the same as our world. Laborers make a lot less than managers, areas that specialize in extraction and manufacturing are poorer than those that specialize in finance and luxury goods.
Yeah, my old Social Studies teacher would always point out that farmers and people who power the civilization are lowest on the social structure. Completely underappreciated. But the people who manage them are higher up, even though they don’t do much. It’s interesting to see this pattern in all the past cultures, and I am unsurprised that this appeared in the book. Maybe Collins will do something with this.
Yeah, there always has been and always will be an unequal distribution of wealth. But when it gets to extreme levels, like child labor and people starving in the streets, it can lead to problems. Like, say, armed insurrection? I think Collins is already working with it, haha.
Why do you think they have to be poor? If they were allowed to supply themselves, rebellion would be a hell of a lot easier.
Well people who have more money and resources are more content and less likely to rebel.
It crossed my mind that to really rebel against the Capitol, they could just STOP producing all the things that keep it going. Of course, they'd all have to be willing to die and watch their loved ones die from the Captiol's anti-rebellion forces, so that's probably not a workable plan.
For the record I have not read the books yet and am getting the plot for the first time through these blog posts, so I appreciate the detailed recaps as much as the reactions!
Oh ok! No problem, then. I didn't want to be TOO repetitive, but I'll keep you in mind!
Me too. I loved some of the creative reveiws you did for HP and Twilight, but my favourite part is seeing you react. I'm weird like that, but I end up laughing and making a lot of odd noises. And ignore all the stares.
I actually liked the creative ones that you did for the HP books, they were some of my favorites. But with the HG books, there is so much condensed into each chapter that it's hard to do something like that without missing important stuff.
I’m sorry to say that you’re still not prepared. Usually, the middle book in a trilogy is the boring one, the bridge. Not in Suzanne Collins’s world.
I totally agree. Truthfully, I didn’t like it that much when I first read it, but I read it again and now it’s growing on me.
Also- nice name. Team Cinna ftw!
I am the opposite in the sense that I almost always like the middle of the trilogy better than the final, because most authors take the opportunity to get dark and take chances with their characters without feeling the need to wrap everything up in a "satisfying" way. Generally there is also more exposition and development of plot lines and characters and less action, but that is what I love. The foundation is already there from the first book, so it gives the author a chance to explore the universe and go off on a few wild tangents.
I think Collins is taking a really interesting path and is keeping everything fresh with enough action that it doesn't feel middle-booky? but is also letting her characters free to explore and grow and giving us some pretty neat back story of Panem and the Districts. My only real complaint is that I would prefer 1000% more HAYMITCH.
I swear I totally did a victory dance when you finally declared your love for this book.
=D me too
I think we all did 😉 Welcome to the club Mark.
Hey Mark are you ever gonna do more than one chapter a day like you did for HP? 🙂 Just wondering.
You are SO unprepared.
I'm soo glad this review came out earlyish today, because I have to get my wisdom tooth removed later and will probably be out of action for awhile. (Also, why did they wait to come in until I was 26? I should have had this done by now.) Anyway, I really like this chapter. I especially like distinction between Katniss' symbol used superfluously in the Capitol as an accessory, and its appearance here on a cracker, which can be disposed of quickly. Okay, I really have nothing exciting to say, because I'm making myself ill by the thought of needles happening in my mouth. *Shudder*
Oh my god, good luck. At least there will be reviews to keep you vaguely occupied in the next few days?
Good luck with your teeth. My husband got his out at 26 and it wasn't a big deal so hopefully it goes good for you too. 🙂
Ouch. Sorry. Hope it doesn't hurt so much.
But hey look at the bright side: At least you have the reviews to distract you, unlike me that was left behind by my friends while they WENT ON THE ROAD TRIP OF ALL THE AWESOME. Bastards.
Ah wisdom teeth. They just come whenever the heck they feel like it. My mom's came in at 30, so I'll never feel safe even though the X-rays show I have no wisdom. Good luck, and hopefully it isn't too painful for you.
Aww, that sucks about your wisdom teeth. I'm 21 and mine still haven't grown in, so I'll probably be in the same boat a couple years from now. Booo.
Hope your appointment goes well! I had all four of my widsom teeth out at the same time last year, but at least they put me to sleep for it. In the hopes that it will make you feel better here is a picture of me immediately after my appointment;
<img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/ducky1304/IMG00252.jpg"/>
As you can see, I am clearly still alive, and only a little bit drugged out of my mind!
And also my own artist's representation of what I imagine wisdom teeth look like;
<img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/ducky1304/WisdomTeef.jpg"/>
He's so haggard and classy!
(I hope I posted those correctly, it's my first attempt at using pics)
Ouch! Sorry about your wisdom teeth. Are they anesthetizing you for it? The pain pills they give you are pretty awesome, just don't take more than one at a time.
Also, I really like that Katniss's symbol is on bread. Which is Peeta's thing. This is just because I'm a loser.
OMG! I don't know how I didn't catch that!
lol, I didn't even notice that. You are definitely not a loser.
if you are a loser, then i am the queen of all the losers. haha. omg i can't believe i didn't catch this. the boy with the bread! <3
You are definitely not a loser. That was a brilliant catch!
I remember I had the same reaction as you did to the idea that District 13 could still be there! HOLY SHIT WHAT.
<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TPCW_l4-0YI/AAAAAAAAAx0/SSl0fVu91AE/kurt_what.gif">
Like, go find it, Katniss! Fucking amazing.
Shit is about to get so real. You have to do another review today.
love the gif
KURT!!! <3
Aw, Kurt! Less than three.
My love for him has gone up 10 fold recently after reading the fanfiction 'Dalton'. Has anyone else here read it? It's my current obsession and what is tiding me over while waiting for Mark reviews.
Nope, do you have a link? Kurt and Blaine are basically the only reason I watch the show anymore.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6515261/1/Dalton
It's pretty much the best thing ever. Kurt and Blaine are the greatest 😀
After you read the first chapter, someone made an opening credits for it:
[youtube _MT0Df-Dq80&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MT0Df-Dq80&feature=related youtube]
Please do a second reveiw!
This is awesome. 13 is alive! And you think you know where this book is going? You still have NO IDEA.
Also, BIG BROTHER SNOW IS WATCHING YOU
Ugh, creepy
OMG WHAT??!!?11?!? WHAT! My brain= DFMGFVJDSHGADBAESGFVBHFJ,AKDBSFVH. Yes my brain is just one big Keysmash. That's how BLOWN IT IS.
This is siriusly awesome shit. Really. And it's very clever of Collins to add district 13 into the story, because it's something I would have never imagined she would have done. And she added nuclear weapons. NUCLEAR WEAPONS. People in 13 are going to be badass, I'm calling it now. And they are people in 13, and they are on Kat's side. I'm not hearing the oppposite, I need something to hold on to ok?
And the end of this chapter: OH NOES. D: D: D: D: D: D: D:
Yeah. I have no reactions or responses to this chapter other than l;dksjfasdoieasds. 😀
Alas, that isn’t the case. In just forty-eight hours, the city falls back into Capitol control. I mean, the sheer firepower and mass murder that had to be dished out…man, this makes the thought of rebellion in any district seem impossible.
That's the sad thing…the action the Capitol takes is intended to induce precisely this attitude. "If you rebel, we will kill you and a whole bunch of other people including probably your family and everyone else you know". Or, "people rebelled before, so we will force your children to fight to the death". That pretty much guarantees people don't dissent. The reasons people have for wanting to rebel are also the reasons they refuse to do anything. Same was true in HP – people were afraid that if they joined the Order or resisted (or even said Voldemort's name!), Voldemort would kill their families.
So, the fact that Katniss has come so far is amazing. Go Katniss!
Interestingly enough, I actually think that the heavy hand with which the Capitol tries to crush out dissent is exactly why they have people rebelling in District 8. There's only so much that people can take before they rise up against their oppressors. Things like bombing the shit out of a factory — and surely not everyone in there was a rebel, right? — is going to do a lot more to galvanize people than something like Gale's whipping. If you're a normal person in District 12, you're going to say, well, he was a hunter, I don't break the law, I can toe the line and I'll be fine. But the mass murder in Eight and the Games? That sends the message that, no matter how loyal you are, no matter how you behave, you aren't safe, and neither are your children. I mean, shit, son. That's sure to fire people up, people who would suddenly see that they have nothing to lose by joining the rebel side.
I just think it's interesting that Collins is kind of showing the Capitol as overplaying its hand.
OSIHDF:SDJFNVLKXCIOUJQ. That is a pretty accurate summary of how my head felt. I had suspected District 13 might still be doing it's thing quietly, but nuclear weapons?! Are you kidding me? lksdjfdfajsdf;ksjoiraf
I personally put District 8 in Chicago or Detroit. I'm not really sure why other than they are cities and that I get kind of stressed when things aren't in numerical/alphabetical order when they can be. I mean, if you're going to number your districts, they must be in some kind of order, right? So in my head, the train tracks snakes through Panem, going north to south through the Districts in numerical order until they reach the Capitol. Which means I have District 13 in whatever part of New England isn't covered in water.
On a barely related/revelant note, it really bothers me in today's world when newscasters are reporting "on the scene" when it is obvious they are standing in front of a green screen. If you were actually there, you wouldn't look like you were floating in front of the background! Unrelated comment is unrelated.
My keyboard smash resulted in a random emoticon that also portrays the state of my mind pretty well, but toned down. Huh. Sweet.
AND THIS IS WHY CATCHING FIRE IS MY FAVORITE BOOK FROM THE SERIES!!
At this point I just wanted Katniss to go find District 13 to settl my curiousity of the place. They have nukes,however, I really didn't like that about 13….what good could come from launching bombs on a country already struggling to maintain population? But I love that they might have an underground base.
And Mother of Snow, why did the Capitol have to turn on the frickin' fence to give Katniss more chiz to her life. This girl gets no break whatsoever.
AH THE END OF THIS CHAPTER FUCKED ME UP SO BAD
ahhh Mark!!!!!!!! I had the same reaction as you did when I read about District 13. At this point I COMPLETELY forgot about District 13…. now there might be people living there!? What!? WHAT?! ASLFjksojba.kwjfca
I can't wait. =)
this! a million times, this!
Shit, son, you are not prepared.
I really liked this interchange between Katniss and the two District 8 ladies. It gave us hope that there was a place that existed that wasn't under the control of the Capital. And it also told us how difficult it would be to really overthrow the Capital. And I loved Katniss for feeding the ladies, even though she wasn't sure they were who they said they were.
My post on the last review:
As it is January 3rd, it is my birthday. For my birthday, I would like to have the following things:
-That damn iPod Touch (it's not here yet!)
-A new Mark Reads Catching Fire review. ASAP plz.
-MOAR SOBER HAYMITCH. Get a grip plz! (No, I don't blame him, I just want him to stop drinking)
-GALE AND PEETA LEAVE KATNISS ALONE! YOU'RE LUCKY SHE EVEN PREFO- I mean PLAYED IN THE GAMES FOR YOU (for them? well, by playing in the games she did save both of their lives…)
-ENTIRE CAPITOL: GO DIE IN A FIRE- except you, Cinna, you may stay.
CAN I HAVE ALL OF THAT? PLZ?
P.S. OMG new prediction: The Capitol (including president Snow) will catch fire. Wouldn't that be really really really appropiate? I WANT TO READ MORE OF THIS BOOK
My iPod Touch arrived AND I got a Mark Reads Catching Fire review!
Thanks you Mark for making my 17th birthday a LOT better!
lmao this is so cute.
Oh yah! Melt Snow!
LOL YAY!!
Happy late birthday!!! And thanks for letting Cinna stay, you just made the world a lot more awesome 😀
yay Doctor gif~
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU KIDDING ME. It still exists????? Oh my god, WHY WOULD YOU GO THERE.
BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME! I kind of completely forgot about District Thirteen by this point because it had only really been mentioned early on in the first book, and if it had come up again in this book, I started to get a subconscious inkling that waaaait, maybe it's still around, and that would be so cool! So when this happened, I was like SWEET. SECRET DISTRICT, SAVIOR OF PANEM OR SOMETHING!
My excitement for Catching Fire just shot up so much that I completely regret doing this one chapter at a time. This is incredibly suspenseful and fascinating. There’s no way I even considered District Thirteen to be a part of the story at all; I completely forgot about it since it was mentioned in the last book.
Exactly! And I love the mockingjay-footage clue thing.
WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT. Oh my god THE DISTRICT KNOWS. THEY SAW HER LEAVE. Oh god THIS IS SO AWFUL. Sdl;kfjas;klfjasdl;fkhl; al;kjfd;lk a;slkdj sdiofu ;lakfs
Seriously, how DO you read this book one chapter a time.
I wish the District Eight story would have been told by the other characters, too. Lazy. And I'd get excited about this new information if Katniss was a bit quicker on picking up clues. I mean, it took her the entire first third of the book to figure out that there is, indeed, a rebellion with the mockingjay as their symbol. So…how long is it gonna take for her to BELIEVE in this hidden district, let alone find it? I feel as though we're doomed for countless more pages of denial and awkward romance.
I'm praying that this electrical fence is being used as a device to send Katniss running back to Twill shouting "I changed my mind! Nuke City, here we come!"
I don't know. I think that it makes sense for Katniss to be cautious about things. Personally, I thought that Katniss had a good point when she thought "If this District 13 stuff were true, then why haven't they helped us yet?"
lol lol, Ten looks considerably less impressed than these other guys.
The Doctor has been around longer, it takes more to impress him.
I don't know I think Mccain could give him a run for his money…
I think that Katniss was on the right track when she asked why District 13 wouldn't help the other districts, but I don't think she went far enough on that train of thought.
If District 13 really does have a nuclear arsenal capable of scaring off the Capitol, there's pretty much no reason for them not to fire at the Capitol as soon as they possibly can, or at least threaten the Capitol until it gives District 13 some of the other districts. The Capitol keeps production of goods separated by district for a reason; that kind of large-scale labor division keeps each district dependent on the other districts and disincentivizes secession.
So, there's no way (in accordance with the 'District 13 is a surviving rebel outpost' narrative, anyway) that District 13 as a whole is living anywhere near as well as they were when they were part of Panem, especially as their population was probably quite small to begin with and is likely even smaller now. If they really do have that kind of firepower, there's really very little reason not to use it, even if just for their own sake.
Grr finally broke down and made an account.
Do-hohoho oh mark it has not even yet begun to get real.
Also, I can tell you what book I was going to suggest to you now – A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Also if you think about it it's really obvious how they know when she's in the forest but you'll figure it out eventually.
I absolutely love the symbol of the mockingjay as a sign of the rebellion. Birds in general are just good symbols of freedom and it's just so simple and identifiable. It's great really. I want my own mockingjay pin…or maybe some crackers. I can get behind a rebellion that has food. And now onto what you're all waiting for, gifs!
OMG they're refuges from District 8 and there's a whole rebellion going on?
<img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m287/greenlily_11884/gif/tumblr_ldidi4BYUe1qfnwk5o1_250.gif">
Aww, Katpiss using your mad nature skills to help them out. You so cool Katpiss!
<img src="http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff503/busybee6363/lololwhoseline.gif">
District 13 is still around! Bitches don't know about our secret nuclear society. Myth busted?
<img src="http://www.bestweekever.tv/bwe/images/2010/04/Lu0z3.gif">
Wait, the fence is on? Oh no!
<img src="http://images1.memegenerator.net/ImageMacro/4024024/Shit-just-GOT-REAL.jpg?imageSize=Medium&generatorName=Starebert">
hahahaahaha that Shit Just Got Real macro is AMAZING.
Colin Mochrie FTW
"I can get behind a rebellion that has food"
LOL. "More people will come if they think we have punch and pie."
Also, that walrus Mythbusters gif is amazing.
Yeah, I was planning on something exploding instead, since Distict 13 was in charge of nukes, and then decided it would be funny to make a joke about "Maybe the place is run by mythbusters?" and then I saw this gif and liked this joke better.
…
What, you think I just posted this stuff at random? I put a lot of thought into these gif gags, not just post things without a plan. Ruffians.
I've had it in my head for a while that the 13 districts = 13 colonies, even though I know that the districts ring the Capitol. I'm just weird like that.
When the Hunger Games first mentioned the decimation of District Thirteen I thought it was curious that they would raze a district that supposedly provided graphite. Then I immediately thought that it might still exist, having been years and years since it was destroyed. The second Bonnie and Twill brought up the mockingjay, I was like "FUCK I GET IT NOW."
I love that approximately 80% of these comments are YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.
oh godddddddddd
this is because they are 100% true. you are never prepared.
never, ever, never prepared.
lol, we only speak the truth, Mark. You are definitely not prepared!
You are not. I have the book nearly memorized and I'm still not prepared. Even after you finish the last sentance on the last page of the last book, you are still not prepare. There will be some little train of thought in your head, and a whole new level of awfulness will hit you.
These books never go away. They changed the way I look at the world, in a good way.
trufax
Yes! I'm re-reading for the fourth time and had to stop because I have to be somewhere and I don't want to look like I was crying. Even though I totally know what happens. FOURTH time! 🙂
Needs 80% more gifs.
Well, sometimes you just have to say something, and it's either YOU ARE NOT PREPARED or IF YOU THINK THIS IS CRAZY, WAIT UNTIL YOU GET TO THE PART WHERE THE VORLONS REVEAL THEIR SECRET ALLIANCE WITH THE ICE WEASELS. And the second one will get you beaten with sticks.
Yep. YOU ARE NOT PREPARED is as spoilery as we are allowed to get. WHICH IS GOOD. STOP SPOILING PEOPLE.
Was that the part before or after where Haymitch fought the Zombie Nazis in his giant mech? I can't remember.
l love that so many people are trying to get you to do another review. We all know by now that Collins will probably end the next chapter with an even more frustratingly, amazing cliffhanger. I don't remember a reading a single chapter and thinking, "Oh, alright, I can put this book down now." It was more, "GAH! WHY DO I NEED SLEEP TO FUNCTION?? MUST FINISH ENTIRE SERIES!" …So, I did.
I'm glad you're really getting into this series now. This was where I started getting really excited, too. 🙂
I do think she sometimes introduces too many characters. And I can never remember which of those two is the older one. >.<
I love District 8. I want to know more about 4! And 7! (please tell me they live in treehouses) And 5! Just… all the of them.
Oh God I know. I'm so glad I can read the next chapter of this now because I got to the end and was just like, "NOOO HOW WILL YOU GET OUT OF THIS THERE IS NO WAY EVERYTHING I SBAD LIFE SUCKS WAAAAAAAAAAAH."
I agree with everything you've said.
The fact that the capitol blew up an entire factory with workers in it, though. D: Makes me so sad.
Omigod wow when you said New England that was the first time I had been reminded that this was all taking place in North America since snow/ whoever gave that speach before the first hunger games.
EVERY CHAPTER ENDS IN A CLIFF HANGER!!!! o.0
YOU ARE NOT PREPARED x INFINITY+1
I have to admit that when I first read this book I didn't like it as much as the 1st and 3rd, but revisiting it again through your posts, I'm liking it a little more than before. I think I may re-read it again.
And once again.. YOU ARE NOT PREPARED! YOU THINK YOU KNOW.. BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA.. (brownie points for anyone who gets this reference)
you seem so much happier when you read the HG series then when you were forced to read shitlight by fuckingsmeyer *vomit*
i <3 the happy mark
and i wish you would do more then one review a day 🙂
I keep reading Twill as Twili, as in from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
UPVOTE
When I read the books I found the Capitol's actions a bit strange – burning down the Hob made sense (destroying something the community had made that wasn't part of the Capitol system) but closing the mine that provides the Capitol with coal? Blowing up the factory that makes the peacekeeper uniforms? Surely there would be better ways at demonstrating their authority without crippling their own economy?
I think we can assume that District 8 wasn't in full revolt as some people were still going to work in the factory – so where's the sense in killing those who aren't opposing the capitol and are actually working for it? And are they so blind as to think the best way to quell a rebellion is to take away people's jobs and kill their families – surely at least one of them must have thought that adding anger to desperation wouldn't be a good idea!
You think you know, but you have no idea.
This is the diary of Mark Reads Catching Fire.
I think I gave up ever trying to be prepared for anything these books could throw at me somewhere around here, truthfully.
When she described Bonnie's eyes as being "chocolate brown," I was like "No Collins! No! You're so much better than that!"
When I first read that District 13 was involved in nuclear arms development, my mind immediately went to New Mexico, and then I thought "Wait, that can't be right." It is fun trying to guess where everything is. Although, I do hope that Collins gives us a map someday.
I've always wondered this when I think about the Panem map, but… Are we even sure that Collins knows specifically where each district is? It seems like she would, but other than District 12 and the Capitol, we haven't been given many concrete details relating to where each area is. I was very spoiled by Rowling, and it kinda sucks that not all authors (especially of YA) are as comprehensive as she is. I don't know, I just feel like if there was a map, Collins (or her publishers) would have used it by now. Which leads me to believe that maybe there isn't one.
DISTRICT 13?!
WHAT.
THE.
FUCK.
<img src="http://www.animatedgif.net/funny/chickenexplode_e0.gif">
You know, I'm sure no one would blame you if you review one or two more chapters today… *hopeful face*
I honestly hope you will because let me tell you that you will be *censored* when *censored* happens.:x
Shit gets so much more real.
Is there a spoiler page?
http://markreadspoilerzone.wordpress.com/
Spoilers abound in the first few posts, but since we're past THG, I think it should be fine if you haven't read Mockingjay.
Thank you very much!
How? Bella's appearance has never actually been described (In the books, at least).
From the author's website: In my head, Bella is very fair-skinned, with long, straight, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her face is heart-shaped—a wide forehead with a widow's peak, large, wide-spaced eyes, prominent cheekbones, and then a thin nose and a narrow jaw with a pointed chin. Her lips are a little out of proportion, a bit too full for her jaw line. Her eyebrows are darker than her hair and more straight than they are arched. She's five foot four inches tall, slender but not at all muscular, and weighs about 115 pounds. She has stubby fingernails because she has a nervous habit of biting them. And there's your very detailed description.
This is why I shuddered at "chocolate brown," by the way.
It's just because the name "Twill" is similar to "Twilight" and people on here already make Twilight comparisons.
What is even going on with David Tennant's hair??
There is a semi-valid explanation (I mean, it's still pretty ridiculous) but I don't wanna spoil Mark.
Eee! Your review for this chapter was fun. Because at this point in the book, I was just tearing through it trying to get all the answers RIGHT NOW because I couldn't handle NOT KNOWING and I didn't stop to be all "OMG WTF!" as I just accepted WTFery as par for the course. Which is why these reviews are great, it's like re-reading the book more slowly, and with more insight.
Also: the introduction of the possibility of District 13 made my head explode. Even in my haste. UNEXPECTED PLOT TWIST IS UNEXPECTED.
You're freaking out now? Just you wait…
Whoohoo! I finally made an account!
Also: MARK YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE PREPARED!!!
The day you will be prepared is the day when Peeta will change his name to Croyssan.
(spoiler: HE DOESN'T)
One of the things I think Suzanne Collins does very well is throw in these completely mind-bending plot twists that make your jaw drop the first time you read them, but when you think back or re-read it becomes blindingly obvious. I felt this way about the District 13 revelation. When I thought back, I was like "you're right, why DO they periodically show the smoldering ruins for everyone to see? Can they still be smoldering after 75 years?"
Will someone just eat the damn Mockingjay cracker already?
Also, I love the name Twill for a someone in district in 8, 'cos it's a type of fabric. (Obviously intentional but, you know, just saying, I like.)
I know Madge hasn't exactly been a huge character, and we've seen nothing from her point of view, but I just can't help wondering whether she was hoping for precisely this when she made such an issue of "please, please, please wear this into the arena".