In the twenty-third chapter of Catching Fire, all of our precious hopes and desires and tiny pockets of joy are crushed into a trillion pieces. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Catching Fire.
It’s a goddamn clock. It explains how the traps are triggered, why they seem to stop based on location, and why it’s all regulated by those mysterious bells. It explains the shape of the arena and the spokes. So, now that they’ve figured this out, doesn’t it make their survival a whole lot easier? If they can just determine which sections have what trap in them during a specific time, they can simply avoid them all.
Ready for more brain explosions?
A memory struggles to surface in my brain. I see a clock. No, it’s a watch, resting in Plutarch Heavensbee’s palm. “It starts at midnight,†Plutarch said. And then my mockingjay lit up briefly and vanished. In retrospect, it’s like he was giving me a clue about the arena. But why would he? At the time, I was no more a tribute in these Games than he was. Maybe he thought it would help me as a mentor. Or maybe this had been the plan all along.
Here’s my guess: President Snow planned ahead of time to make the Quarter Quell have previous victors in it. He told Plutarch. Plutarch sympathizes with Katniss and is perhaps even rooting for her as some sort subtle rebellion or something, so he gave her a heads up. (Yes, I’m still sticking to the idea that Snow made this arena happen on purpose.)
Things get more tense and awkward as Katniss convinces everyone that they need to move before the next trap catches them, but a small argument with Johanna makes things worse. Beetee keeps saying, “Wire,†and Johanna realizes he wants a roll of wire he’s been carrying around. She’s not the brightest person, though, because she doesn’t know why he wants it.
“He won his Games with wire. Setting up that electrical trap,†says Peeta. “It’s the best weapon he could have.â€
There’s something odd about Johanna not putting this together. Something that doesn’t quite ring true. Suspicious. “Seems like you’d have figured that out,†I say. “Since you named him Volts and all.â€
Ouch. Johanna doesn’t take to this kindly at all.
“Yeah, that was really stupid of me, wasn’t it?†she says. “I guess I must have been distracted by keeping your little friends alive. While you were…what, again? Getting Mags killed off?â€
FUCKING BURNED.
My fingers tighten on the knife handle at my belt.
“Go ahead. Try it I don’t care if you are knocked up, I’ll rip your throat out,†says Johanna.
HAHAHAHAAH I’M SORRY, I HAVE TO LAUGH. I strangely don’t hate Johanna for some reason and maybe because it’s nice to have another fierce female on the pages. I mean, this gal clearly doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her, and not even in the context of the Games. It’s not that she’s threatening this because she’s necessarily trying to win. I feel like she’d say it whenever she wanted to anywhere she was.
The new group of tributes (six strong!) decide to heard to the Cornucopia at the center of the arena to confirm that Wiress’s theory about the cock (did i seriously type this out) is correct
Besides, I wouldn’t mind the chance of going over the weapons again. And there are six of us now. Even if you count Beetee and Wiress out, we’ve got four good fighters. It’s so different from where I was last year at this point, doing everything on my own. Yes, it’s great to have allies as long as you can ignore the thought that you’ll have to kill them.
Ok, let’s ignore that for a moment. I said a few reviews ago that Collins had to realize that she had to make this second visit to the Games drastically different from her first go around and I feel comfortable saying that she’s overwhelmingly succeeded at it. The Games have an entirely new context to them and the urgency of Katniss winning is far more important too. She’s also given so much more information about this alternative world that I am left wanting more. (I STILL HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN ABOUT DISTRICT 13, FOR THE RECORD.)
At the Cornucopia, they talk a moment to appreciate how calm things are, though of course I’m thinking OH MY GOD WILL THE CORNUCOPIA EXPLODE or WHERE ARE THE CAREERS. I like that we have these moments, but they are soooo much shorter than in the first book.
Suddenly Wiress stands up very straight and points to the jungle. “Two,†she says.
I follow her finger to where the wall of fog has just begun to seep out onto the beach. “Yes, look, Wiress is right. It’s two o’clock and the fog has started.â€
“Like clockwork,†says Peeta. “You were very smart to figure that out, Wiress.â€
Wiress smiles and goes back to singing and dunking her coil. “Oh, she’s more than smart,†says Beetee. “She’s intuitive.†We all turn to look at Beetee, who seems to be coming back to life. “She can sense things before anyone else. Like a canary in one of your coal mines.â€
Hmmm. Is this something Haymitch knew? Is this why he made sure that Johanna brought Wiress and Beetee to Katniss?
Despite her annoyance at Wiress, Johanna’s as happy as I’ve seen her in the arena. While I’m adding to my stock of arrows, she pokes around until she comes up with a pair of lethal-looking axes. It seems an odd choice until I see her throw one with such force it sticks in the sunsoftened gold of the Cornucopia. Of course. Johanna Mason. District 7. Lumber. I bet she’s been tossing around axes since she could toddle.
Ok, so District 7 is…Pacific Northwest, maybe? That’s my guess. Also, I’m glad that at least temporarily, Johanna is on their side. She sounds vicious.
While I’ve been messing with weapons, Peeta’s been squatting on the ground, drawing something with the tip of his knife on a large, smooth leaf he brought from the jungle. I look over his should and see he’s creating a map of the arena.
Oh, Peeta. Never change. Dude, seriously, that is such a good idea. He uses the Cornucopia as the master guide and manages to plot out five of the twelve zones based on what they know and what time they occur.
We all nod in agreement, and that’s when I notice it. The silence. Our canary has stopped singing.
I don’t wait. I load an arrow as I twist and get a glimpse of a dripping-wet Gloss letting Wiress slide to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile. The point of my arrow disappears into his right temple, and in the instant it takes to reload, Johanna has buried an ax blade in Cashmere’s chest.
WHAT THE HOLY FUCK IS GOING ON OH MY GOD. Oh my god, Wiress!!!!!! NO NO NO NO NO WE JUST LEARNED SHE IS LIKE…MAGICAL AND SHIT.
Holy shit, I can’t believe this is happening. I am so upset at Wiress.
Finnick knocks away a spear Brutus throws at Peeta and takes Enobaria’s knife in his thigh. If there wasn’t a Cornucopia to duck behind, they’d be dead, both of the tributes from District 2. I spring forward in pursuit. Boom! Boom! Boom! The cannon confirms there’s no way to help Wiress, no need to finish off Gloss and Cashmere. My allies and I are rounding the horn, starting to give chase to Brutus and Enobaria, who are sprinting down a sand strip toward the jungle.
GOD DAMN IT. You cowards!!! You sneak into to kill Wiress and don’t stick around to actually fight!
Suddenly the groud jerks beneath my feet and I’m flung on my side in the sand. The circle of land that holds the Cornucopia starts spinning fast, really fast, and I can see the jungle going by in a blur. I feel the centrifugal force pulling me toward the water and dig my hands and feet into the sand, trying to get some purchase on the unstable ground. Between the flying sand and the dizziness, I have to squeeze my eyes shut. There is literally nothing I can do but hold on until, with no deceleration, we slam to a stop.
What. What. What. What. Why is the Cornucopia spinning?????
The bodies of the dead tributes have been flung out into the water along with Beetee; while Finnick heads out to bring Beetee back to land, Katniss realizes that Wiress is still clutching to the roll of wire that Beetee was so obsessed with. So, as uncomfortable as it is, she swims out to her body, retrieves the wire, and swims back to the land mass at the center of the arena.
I place the reel of wire on his lap. It’s sparkling clean, no blood left at all. He unravels a piece of the wire and runs it through his fingers. For the first time I see it, and it’s unlike any wire I know. A pale golden color and as fine as a piece of hair. I wonder how long it is. There must be miles of the stuff to fill the large spool.
Ok, so what could he use this for? A trap? I don’t know shit about wiring, so Collins, you are winning. I can’t make an educated guess at all.
I look at the others’ sober faces. Now Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee have all lost their district partners. I cross to Peeta and wrap my arms around him, and for a while we all stay silent.
Well, I don’t feel good about any of this anymore. I can’t believe Wiress is gone. I don’t know what Johanna and Finnick are up to. I don’t understand how Collins is going to resolve all of this in fifty pages. And I’m filled with dread: the Games are only going to worse at this point. I’m basing that on the realization that when the Gamemakers spun the arena, they took away the advantage of knowing how the place worked. Now, they have to start all over and determine which area is which, which can also leave them exposed to the other remaining tributes. Staying at the Cornucopia is a bad idea because…well, they’re out in the open. They’ve already lost Wiress and can’t risk another attack, so they risk going into the jungle to find water.
As I stand there, weapons ready, I can’t lose the uneasy feeling that something is going on and that it has to do with Peeta. I retrace our steps, starting from the moment the gong rang out, searching for the source of my discomfort. Finnick towing Peeta in off his metal plate. Finnick reviving Peeta after the force field stopped his heart. Mags running into the fog so that Finnick could carry Peeta. The morphling hurling herself in front of him to block the monkey’s attack. The fight with the Careers was so quick, but didn’t Finnick block Brutus’s spear from hitting Peeta even though it meant taking Enobaria’s knife in his leg? And even now Johanna has him drawing a map on a leaf rather than risking the jungle…
There is no question about it. For reasons completely unfathomable to me, some of the other victors are trying to keep him alive, even if it means sacrificing themselves.
It’s Haymitch. It has to be him. Maybe he listened Katniss’s request and took it to its logical extreme. That has to be why he told her to ally with Finnick. Maybe he made an arrangement beforehand with other districts to keep Peeta alive!
But…why? That’s what I can’t figure out. Katniss has an idea, though:
He can use words. He obliterated the rest of the field at both interviews. And maybe it’s because of that underlying goodness that he can move a crowd—no, a country—to his side with the turn of a simple sentence.
I remember thinking that was the gift the leader of our revolution should have. Has Haymitch convinced the others of this? That Peeta’s tongue would have far greater power against the Capitol than any physical strength the rest of us could claim? I don’t know. It still seems like a really long leap for some of the tributes.
It does, but it’s kind of a fascinating idea. What if Collins has mislead us this entire time and Peeta is the actual leader of the uprising? I can’t deny that it’s an interesting concept and, to me, it seems to be the only thing that ties this all together.
That’s when I hear the scream. So full of fear and pain it ices my blood. And so familiar. I drop the spile, forget where I am or what lies ahead, only know I must reach her, protect her. I run wildly in the direction of the voice, heedless of danger, ripping through vines and branches, through anything that keeps me from reaching her.
From reaching my little sister.
I can’t. I just can’t.
PRIM!! WTF did you do this time, Snow??
"Wiress’s theory about the cock is correct"
BAHAHAHAHA Mark your typos are always perfect 😀
HAHAHAHAHA amazing typo is amazing.
Damn, beat me to the punch.
haha. my thoughts exactly!
I thought: "… awkward typo is awkward"
I wonder if she's Team Peeta or Team Finnick.
I spent longer giggling over that than I'd care to admit.
OH WORD, WHY DO YOU NOT CATCH THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE.
I'm leaving it. That typo is too good.
Was something on your mind?
I saw that and immediately starting cracking up. My boyfriend was so confused.
HAHA awesome typo is awesome.
I had a horrible yet great mental image when I read that.
Still, awesome typo wins. I lol'd.
Is it sad that I am now trying to figure out what Wiress's theory about a cock would be??
Dick, talk. Dick, talk.
LMAO!!!
That it can't lay eggs. =Y
I love these books, so thank you Mark for reading them and introducing them to me in the first place and then giving me a chance to 'reread' them again through you.
Aw, thank you for reading!
i was so afraid when johanna brought wiress and beetee into the mix, because collins made me like wiress and NOW SHE'S DEAD. if I just refuse to like all new characters, collins will stop killing them…right???
also,
GOD DAMN IT. You cowards!!! You sneak into to kill Wiress and don’t stick around to actually fight!
haha this just reminded me of Harry shouting at Snape in HBP. Poor Wiress (and Dumbledore? But he's on Mars with Rumbleroar and his slumbering cubs, so I guess I'm not too sad).
Edit: just wanted to add my thoughts on this… I load an arrow as I twist and get a glimpse of a dripping-wet Gloss letting Wiress slide to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile. has there been a creepier way of using the word "smile" EVER??? well done, collins.
GOD that description makes me grimace every time I read it. It's so horrifyingly matter-of-fact.
Ever heard of a Glasgow Smile?
Gah, the Careers (with the exception of Finnick!). I was all ~proud~ that they looked like they wouldn't play these Games the normal way, with the interviews and the line of Victors holding hands. GOOD FEELINGS GONE.
Yeah, hi, the clock still sucks. They don't know where they are/exactly which time it is, they still have no idea about what's in at least half of the jungle, plus they won't even have to worry about avoiding the traps, the rate they're going. We just killed 3 people off in a matter of minutes. How many days has it been? Only two or three, I'd say. (Edit: monkeybutter, your comment isn't showing up, but you're right that it's been just over a day. In that case, the death count is completely ridiculous!) You just know President Snow is sitting in his house somewhere in the Captiol all "we have to kill x number of people per day. I want Katpee dead, and I want them dead now! MAKE IT HAPPEN!"
Sigh. It feels like I've been saying the same type of thing a lot lately, but Wiress! I can't believe they (well, with the exception of Johanna, who is still badass, but) just figured out how awesome you are, and now you're gone. I just can't even.
Ahhh, PRIM! <img src="file:///Users/Erin/Desktop/orig-12514291.gif">
The lightning started at midnight on the first day, and they've had one noontime lightning strike. They've been in there for a little over a day, so, yeah, I'd say you're onto something about Snow!
Mark, I just want to say that your choice of GIFs lately has been exemplary.
Why thank you! I sort of stopped depending on them because I used them so much during MRHP, but you know….they are so fun to use. Sometimes, they provide a reaction words cannot describe.
have to agree with you there, they really are very good!
I feel like we learned a lot in this chapter, but then it was taken away by an angry Snow.
RIGHT? He is evil 🙁
Haha, you thought the last chapter was upbeat and a relief from all of the terribleness, and this is how you were repaid. I'm glad there's only fifty pages left, because that means less time for Collins to pull out even more horrors. Prim's tortured screams? It's like, uhnnnnn, Capitol, seriously? Stop. We know you're terrible. Just…enough.
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lez3rl7QhL1qavmff.gif">
I do like that they planned for the spinning Cornucopia because they knew the Tributes would figure out it's a clock, as it's soooo obvious to everyone except the readers. I'm pretty ashamed that I'm as dense as Katniss.
A+ for gif….
And comment.
Awesome Gif!
It's funny to say that there's only 50 pages left BUT ANOTHER BOOK! Oh gosh Collins my heart strings are going to snap.
Love the gif. SHe was so funny as Draco
Amazing gif is amazing. That is all.
OH. Oh. Wiress is dead. And Collins crushed my heart and soul forever. What's really sad about this is that, well she died of course, but also that if we really think about it, it was Wiress who figured it all out and one way or another she's the one that gave them the information that might help them survive the crazy shit the gamemakers might pull out. Because she helped them understand the game. And now she's gone. 🙁 🙁
Ok, so what could he use this for? A trap?
I think he can do what ever the hell he wants with that wire, I mean he sure is smart enough to do it, the question there would be: WHAT WOULD HE USE IT FOR???? Helping? Killing? Escaping? So many possibilities…
“Go ahead. Try it I don’t care if you are knocked up, I’ll rip your throat out,” says Johanna.
PLEASE NEVER CHANGE JOHANNA. And I still hold onto the idea they are awesome rebels that want to help KatPee and fuck the Capitol up. And I will keep saying it until it comes true. And even if it doesn't IT WILL BE TRUE IN MY HEAD OK?.
I actually see Peeta as the leader of an uprising, He's clever, charming and has a way with words, That's very powerful when used correctly, and he has people that trust him and want to help him. BUT I don't think that's what is going on here, and think it's something else and WE BETTER FIND OUT WHAT IT IS SOON.
ETA: OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT PRIM!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER YOU CRAZY BASTARDS?!?!?!?!?!?!?. wow Long reply was long lol.
Haha before i move onto more mature topics I have to state this.
"the arena to confirm that Wiress’s theory about the cock is correct."–I'm sorry what was that! Oh Mark I wish my typos were grand as yours.
It so sad how we lost Wiress this quick but she did do her part in the games and at least they know it's a clock.
It is interesting that the tribrutes are keeping Peeta alive. Katniss isn't great at speaking but Peeta can lead on a crowd with his words–perfect for leading an uprise. Haymitch is doing a great deal to keep Peeta alive but I feel if Katniss died then the Capitol or even the other districts might lose hope. I don't I feel Katniss is sorta the firgure for them and plus she's suppose to have a kid.
And look another horrible event about to unfold. Wonder what it is now, killer bees, zombies of people they know, how about clones or robots. what ever it is it must be deadly.
Team Johanna.
Srsly!!!!
Do you know how okay it would be for Katniss and Johanna to become lesbians and ride off into the sunset together, straight not giving a fuck, together?
Not even gonna lie…I thought this the ENTIRE time I was reading the book. Fic, anyone?
I want this to happen.
Oh, you're not the first one to ship it, believe me.
This is even more awesome in my head, where Johanna is Clea Duvall.
I see Johanna as more of a Eliza Dushku or a Summer Glau. Both tiny but both always playing tough ass-kicking ladies.
Oh, so true. Johanna is way foxier than Gale or Peeta.
Can I join this team too?
There is always room for more at Team Johanna.
I swear I must be the only one who HATES Johanna. I think she's a BTNTD. [bitch that needs to die]
Like, right now.
Its so bittersweet that almost immediately after Wiress is compared to a canary she dies.
Beetee compliments her intuition compares her to something that Katpee can understand and appreciate, Then she is taken away. Like a canary her death warning them of danger.
I hate the careers. I hope someone kicks them in the teeth. And by someone i mean Johanna.
Well, half of them are dead now, at least. Is an arrow in the head a good substitute for a kick in the teeth?
I will settle for the arrow in the head for now. But I still want someone to get kicked in the teeth. It should be Brutus I don't want Enobaria's fangs to hurt Johanna's toes.
About Johanna and Beetee's wire: I get the distinct feeling that Johanna is playing for the camera in this regard. Unlike the previous Games, Katniss isn't personally thinking about how she looks on camera at all. As a result, she doesn't realize that the reason Johanna 'can't figure out what the wire is for' is simply because it is for something they don't want any unfriendly watchers to know. I think they have a plan to get out of the arena, but if the Capitol knows what they're up to, they're bound to find a way to stop the plan.
I also don't believe Prim is in the arena. I think it is a trap, one of the Clock mechanisms, and it will lure her into danger.
<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TKlWxBp7lyI/AAAAAAAAAaI/M33TVWZ06mQ/its_a_trap.jpg">
Exactly! Thanks, Admiral Ackbar.
<img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/notemily/pic/000fb3xw">
YES!!! I was hoping someone would post IT'S A TARP
I will always bring the bad puns.
YOU COMPLETE ME.
lets see if this works
<img src="http://obamapacman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Its-a-Frap-Star-Wars-Admiral-Ackbar-Its-a-Trap-Spoof.jpg">
Win pic is win
yes, it reminds me a awful lot to harry potter and the orde of the phoenix 🙁
Yup trap was the first thing that came to my mind.
Holy crap I totally forgot there are cameras! I like your theory. That actually sounds very plausible. I'm guessing Beetee is going to design something that will short circuit the force field but hm, if that's the case, shouldn't they be protecting him much better? I can't see any of the other tributes being capable of taking up that work if he dies.
"I don’t understand how Collins is going to resolve all of this in fifty pages."
That's what I was thinking as I read this. Something amazing is going to have to happen. I don't think the games are going to end in the typical fashion.
They can't, right??? Unless the next evil thing is like….A WAVE OF FIRE or something.
Exactly, the fact that there are so few pages left is a worrisome thing indeed.
Or a WAVE OF MUTILATION.
Didn't they do that in the first games? Wave of water, shooting fire, we already have lightning and air (fog)
Shadow-darkness something? Maybe it makes them go blind!
Or Voldermort. Collins may just snatch up Voldermort and have him finish things up
I'm tired of writing at least one RIP after each chapter….
Wiress's death description really freaks me out. I can picture it better than pretty much any of the others we've seen so far (I'm mostly blocking out Cato). The red smile….shudder.
While I don't actually like them, the deaths of Gloss and Cashmere affect me quite a bit as well. There's something so tragic about a pair of siblings being put in the arena together and it's given NO CONSIDERATION AT ALL by the Capitol.
On lighter notes, I love Beetee's explanation about 4 o'clock. It makes my head hurt when I think about it too much. And I ADORE Joanna. I won't nominate her for president or anything because that only seems to lead to death and depression, but I love her. I love how she doesn't actually like Katniss, since it seems that nearly everybody we meet loves her in their own way, or at least respects and likes her. (You know, with the exceptions of the District 1 and 2 Careers and Snow.) And I don't totally buy it. Katniss herself says she sullen and antisocial. I don't think she's as bad off as she believes she is, but I still shouldn't be tripping over people who like her. And I understand that a cat fight is not the best way to handle things, especially considering that both women are proven killers, but Johanna is so fierce and I think she's awesome. The end.
Yeah, I love Johanna, too. Her personality is so refreshing. I'm just afraid she's going to die horribly, and I don't know if my heart can take that much fictional sadness.
Yeah, ok, so, I can't deal with this. It's just NO. I actually yelped when I read that last line. NO. JUST NO.
And also, drawing a map was the best idea Peeta ever had. Wasn't I demanding a map a few chapters back? Bravo Collins for reading my mind.
I love Johanna. Period.
Okay, anyone who's feeling like they can't handle the plot twists here should probably just leave now.
Because Collins is multiplying the suspense function by its complex whatthefuckicate.
That's right.
<img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/complex_conjugate.png">
That should not have made me laugh so hard. Okay, I guess I'm a nerd.
Oh xkcd. Always true. Always relevant.
I was SO going to post this. I saw it on xkcd and came straight here. Yay math jokes!
I am so glad you posted this. I saw it before and my first thought was "MRHG".
I just read that on xkcd a couple minutes ago!
I don't even know enough about math to be scared by that. Like a little child, staring at a bull as it charges down the street to kill her, but who has never seen a bull before and thinks it just wants to say hi. THAT IS MATH AND ME.
WIRESS! PRIM! What the holy heck is going on? My heart is on the ground. 🙁
so, i hate the comment: "you are so not prepared" because it doesn't adequetely describe the absolute Shit Will Hit the Fan feeling you get when Shit Gets Real.
you are going to Shit Yourself. really.
and yes, "shit" is my fave word today.
Brilliant comment. And while Katniss's actions have been equally important as Peeta's words in fomenting rebellion, I would like it a lot better if she embraced a role in the intellectual aspect of the uprising. She's not just a figurehead, and I understand her reticence about leading a revolution and that her physicality versus Peeta's passivity is partially due to their flipped traditional gender roles, but I would love to see her be more confident about what she has to say. Peeta's more of a demagogue, but Katniss's words are incredibly moving as well. She should own it.
That gif is the PERFECT expression I had on my face this entire chapter.
>:l not amused, Collins, not amused.
Although I must say that this whole thing is just ingenious. I love it when an author is able to surprise me. It doesn't happen very often (not even in THG), so the rest of this book was a favorite section of reading for me. I enjoyed it, even if I was pissed the whole time hahaha
I love Johanna's character. She reminds me so much of myself (or at least, myself if I were completely inhibited). She's brash and bold and isn't afraid to say what she thinks, yet she does care. If I were Katniss, I'd team up with her in a second, and then ditch her the very next b/c I wouldn't trust her.
Well played, Collins.
That's TWO cool old ladies that have been killed off now. ;__;
Also, "theory of the cock"? Maybe KatPee have gotten it on or something?
<img src="http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-games-trilogy/links/8518683" >
Tragic District 3 is tragic.
<img src="http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-games-trilogy/links/8425268">
Fierce Katniss is fierce. Kill that career, you mocking jay, you.
<img src="http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-games-trilogy/images/8235625/title/peeta-mellark-fanart" >
Peeta Mellark, you sexy slice of bread you – are you the secret rebel leader? I would follow Peeta into the fire.
Here’s my guess: President Snow planned ahead of time to make the Quarter Quell have previous victors in it. He told Plutarch. Plutarch sympathizes with Katniss and is perhaps even rooting for her as some sort subtle rebellion or something, so he gave her a heads up. (Yes, I’m still sticking to the idea that Snow made this arena happen on purpose.)
I'm up with that idea too, but it also works if he didn't, since Katniss would have been a mentor, so knowing the arena would still have given her an advantage.
The new group of tributes (six strong!) decide to heard to the Cornucopia at the center of the arena to confirm that Wiress’s theory about the cock is correct
…The what? Is Wiress Team Peeta or Team Finnick?
WHAT THE HOLY FUCK IS GOING ON OH MY GOD. Oh my god, Wiress!!!!!! NO NO NO NO NO WE JUST LEARNED SHE IS LIKE…MAGICAL AND SHIT.
Sorry, man, we can't have nice things.
Well, I don’t feel good about any of this anymore.
You…you felt good before?
I’m basing that on the realization that when the Gamemakers spun the arena, they took away the advantage of knowing how the place worked.
I may have screamed out loud at the Gamemakers and called them profane things at this point.
I can’t. I just can’t.
Oh God, this chapter ending. Right there with you, man. Just when you think it can't get worse, Collins pulls this shit.
When I read this, I thought it was Katniss who chose Beetee, Wiress, and Mags (back at training) and Haymitch who picked Johanna and Finnick. My theory was that he got her to agree to the allies he wanted by getting them to bring her the allies she wanted.
That's a good theory. Haymitch is a crafty bastard.
“Go ahead. Try it I don’t care if you are knocked up, I’ll rip your throat out"
That sentence alone is amazing but combined with ax throwing? Why are you such a BAMF Johanna?
"NO NO NO NO WE JUST LEARNED SHE IS LIKE…MAGICAL AND SHIT."
Yup Wiress is actually a witch and is BFFs with Trelawny- another person people think is crazy but is actually right about things. Also "throat slit open in a bright red smile." So creepy. And it reminded me of the Joker.
PRIM????!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously! All of Trelawny's predictions actually come true, I think. Or at least most of them, but people ignore her because of the crazy.
God I love this series so, so much.
I stopped trusting sweet, restful periods in stories when I realized that a "cooling off" late in a story (movie, book, if it's well done the terminology can be interchangable) is a signal that the climax is about to start and the author wants a little extra room to work with. With Collins, you get the added bonus of her walking information by you and then PACKING stuff in to make sure you forget what she just did.
Also, and I don't know how relivant this is to anything, but if you think about it from a pacing/storytelling perspective, good pacing is all about generating and then maintaining emotional energy. Part of good action is timing it so that the action happens during and/or after an emotional high. If you can stack it right, you can fray out a reader's mind pretty quickly. Positive emotional reactions in the reader are actually stronger than negative ones (ie, anxiety) laughter being the strongest short of sheer, screaming terror. Positive sequences are also the fastest way to get someone attached to characters. And then switching from positive to negative creates even more energy, I think because it engages our fight-or-flight-we-are-so-fucked instincts. So any time an author goes out of his/her way to make you laugh, feel amused, or have any other kind of positive reaction to a scene, they're probably revving up for another action sequence, and if they're REALLY good, they're also deluding you into thinking that you're actually getting a break from the action.
Is it bad that after reading your last line, I burst out in an evil laugh? I really didn't expect Wiress to die this fast. I mean, the line about the canary stop singing seemed a bit of a warning- but a warning that a few paragraphs later comes true? I expected at least a full chapter with her in it. Sadness 🙁 Wiress….Mags…. Cinna….. STOP KILLING ALL THOSE I LOVE!!!!
PRIM?!
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcwxwgZJXB1qzr2th.gif">
Pauly D cannot believe it!
Even Pauly D thinks harming little girls is NOT COOL, capitol!
awesome gif is awesome
I love this comment.
I have no idea why, but when Wiress died, it really hit me hard. I really liked her. She was so sweet and nutty and brilliant that I got really upset when she was killed. But I do have to say, that moment when Katniss realises that their 'canary' has stopped singing…dear God Suzanne Collins you are good. I felt like my heart was being squeezed inside my chest reading that whole sequence.
Oh, and also? Johanna love FOREVER!!! She's fierce, she's angry, she throws axes like a superhot lumberjack. And is it wrong that I get a liiiittle satisfaction every time she knocks Katniss down a peg? Is it? Oh well. Leave me to my guilty pleasure. 😉
Since nominating people for president only gets them killed, I shall say, "Johanna for SUPREME ULTIMATE DICTATOR!"
Surely someone as badass as her needs a spiffier title, amirite?
Seriously, though, when Wiress was killed I thought, "Oh, come ON!! Where did they come from, are they like mole-crabs hiding in the sand?!"
WHY can't we have nice things!?
LOL. Collins is so so so evil with all of her cliff hangers. She just loves throwing them in there. I mean this is a chapter where a LOT has happened. And then at the end, Collins is all like "But wait! There's more!".
I do think that this chapter creates a feeling of hopelessness. I mean, at the end of the last chapter we were all like "yay! they've figured out the area!". If they figured that out, then that might be the first step towards surviving. But then Wiress is killed and the arena is all mixed up and everything thing seems like it is back at square one.
I don't know how you can read this chapter by chapter! I would be pulling my hair out.
hats off to you Mark.
That gif sums up not just the end of this chapter but EVERY SINGLE GODDAMN CLIFFHANGER THAT SUZANNE COLLINS EVER HAD IN THIS BOOK AND THE PREVIOUS. I hated them cliffhangers. Sometimes they worked, but other times…FFFF just let us have a stopping point dammit!
YAY freakin YAY I love this book!
Question: where did the Careers come from? Did they silently swim over and no one noticed?
I think they failed a spot check….
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html
LOL'N ALL OVER
you win!
ORDER OF THE STICK!
Yes.
Normally I leave something about your unpreparedness. But this chapter makes me feel so sad; that I can't tell you that you can no longer be prepared or what-not.
Wiress. :'(
"As I stand there, weapons ready, I can’t lose the uneasy feeling that something is going on and that it has to do with Peeta..
There is no question about it. For reasons completely unfathomable to me, some of the other victors are trying to keep him alive, even if it means sacrificing themselves."
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/30j0iys.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I'm not sure but I think Collins is trying to distract us.
I actually have a theory about the endgame of this book but I'm going to keep quiet just in case I'm right.
"As I stand there, weapons ready, I can’t lose the uneasy feeling that something is going on and that it has to do with Peeta..
There is no question about it. For reasons completely unfathomable to me, some of the other victors are trying to keep him alive, even if it means sacrificing themselves."
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/30j0iys.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I'm not sure but I think Collins is trying to distract us.
I actually have a theory about the endgame of this book but I'm going to keep quiet just in case I'm right.
Brilliant response! I hadn't considered that trope, but I'm hoping Collins will break it.
To me, it felt cheap that Katniss said that Johanna was "naturally" opposed to anything Katniss wants to do. Katniss has had all of two or three interactions with Johanna, and yet she already knows that it's in Johanna's nature to stand in opposition to Katniss's ideas?
Though I will say that my first thought after reading this chapter was that the person screaming was probably Johanna (and that Katniss's traumatic experiences have just made her believe that it sounds like Prim), which could lead to an interesting relationship between the two of them.
I don't think that Prim is actually in the arena. These tributes are familiar to the citizens; in the Capitol, at the very least, they've seemingly attained major celebrity status. I think that given how unpopular the decision to have the former Victors compete again was, there's no way the Gamemakers would be dumb enough to show the people of Panem (Panemians?) that they've been torturing the tributes' families as well.
I imagine having Prim tortured would also shake the core principle that sacrificing two children from each district is considered enough of a punishment for the rebellion. And the minds of disaffected people would be very quick to jump from "the Capitol thinks this isn't punishment enough" to "the Capitol thinks no punishment will ever be enough," which can really only lead to rebellion.
Katniss has a habit of making wide sweeping claims about people based on one or two sentences worth of interaction, so it didn't bother me very much. She just tends to base most of what she thinks about people on first impressions, which a lot of people probably do. I don't really believe that Johanna is actually "naturally" opposed to Katniss.
I also believe that Prim is not in the arena, but I think that they did use Prim's voice. I mean, if they can unleash muttations with the eyes of recently dead tributes, they're probably be able to replicate someone's voice.
Katniss is purely envious of Johanna's nudist badassery. 🙂
Katniss is a cranky, unpleasant person.
The new group of tributes (six strong!) decide to heard to the Cornucopia at the center of the arena to confirm that Wiress's theory about the cock is correct.
Uh, Mark…
Once again, I didn't like Johanna initially, but I like her more and more as this book goes on.
Also, since I like guessing about this. At this point we know about:
District 3 – Electronics – ??? California or the Southwest maybe? It has enough silica for parts
District 4 – Fishing – Gulf of Mexico (?) or Northeast (Maine)
District 7 – Lumber – Pacific Northwest
District 8 – Textiles – New England (?)
District 11 – Agriculture – Plains or the South (Alabama through Florida)
District 12 – Coal – Appalachia (Kentucky/Tennessee, possibly through Pennsylvania)
Also:
District 1 – Luxury Goods (In HG74 they have silver paint and jewels)
District 10 – Livestock (in HG75/QQ3 they are dressed as cows)
Ah, right.Well 'livestock' sounds like it's probably Texas. No idea where District 1 could be though. I always thought the Capitol was in the Rocky Mountains, like Colorado, so maybe District 1 is near there?
Maybe it's near the Rockies because mountains = precious metals?
Livestock could be ANYWHERE almost. Central California has tons of cows.
here's a question: What is OUTSIDE the districts? Surely all thirteen of them don't cover the entirety of North America?
Somewhere in the first book we're told that much of the world was flooded due to global warming. This is the best map I've been able to find, although I think the Districts are much smaller and have much more space between them. We know that they don't border each other directly.
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TTdCMLdA8AI/AAAAAAAABCQ/ztckKt543DY/s720/panem.jpg">
I think most of the bottom half of 12 in that map would actually be 11, as there they're pretty similarly sized and the book states it's much larger. Also probably the more inland parts of 4 and bits of 6
Districts 1 and 2 need to switch. That bugs me. Or am I remembering it wrong?
I wish Collins would make a map. And tell us what all of the District's industries are.
Yeah, 1 and 2 should both be right next to the Capitol. The numbering's a little off in this one.
There are a few probems with that map, but there are problems with every map. I have yet to find a map that I can agree totally with
Mark, I think we're told a lot of land is under water because of floods, and they mention a whole lot of other cataclysmic events I think. I think Katniss might say something along the lines of "disasters, natural and man-made…" BUT I read A LOT and I could be totally making this up/stealing it from some other story.
Oh also– YOU ARE NOT PREPARED. This book is almost done, which means it's time for Collins to viciously punch us all in the kidneys.
On the other hand, I am REALLY looking forward to seeing you read Mockingjay.
<img src="http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-games-trilogy/images/17567436/title/peeta-fanart">
Peeta for President of everything! Snow needs to DIAF – Katniss could probably arrange that.
<img src="http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m593/the_mauve_avenger/Catching%20Fire%20Tables/Chapter23Table.jpg">
Plus the one dead from the wave, who was definitely either Chaff or one of the two unknowns. So, nine tributes remaining, and we're less than a day and a half in.
On an unrelated note: Is there a weird transcription mistake in my e-book, or does Katniss actually refer to herself in the third person in this chapter when talking about whether or not the outer portion of the arena has been shifted?
This chart RULES!!!! Thank you!
I'll have to look at my copy. Where did you buy your ebook from?
Yes there is! I didn't notice it the first time I read the chapter.
"No, Katniss's point was a lot more basic than that."
Yeah, I read it as her riffing off of what Beetee had just said about her.
No, it's like that in mine, too. I remember it because I speak in the 3rd person if someone refers to me like I'm not standing right there. I think Katniss was just being snarky.
It seemed weird to me because I didn't see any reason for Katniss to be snarky about Beetee's answer, but I guess that probably is what Collins was going for.
Nah, I don't think she was being pissy or anything, just a little wry about Beetee explaining her statement while she was standing there (but going far beyond what she meant).
This chart is so awesome!!!
Yeah, it's quiet time again. Or you can post gifs to show how you're anxiously awaiting the end of this freakin' book.
<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_len35ziV9N1qfxzbzo1_400.gif">
So close…
Damn, this is a fantastic point. I think so far, Collins has been able to explain this by Katniss's character: she's sort of social awkward when it comes to conversation, so it makes sense that public speaking wouldn't be her best skill.
But we'll say. Thanks for pointing this out!
It's a Moses and Aaron situation.
Oh my goodness; I feel all famous! 😀
I just got out of a semester where I had to read Titus Andronicus, The Rape of Lucrece, and The Rape of Virginia, so I'm kind of hyper-aware of this trope now.
Very OT: I'm so sorry for posting this here but I'm just so excited at any TDKR news.
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises." She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."
In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies."
Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company."
"We all nod in agreement, and that’s when I notice it. The silence. Our canary has stopped singing." Scariest sentence in life ever. ever. I was fucking terrified when I read that.
Also Rue?! How can they put her in the arena?! Is it just rue? Maybe they have other peoples loved ones and are using them to lure them somewhere?
Also I'm glad Katniss is agreeing with my theory now, cause I can talk about it 🙂 But wouldn't that mean we are wrong? I mean, Collins wont let Katniss be right will she…
Yes he's shirtless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQEb_BUO2ic
Oh, Johanna. Please be my best friend on the Astral plane? Seriously, she would be the awesomest to always have around. Not only is she a BAMF Lumberjack but she would also never hesitate tell me precisely how full of shit I am when I do something outrageously stupid.
Just for her:
[youtube mL7n5mEmXJo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL7n5mEmXJo youtube]
OMG I LITERALLY JUST WATCHED THIS THE OTHER DAY. Love it forever.
I love how everyone is mixing up Prim and Rue. RUUUUUUUEEEEE.
All the heartbreak 🙁
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2jazw46.gif"/>
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2r4skea.gif"/>
And, knowing Collins, it'll only get realer from here.
I feel so bad about such bamf characters getting killed off. But I have to say, Finnick and Johanna will always be my favorite.
If they die (which they probably will.. it's the games right?), I swear I'll be like
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/abjlm9.jpg"/>
flawless gifs
(long time reader, first time commenter)
That gif is so absolutely fucking perfect.
It makes me unable to imagine life without gifs.
Thank you sir.
Aw, thank YOU!
"Oh Johanna, will you marry me?? And bring Finnick too, it will be wonderful."
That would be the most epic thing ever.
Time to plan the wedding! All I can picture right now is King Triton from The Little Mermaid when Ariel and Eric get married. Then maybe the badass trees from LOTR can come for Johanna. Peeta can bake the wedding cake, and Katniss can sit at the door and shoot people that we don't want there.
What. What. What? What's Prim doing there? I don't understand any of this!
Holy crap. Prim's in the games.
SHIT JUST GOT MOAR REAL!!!!
or maybe it's another pie-slice trap? who knows.
but anyway, SHIT JUST GOT MOAR REAL!!!!!
I just realized that maybe Collins should have just ended every chapter for these books with: SHIT JUST GOT REAL.
Oh and started all three books with a prologue that contained three simple words: YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.
That's four words.
OH WHAT A CLEVER INSULT I JUST MADE.
Hahahaha that's alright =P I've always had trouble counting anyways.
Good job on your being able to count and point it out. I like doing that to people too, so I'm taking your "clever insult" lightly.
GOOD DAY.
Really, does Finnick ever not walk around half-naked?
…well, okay, sometimes he just walks around naked.
I've been wondering if different districts have different accents. Like, four fishes and is probably on the east coast near Maine somewhere. Do they have the NorthEastern accent we hear today?
Katniss said she couldn't understand Mags that well because of her District accent and some other reason. So yeah Districts probably have different accents. Katniss always says the Capitol accent is crazy and weird but I always think of it as British even though there's no basis for that.
I don't think of the Capitol accent as an upper-class English one, exactly, but that's the closest I can get to describing how it sounds in my head. I think this is because Katniss says they don't move their mouths much when they speak, which puts me in mind of that very fast, machine-gun style of talking through clenched teeth that Keira Knightley does in movies like Atonement.
Yeah, I know, that's a really weak reason for imagining it that way, but there you have it.
When Katniss first met Octavia, Flavius, and Venia, she said that they have Capitol accents and described it as high-pitched and lispy and said that their sentences have a rising intonation as if every statement is actually a question.
I'm imagining them all as Valley Girls.
They do. I tend to think of 4 with a SLIGHT Irish accent, because the names are Irish-based
When Suzanne Collins reads the book, it sounds like Katniss has a Southern accent-ish thing. (I'm not that good with accents, so I dunno), so I would assume she imagined the different districts with different accents. It seems to me that the districts are almost like completely separated countries. I imagine it to be somewhat like Germany-the parts were separated for so long that each region has a dialect. Also, it seems obvious that the people from the districts look entirely different, so it is not that far to assume that they have different accents.
Yeah, they have different accents. I don't think District 4 is Down East, because I'm pretty sure the career tributes come from the wealthy districts near the Capitol, which is in the Rockies, but they could totally have an accent for wherever they're from. If the Capitol keeps the districts isolated, then it would make sense for them to develop distinct accents. I imagine the Capitol with a Mid-Atlantic accent (the Grant, Hepburn, FDR kind, not Jersey or Bawlmerese), and District 11 as Southern. And Collins reads Katniss with an Appalachian accent that makes fans absolutely flip their shit. It's some sort of horrendous crime that they're reminded she's from a poor mountain area, and they were forced to sympathize with a hillbilly. It cracks me up.
I just found that video. And I sound exactly like Katniss when I'm pissed. YES.
Pissed angry or pissed drunk? Either way, lol. You should audition!
Pissed angry. Aaaaand now because of this I can't stop talking like it p. Normally I'm pretty accent-neutral, but the NC/Kentucky Southern comes through when I'm irate. Although I still think 12 is more WV-ish.
Sadly, I am too pale, size 16, and redheaded to play Katniss. I'm bitchy enough, though.
Haha, they'll always need District 12 extras!
I'LL PLAY MADGE.
dude, Johanna just doesn't give a fuck about ANYONE
<img src="http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w348/Richtoon18/123_woodyhaters.gif" border="0" alt="HATERS GONNA HATE Pictures, Images and Photos"/>
and what's up with that wire? i feel like it might shock a ton of people and kill them in the water…possibly??
<img src="http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i368/camzemong/GIFs/tumblr_laktoz47h21qcwsd8o1_400.gif" border="0" alt="Toy Story Pictures, Images and Photos"/>
AND WTF WIRESS?!!!!!1111!!!!!????
<img src="http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i368/camzemong/GIFs/tumblr_l5mgkr2ad71qcvwmfo1_250.gif" border="0" alt="Toy Story Pictures, Images and Photos"/>
AND WHY MUST YOU STOP AT THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING SCARY AND/OR EPIC COLLINS???? DO YOU LIKE TO FEEL SUPERIOR TO US??
<img src="http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af146/savvylikeyeahhh/GIFs/tumblr_l9ad7eR6Uc1qc65ub.gif" border="0" alt="woody crazy Pictures, Images and Photos"/>
Wiress’s theory about the cock (did i seriously type this out) is correct
This typo is straight from the waterfall of win.
Post-Dated Thoughts:
"WHY THE FUCK AM I READING THIS BOOK TOO PAINFUL GOODBYE."
(also, I want the Michael Scott gif)
I just wanna say this
[ img ]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lereq6i0aV1qa4ihzo1_500.gif[/ img ]
I liked the part where Katness was thinking about what the other districts taught their childen. The skill set that even young kids had. Not to condone child labor ,but the District 12 children are way too sheltered. Go to school, clean their rooms and then work in the mines or in service positions (clerk) at age 18. No effort to make them independent or give then life saving knowledge.
Love Katness's father even more. My father was much older than my mother and so ahead of his time. I had to learn everything my brothers did. Shop machines, simple auto repair, and I WOULD (and did) complete college and never be totally dependant on anyone else. I great gift. Katpee, Haymitch and all of them owe Katness's father big time
Maybe that is why I had a slight (very slight) idea about how to use the wire.
The other districts were taught things because of their individual industries. District 12 learned how to haul coal/ blow up mines etc. I'm sure those skills are useful, sometimes.
Yes, but they can't start work until they're 18, when they can no longer be reaped for the Games. In the other districts they teach the children a lot more. If they don't allow you to go down the mines there's not much you can learn about wielding a pickaxe or blowing up mines, right? But you can learn how to fish and swim in 4 and climb trees and learn about plants in 11. That's why Katniss thinks it's a bit unfair. And like lilygirl says, if it hadn't been for Kat's father she would have died pretty quickly.
I almost wonder if that's a legality thing. Like, okay, rules are different in Panem, but mining is still an extremely hazardous gig (I grew up in old coal-mining country, not so many active mines around anymore, but lots of education about it). Aside from learning the basics of coal, the only way kids could actively participate would be to get sent down there as dynamite setters or whatever. Hopefully, either Panem is letting 12 have advanced enough tech that they don't need to use kid labor OR someone somewhere (either the citizens of 12 or some nice Capitol person) made it a rule that you can't go in the mines until you're 18.
Despite the fact that they have no D12-industry related skills to use in the Games, I think it would be crueler to start them in the coal mines at 12. Coal mining is significantly more dangerous and health-damaging than most of the other Districts' industries. They might get more kids dying from the coal mining each year than the Games.
I don't think the District 12 kids are sheltered, and I'm pretty sure Katniss and Gale aren't the only ones who had to learn a trade or starve. But you're right. I doubt any of the Districts have educational programs beyond what is necessary to do their jobs. Giving your kids a little more than what's necessary is a gift, and a tiny bit of freedom.
Anyway, the reason for keeping them out of the mines until they're 18 is probably very pragmatic: you don't want your laborers dying of black lung or in a mine collapse before they've had a chance to spawn a few more future miners.
Hey It’s fusion again. Sorry Mark for not posting but my computer died and I’m out of trivia. I’ll start again during the next Doctor Who episode promise.
Great to see you’re loving this series. This is one of my favorites. Also great to see you’re reading some of my favorite series later. I’m amazed that we share the same tastes.
Hope to have trivia tommorow!
Ah, you've reached the shut down point. It took you longer than me. I shut down right after Mags death. Sadly, you cannot remain in the safety of the shutdown for long and Collins will suck you back in.
<img src="http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp356/Sabelyn/Deathtoll-1-1-1.png">
Again, this only covers "known dead"
That's why wearing a diaper is required for reading the rest of the Hunger Games.
This!
All respectable wizards do.
No nice things for you! No nice things for any of us, ever!
Also: Panem is named for Bread. I know Katniss is the protagonist, but would it be so weird for the revolution to be led by The Boy With The Bread?
That's an opinion. So is mine.
I agree with your thoughts on pacing; the balance of tragic and happy emotions is vital in telling a story. Collins' writing, however, seems to be a bit skewed towards the 'tragic' end. There ARE light-hearted and tender moments, but almost every one of these is downplayed by Katniss' character. I find it difficult to be lured into a false state of ease when every joke is followed up by "Of course, we're ALL GONNA DIE."
–
– Does the government target district 12 since the kids don’t go into the mines till 18 when they can no longer be in the games? If so why?
– What are your thoughts on Katniss as a killer? What about how she feels about not killing some she has joined with?
– What about thoughts on the others working on the same goal as Katniss? Did you buy her reasoning?
– I think that coal mining is dangerous to your life and your health, and I think it is a kindness not to force the kids to work in the coal mines until they're 18. It might be useful for a few of the adults to run self-defense classes for the kids, though, to help them if they get reaped.
– I was surprised at first how little guilt Katniss feels for any of the people she kills. I think that she pre-forgave herself for any murders when she stepped into the arena (she knew she'd have to kill people to save Peeta), but she can't handle betraying people. I think that she is just having a really hard time accepting the idea of betraying people that trust her.
– Yeah, I do think they're working together, but I don't like Katniss' idea. I still think they're going to bust out of the arena and go blow up the Capitol. Screw this 'Everyone dies but Peeta' plan. They all need to live.
We all nod in agreement, and that’s when I notice it. The silence. Our canary has stopped singing.
I don’t wait. I load an arrow as I twist and get a glimpse of a dripping-wet Gloss letting Wiress slide to the ground, her throat slit open in a bright red smile. The point of my arrow disappears into his right temple, and in the instant it takes to reload, Johanna has buried an ax blade in Cashmere’s chest.
This is possibly my favorite passage from the entire book. I love the line about the canary, and the bright red smile imagery is horribly vivid.
Creepiest sentence ever: her throat slit open in a bright red smile
OMIGOD SCARY IMAGERY!
Oh please yes! "Do you…" *thud* Haymitch would be the party 🙂
I want Rue to come back to life and be the flower girl.
Then we can all play a game of Pin the Mockingjay pin on the President, using acid-dipped pins.
Oh, and Cinna should jump out of the middle of the cake. In this fantasy he is alive.
Yeah…when I got to the bit of Prim's screams, I was just like NO STOP ENOUGH I DON'T LIKE THIS RIDE ANYMORE I WANT TO GET OFF NOW.
And then I…proceeded to read the rest of the book XD
The spinning just made me die inside because there goes their advantage! I mean, they can always figure things out again, but dammit, that's just frustrating as hell :/
Oh Wiress 🙁 You were so brilliant and awesome and helpful to everyone. RIP
Oh god just…cannot say more words….must stop typing things…
Suzanne Collins' writing is definitely improving. I mean, "her throat slit open in a bright red smile"? That is good writing, guys.
Someone else mentioned this earlier, but she seems to be significantly better at writing action. I tend to agree with that, and I think the story is very compelling right now.
50 more pages of pure epicness Mark, you are SO TOTALLY COMPLETELY NOT PREPARED AT ALL AND YOU NEVER WILL BE EVER! Why Collins, why?:(
I totally empathize with the characters' frustration about the spinning Cornucopia taking away their advantage, but it's another of those images that's just entirely too silly for me to really feel it. It spins, and everyone flies off and now it's pointed in a different direction. It's like a cross between a merry-go-round and a See 'N Say.
I don't think that they need to use child labour, if they had need for that they would make them go down anyway. They don't exactly care about a few children dying, do they? Children work in the factories in 8 and I bet the conditions weren't the best. I tend to imagine factories with the conditions of the Industrial Revolution period, with a bit more advanced technology, but working 12 hours or more, etc.
"…Like a canary in one of your coal mines.”"
First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect~
Your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect~
You live your life like a canary in a coal mine~
You get so dizzy even walking in a straight line~
OMG Tangled! <3
<3 indeed. 😀
Now you use a .gif from The Office??
Oh, Mark. You're awesome.
I'm sorry that this will be breaking the rules but I had to say something.. I just re-read Chapter 24 to refresh my memory and OMG, I can't wait until I read your review tomorrow. Cannot freaking wait.
Somehow I just noticed your avatar. I like your avatar alot
This clock crap reminds me of Jumanji for some reason. I mean come on, monkeys,mist!
The part where she was like, her throat was cut open in a "bright red smile" is just awesomely fucking creepy. Amazing imagery there.
Some of my initial thoughts upon completing chapter 23:
Tactical mistake on Gloss’ part to kill Wiress first. If you have he element of surprise, you gotta go for the biggest threat, and that’s Katniss with the bow or Finnick. I kinda love how his death mirrored Marvel’s from THG almost perfectly, though. Like student, like mentor, I guess
The more Johanna annoys Katniss, the more I hope she somehow gets out of this alive. Johanna is exactly what Katniss needs in an older sister.
(continued)
Well, finally Katniss notices. She’s about two chapters behind me. 😛 But is Peeta really THAT good with words that he can be the leader of the rebellion? (Peeta is John Connor?!?) How can his words be useful? Not in the districts, where they already have the motivation to rebel. Even if he can convince scared people that they have the ability to overthrow the Capitol, it would be worthless because it’s not true. As long as the Capitol has superior technology and loyal servants to use that technology (Peacekeepers), the Districts will never win a military campaign against the Capitol. Now, perhaps if he can convince the Capitol residents to see reality, maybe there’s hope there. But if part of Peeta’s ability to win support is based on being able to spin lies, doesn’t that make him a risky person on which to pin all hope of Panem’s future?
(continued)
I swear that at the moment I write this I have not read ahead into chapter 24. My theory is TRAP!!! Apparently Katniss hasn’t learned anything from using all those VHSes. Maybe, just maybe, the Capitol has some newfangled technology capable of replicating the human voice? An mp3 player? A cassette tape? A phonograph? I can understand the need to help Prim, just in case it’s not a recording, but it’s still a trap. She needs to settle down and approach more cautiously.
Since my theory is that it’s a trap and she’s in one of the seven unknown zones, it seems kinda coincidental that they just happened to pick the active one to walk into. Of course, in their discussion of redesigning the arena they didn’t acknowledge that the Gamemakers probably *could* activate whichever section whenever they want to, even if they were unlikely to be able to move the wedges around magically
Peeta's map (no spoilers) is here: [url ]http://www.flickr.com/photos/14071282@N04/4902211065/[url] . I don't think flickr lets me link embed it directly even if I could figure out the tags.
Blah… tags not necessary? Url HERE: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14071282@N04/4902211…
WHAT?!
That was what I said. Now I have to read on.. daaaaamn.. shit is REAL!
Oh man, these Johanna fans confuse me. Maybe it's because I'm a Katniss fan, and I'm pissed that Johanna is being a bitch after I just had to read about my two new favorites, Mags and Wiress dying a chapter apart. She just annoys the crap out of me; seriously. I know she's a competitor, but she seems to be the only one who is just rude for no reason. I don't want her on Katniss' team. I want Katniss to kill her in her sleep. To "shut her up." Team Katniss/Peeta/Finnick/Beetee as mates.
What did Collins mean when she described Gloss' smile as being red? Did he rip out her throat with his teeth? Do not get.