In the eighteenth chapter of Catching Fire, seriously? How do I even summarize what just happened? Just read the review.
Good lord. Now I know why you guys said you blew through this book in one setting. Reading this one chapter at a time? Simply unbearable.
The uprising has now been made public. TO EVERYONE. And it’s because of Cinna that this is happening. I AM SO EXCITED. THIS IS ME RIGHT NOW.
I am completely in awe of this story right now.
Caesar gestures for Cinna to rise. He does, and makes a small, gracious bow. And suddenly I am so afraid for him. What has he done? Something terribly dangerous. An act of rebellion in itself. And he’s done it for me. I remember his words…
“Don’t worry. I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don’t hurt anyone but myself.â€
…and I’m afraid he has hurt himself beyond repair. The significance of my fiery transformation will not be lost on President Snow.
Seriously, saying TEAM CINNA doesn’t do him justice. He has consistently acted in her best interest, ignoring his own. This might be the most extreme example of that. Bless him forever.
But I was never, ever prepared for what Peeta does next.
Peeta pauses for a long moment, as if deciding something. He looks out at the spellbound audience, then at the floor, then finally up at Caesar. “Caesar, do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?â€
WHAT?????
“I feel quite certain of it,†says Caesar.
“We’re already married,†says Peeta quietly. The crowd reacts in astonishment, and I have to bury my face in the folds of my skirt so they can’t see my confusion. Where on earth is he going with this?
Peeta weaves a story to Caesar about how he married Katniss in a traditional ceremony (referenced in the previous chapter) because they simply couldn’t wait. And then the Quell was announced and their marriage suddenly became all the more tragic. It’s genius on Peeta’s part, to enhance the sheer horror of what’s happening.
“I’m not glad,†says Peeta. “I wish we had waited until the whole thing was done officially.â€
This takes even Caesar aback. “Surely even a brief time is better than no time?â€
“Maybe I’d think that, too, Caesar,†says Peeta bitterly, “if it weren’t for the baby.â€
WWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peeta, you have brought it. You have now won all the things and I seriously need to develop the technology to give fictional characters high fives. This is beautiful.
As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there can’t ignore, at least for the moment, how horrific the whole thing is.
I am pregnant.
Peeta, you are genius. This is your finest moment. Can the Capitol actual go forward with the idea of killing a pregnant mother? Are they that depraved?
Sure, they might actually be, and Peeta’s bluff might be pointless, but I’m sure he knew this. Because the affect that matters most is the fact that everyone else who hears this has now reacted in a way that now virtually begs for a rebellion.
The audience has now gone wild, essentially, reacting so chaotically to the news Peeta just shared with the country that Caesar cannot even keep them remotely under control. As the din in the room continues to overpower everything else, one of the most surprising things yet occurs:
And then it happens. Up and down the row, the victors begin to join hands. Some right away, like the morphlings, or Wiress and Beetee. Others unsure but caught up in the demands of those around them, like Brutus and Enobaria. By the time the anthem plays its final strains, all twenty-four of us stand in one unbroken line in what must be the first public show of unity among the districts since the Dark Days. You can see the realization of this as the screens begin to pop into blackness. It’s too late, though. In the confusion they didn’t cut us off in time. Everyone has seen.
HOW. HOW CAN THE GAMES EVEN GO ON AT THIS POINT. The victors have just given the entirety of Panem a symbol, an image of unification, something they’ve been denied for longer than anyone can remember.
The chaos continues as the lights go out on stage and Katpee rush out of the theater and board an elevator alone.
The moment we step off the elevator, Peeta grips my shoulders. “There isn’t much time, so tell me. Is there anything I have to apologize for?”
“Nothing,†I say. It was a big leap to take without my okay, but I’m just glad I didn’t know, didn’t have time to second guess him, to let any guilt over Gale detract from how I really feel about what Peeta did. Which is empowered.
RIGHT??? Oh man, I know this is going to work against them in the future, but just ALLOW ME THESE MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS.
We wait for the others to return, but when the elevator opens, only Haymitch appears. “It’s madness out there. Everyone’s been sent home and they’ve canceled the recap of the interviews on television.â€
Peeta and I hurry to the window and try to make sense of the commotion far below us on the streets. “What are they saying?†Peeta asks. “Are they asking the president to stop the Games?â€
“I don’t think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol’s agenda is a source of confusion for the people here,†says Haymitch. “But there’s no way Snow would cancel the Games. You know that, right?â€
I don’t know. Given what’s happened, I actually entertained the thought. I still sort of am. I think it would be pretty surprising if something happened to derail the Games.
Of course, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen at this point. They realize they aren’t going to see Effie again, so they ask Haymitch to thank her, to really thank her for what she did for them. It’s even harder to say goodbye to Haymitch, who they’ll be seeing for the last time as well. I’m worried that the Capitol will do something to Haymitch if the Games go ahead as planned. Would they murder Katpee’s mentor just to make things more difficult?
We cross the room, but in the doorway, Haymitch’s voice stops us. “Katniss, when you’re in the arena,†he begins. Then he pauses. He’s scowling in a way that makes me sure I’ve already disappointed him.
“What?†I ask defensively.
“You just remember who the enemy is,†Haymitch tells me.
Thinking about this a second time, I feel like this sheds a lot of light on Haymitch’s insistence on Katpee making allies. I don’t think he’s disappointed in her yet; maybe he believes that if there was one person who could inspire the other tributes to revolt in the arena, it’s Katniss. So he’s merely reminding her: her competitors are not her enemy. The Capitol is.
After an awful night of sleep, they awake and it’s apparent the Games are going forward as planned. Peeta and Katniss are separated and Cinna begins to work his calming magic. I respect him so much for how dedicated he is towards making Katniss feel comfortable. He sits with her in the Hovercraft until they reach the Launch Room at the arena, where he begins the process of dressing her and doing her hair.
We sit, as we did last year, holding hands until the voice tells me to prepare for the launch. He walks me over to the circular metal plate and zips up the neck of my jumpsuit securely. “Remember, girl on fire,†he says,†I’m still betting on you.†He kisses my forehead and steps back as the glass cylinder slides down around me.
Even reading this a second time for the review, my heart gets heavy with dread. The plate doesn’t rise immediately, as it usually does. In a moment of panic, Katniss looks to Cinna for answers he doesn’t have.
Suddenly the door behind him bursts open and three Peacekeepers spring into the room. Two pin Cinna’s arms behind him and cuff him while the third hits him in the temple with such force he’s knocked to his knees. But they keep hitting him with metal-studded gloves, opening gashes on his face and body. I’m screaming my head off, banging on the unyielding glass, trying to reach him. The Peacekeepers ignore me completely as they drag Cinna’s limp body from the room. All that’s left are the smears of blood on the floor.
I can’t. You can’t do that to Cinna. Oh god, they’re going to kill him for what he did, aren’t they? Oh jesus christ, this is so horrible. CIIIIIINNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Sickened and terrified, I feel the plate begin to rise. I’m still leaning against the glass when the breeze catches my hair and I force myself to straighten up. Just in time, too, because the glass is retreating and I’m standing free in the arena.
Something seems to be wrong with my vision. The ground is too bright and shiny and keeps undulating. I squint down at my feet and see that my metal plate is surrounded by blue waves that lap up over my boots. Slowly I raise my eyes and take in the water spreading out in every direction.
I can only form one clear thought.
This is no place for a girl on fire.
THE ARENA IS FUCKING WATER?????? Oh god up in heaven, this is simply un-preparable.
I can’t handle this. The Games are happening, Cinna’s likely dead, and the arena is water-based.
Collins: 4 billion, All The Rest of Us: 0.
When that happened to Cinna I was like:
<img src='http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/d9a4438a-f47c-40cb-82a9-de7e0b434fd9.gif' title="Oh No I Forgot About the Oven Gif – Oh No I Forgot About the Oven" alt="Oh No I Forgot About the Oven Gif – Oh No I Forgot About the Oven" height="212px" width="375px" />see more Gifs
Oh Collins, why?!
<img src='http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/icwhutudidtherep1.gif' title="I C WHAT U DID Gif – I C WHAT U DID " alt="I C WHAT U DID Gif – I C WHAT U DID " />see more Gifs
goddammit, I cried when I read that part about Cinna. And Team Peeta x 293847928374238947324…. just saying 😉
Noooooooooooooooooooooo.
That would sum it up, except to say, I made the dire, dire mistake of reading these books on a crowded train during my daily commute. And I fully acknowledge, I would have been a hoot to watch reading. I think I audibly gasped at this point and tried to avoid the TEARS FOREVER.
I WOULD LIKE SOME NICE THINGS TO KEEP COLLINS. JUST, Y'KNOW, EVER? CAN I HAVE ONE THING? You kind of ruined the whole Peeta's-fucking-diabolical-awesomeness with the end of this chapter.
I know you guys all love Peeta and what he, and I will be downvoted to infinity for saying this, but hear me out. I am disgusted and shocked by what he did. I know his plan is meant to help Katniss (Even though it is easily foiled, as another comment pointed out), but really dude? Why would he do something like that without telling her? Unlike last time, her reaction is not supposed to be of shock, so that doesn't stand, neither does saying that they were probably watching them, because they talked about the avox girl last time they were in the Capitol on the roof. Peeta hated it when Katniss and Haymitch kept him out of what was going on, so why the hell would he turn around and do the same thing to her? And saying that someone is pregnant is not something to take lightly, it affects Katniss so much more than saying you love her does. For instance, what must Gale think?
But all these points I have made, they aren't as important as rebellion, I suppose. I could have ignored my annoyance. I could have just let myself be convinced by the good the action could do. (Of course, I hate consequentalism, so who knows?) Here is where I have my main problem. A main point of these books is the way everyone uses Katniss as the ends to a mean. She is a piece in everyones game, including the rebellion. She is a tribute, she is the entertainment, and hell, she is even the mockingjay. Even the people she trusts use her in some extent to feed the rebellion. And that is exactly what happened here. Peeta used her. Just like Snow uses her. This is just messed up. Seriously. Is Katniss even a person, or is she just a symbol, something that should be protected or killed? I just didn't like this at all.
I agree with you to a point. I think it's very hypocritical of him to complain about not being in the loop and then leave Katniss out of it. However, I think he probably knew that Katniss wouldn't go for it if she had time to consider it, and that's why he didn't tell her. Not saying it's RIGHT, but I can see why he did it.
I absolutely agree with you. I hate how she is always used and a pawn throughout everything; I almost feel like she's losing her identity
"A means to the end," I think you're looking for, but I absolutely agree. Everyone uses Katniss, but we're apparently just supposed to let it slide when the 'good guys' are doing it. Hell, it's not like Cinna even asked her permission to turn her into his grand protest display.
I don’t really know how fishhooks are going to factor into anything at all. I am worried that the Gamemakers will see Mags’s ability and then design like…a lake full of poisonous fish or something.
When you said this two reviews ago, i was cracking up. It couldn't POSSIBLY be a lake, could it? 😀
i am the best.
CINNA.
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I DON'T WANT HIM TO DIE.
Reading about the arena made entirely of water filled me with a sense of dread like you wouldn't believe. Imagine all the deadly things the Capitol could have put in there. And I think I would die if I had to go through that; I can swim fine, but one of my worst fears is getting dropped right in the middle of the ocean and there being no land in sight; I can only tread water and swim for SO LONG, y'know?!
Totally have that same fear. It's why I'm terrified to fly over oceans. I realize I would most likely die on impact, but, if I didn't? I can't swim to another continent. Also, sharks.
THE ARENA IS WATER!!!!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY GONNA GO?!?!?! I WOULD DIE!!!! BECAUSE I CAN"T FUCKING SWIMMMMMM!!!!!!!
As SURPRISING AND HEARTBREAKING as the end of the chapter is, you know the thing that gets me fired up the most? The fact that after the "baby" revelation, the Capital gets into this huge uproar about it being NOT RIGHT and UNETHICAL and MONSTROUS to send a pregnant mother into the arena. WORST HYPOCRITES EVER, I HOPE THEY ALL DIE IN ALL THE FIRES.
…Cinna. 🙁
I don't remember when I stopped trying to read chapter by chapter, but I think it was here. The cliffhanger at the end just shocked me and I couldn't stop. I just finished Catching Fire today, actually. I wish I had Mockingjay. (Maybe I can get it from the library)
Peeta is amazing. Simply amazing. He uses words in place of violence. What isn't amazing about that.
PS. TEAM CINNA FOREVER.
lol, all the book in the trilogy have 80+ requests at my library at any given day. It's nuts, but makes me happy. ^^
barnes and noble has the ebook for under $8 🙂
It's annoying how hard it is to find them here in Belgium. To make it even worse, when I asked my brother for them for christmas, the shop owner told him they were for kids from six to fourteen. I mean, seriously? Did they actually read those books?
I honestly don't get why the Hunger Games books are stuck somewhere in the back of the shop with the kid books, while those stupid Twilight book are right in the front of the store on a display stand (/end rant)
OHMYGOD.
I JUST READ THIS REVIEW, A BIT BEFORE I STARTED ON THE CHAPTER YOU JUST FINISHED, WHEN THE WORD 'pregnant' CAUGHT MY EYE. AFTER A BIT OF KATNISS' INTERNAL MONOLOGUE LATER, I CAME TO THE PART ABOUT CINNA GETTING BEAT UP AND I AM STILL IN SHOCK.
SWEET JESUS IN HEAVEN. OMG. THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING. OMG. OMG. OMG. OMG. D:
I bawled like a baby during this whole Cinna thing. I think it was the only time I put the book down, and I was doing the whole like convulsions cry. I just couldn't handle it. When the movie comes out and that shiit goes down…it's gonna be all over. They better pause the movie a good 5 minutes to let everyone recompose themselves. I wish you never had to read that Mark =( I know what you mean about how Team Cinna doesn't seem enough. Cinna is like a whole idea and belief. He is like a Saint and has shown us all the way.
CINNALOGIST FOR LIFE!!
And now to expect Katniss to do anything in the games after that? Brutal. I'm an addict and this series is my drug.
~Mandii
And just a quick tidbit for everyone else…some of you know I was stranded in what seemed like the Hunger Games version of airports trying to get home this weekend… During my lovely day at Chicago-O'hare airport, the book store lady was trying to be funny and get me to buy Infinite Jest cause she said I had enough time to read it while I was there (not funny lady, not funny at all.) Then when I finally got on my final plane, the girl sitting across from me was reading THG, and I recommended this site and she was like OMG!! I follow that site and that's why I decided to read this!! It was very cool. So as bleeeggghhh as I was from my travels, it was super cool. MarkReads is everywhere!!!
To read about the whole ordeal, you can go to my blog at: http://thelifeofmandii.wordpress.com/
Superfun times, let me tell you =_=
~Mandii
PS, Girl from plane, if you see this, hoolllaa!!!
i cried when i read this chapter :C
it gets soooo good, though.
i lovehate this arena. </3
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CINNA'S REALLY GOING TO DISTRICT 13 RIGHT??
WHY ARE ALL THE THINGS TERRIBLE FOREVER? ;A;
I was inconsolable when I first read the end of this chapter. I cried through my entire lunch break. NOT MY CINNA DAMN YOU PEACEKEEPERS
cinnaaa! DDD*:
also, out in the water. that's just pure terror.
(can't get past the irony that i checked here as a break from watching footage from the local flooding… )
Oh wow, you reviewing right now reminds me how much I love this particular book. Also because there's so much Cinna, and you're right: Saying TEAM CINNA is not enough to express how awesome he is.
A well-worn adage: Freedom is not free. **tears** Thank you Cinna for what you did. Thank you forever.
"… All that’s left are the smears of blood on the floor."
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I don't know if I can feel any emotions anymore seeing as I expressed all of them while reading this chapter.
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Alright, here we go. These are literally my first, unspoiled reactions to reading this chapter, which I posted on that other site on August 14, 2010:
I find it interesting that last year Peeta was being completely honest about his feeling and Katniss was just playing along for the benefit of the audience, while this year Peeta’s coming up with all the lies. Although Katniss' reaction is pretty funny. It sounds like she just got the results of an EPT: "Darn it, I'm knocked up. And I missed out on the fun part too."
Going on the theory that Snow changed the Quarter Quell to get back at Katniss and/or to stomp out any rebellion, I can picture him thinking “oh… crap…” as the whole thing blows up in his face during the interviews and the anthem. This is what you get when you put seasoned veterans into the interview chairs instead of terrified kids with 8 hours of training. People who have been mentors, have interacted with sponsors. People who know how to win the crowd. And now there’s a possibility of an uprising starting in the Capitol itself.
It’s obvious they delayed Katniss’ launch so she can witness them beating Cinna senseless, but then what? Are they going to execute him? Make him into an Avox? How do they make that distinction? Why did Seneca Crane get executed for bumbling the Games and the redhaired girl get turned into an Avox for running away from the Capitol? And back to the question asked earlier, where do they find people loyal enough to be Peacekeepers willing to beat up a well-liked Capitol celebrity? OH. I just remembered what this reminds me of! Deitrich getting black-bagged in V For Vendetta! Why is it that oppressive governments in fiction always have thousands of goons/Fingermen/Stormtroopers who are loyal to the oppressors and sadistic in their enjoyment of their job?
How the hell did Katniss get pushed up from underground into an ocean without a) getting soaked and b) seeing that she was coming up through water? And does this mean there are no land mines so she can leave her plate right away?
(continued)
The question that has me debating whether to just go on and read chapter 19 right now, “is she even in the arena?” Did they dump her alone somewhere in the ocean? Are the other 23 tributes also in the water in a circle surrounding the Cornucopia? Or perhaps there’s no Cornucopia this year and the tributes are being launched from random places all over the map? Argh. I think I can sleep on this.
“Maybe I’d think that, too, Caesar,” says Peeta bitterly, “if it weren’t for the baby.”
0_o"
This should suffice as my reaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLWwWsM22eY
Goodness Mark. I was trying to stay super serious about what was happening but those gifs had me in stitches. All
right on to my comment.
WHAT YOU TALKING 'BOUT PEETA?! I'm so glad I wasn't in Katniss' place because as soon as he said that, I bursted out in hysterical laughter. WHAT IS GOING ON???? Also, I was absolutely wrong about what would happen to Cinna. Snow brought it, and he brought it hard.
I did wonder if they would ever do a water arena and so they have. What's your plan Plutarch? Okay so I'm really hoping that the tributes won't even try to kill each other (I'm looking at you Brutus and Enobaria). I expect they'll be killed off by the Gamemakers but at least not by each other. Oh god you don't think they'll make shark muttations from the dead tributes bodies will they?