In the eleventh chapter of The Hunger Games, shit is so real that it becomes painful to read. FINALLY. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Hunger Games.
It has taken me way too long to figure out how to figure write a review of this chapter. Holy shit, I am so sorry that I ever doubted that Collins wouldn’t bring it and bring it hard. THIS IS SO FUCKED UP.
Is it a lot like Battle Royale? Yes. Yes it is. The context of it and the details are somewhat different and I was hoping that there’d be a few more differences. That being said, I am surprised how suspenseful and exciting this is. IMMEDIATELY.
Sixty seconds. That’s how long we’re required to stand on our metal circles before the sound of a gong releases us. Step off before the minute is up, and land mines blow your legs off.
REALLY??? Oh god, and I bet this has happened to someone. We do learn pretty shortly exactly why this is in place.
Sixty seconds to take in the ring of tributes all equi-distant from the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena. Food, containers of water, weapons medicine, garments, fire starters. Strewn around the Cornucopia are other supplies, their value decreasing the farther they are from the horn. For instance, only a few steps from my feet lies a three-foot square of plastic. Certainly it could be some use in a downpour. But there in the mouth, I can see a tent pack that would protect from almost any sort of weather. If I had the guts to go in and fight for it against twenty-three other tributes. Which I have been instructed not to do.
It’s clear that this exists for one precise reason: to goad the tributes into fighting immediately. It’s too tempting, with an unknowable arena stretching before them, and the Gamemakers know this. Unfortunately for Katniss, she suddenly becomes tempted as well.
Something catches my eye. There, resting on a mound of blanket rolls, is a silver sheath of arrows and a bow, already strung, just waiting to be engaged. That’s mine, I think. It’s meant for me.
I’m thinking the Gamemakers did this on purpose to tempt Katniss into fighting in the initial rush. She runs through as many logical processes as she can think of in the short time before the gong releases her, reasoning that she’s a quick runner, but realizing that it also puts her at risk. Lost in her confusing and terrified thoughts, thinking she sees Peeta shaking his head at her to dissuade her from getting the bow, the gong rings and Katniss, unprepared for just a second or two, loses her chance. She instead grabs the piece of plastic in front of her, a loaf of bread, and then darts towards a bright orange backpack before heading to the woods.
A boy, I think from District 9, reaches for the pack at the same time I do and for a brief time we grapple for it and then he coughs, splattering my face with blood. I stagger back, repulsed by the warm, sticky spray. Then the boy slips to the ground. That’s when I see the knife in his back. Already other tributes have reached the Cornucopia and are spreading out to attack. Yes, the girl from District 2, ten yards away, running toward me, one hand clutching a half-dozen knives. I’ve seen her throw in training. She never misses. And I’m her next target.
WHAT THE HOLY FUCK JUST HAPPENED. Did Collins kill off her first character IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF THE GAME??? Oh my god, what the fuck. I cannot believe it. I honestly expected this to happen much later in the game. Jesus, I am completely taken aback by this.
Adrenaline shoots through me and I sling the pack over one shoulder and run full-speed for the woods. I can hear the blade whistling toward me and reflexively hike the pack up to protect my head. The blade lodges in the pack. Both straps on my shoulders now, I make for the trees. Somehow I know the girl will not pursue me.
HOLY SHIT THIS IS GODDAMN INTENSE WHAT THE FUCK
No, seriously, this is so fucked up. Like…the futility of this all just hit me. Some kid just died in less than two minutes BY A KNIFE THROW TO THE BACK. They are all fucked. Twenty-three of these people are going to die horrible, violent deaths. Oh jesus christ, this is fucking awful.
At the edge of the woods I turn one instant to survey the field. About a dozen or so tributes are hacking away at one another around the horn. Several lie dead already on the ground.
Just…what a terrible mental image. This is really happening. Fuck.
Katniss begins to sprint into the woods, taking Haymitch’s advice to get as far away from the other tributes as she can, slowing her run to a steady jog, never stopping to look behind her or to check what’s in her bag. The forest is not too dense and the ground slopes away into a valley. Katniss doesn’t even have time to worry about being vulnerable in a valley because she has to keep moving.
Here is where the narration style truly works: Collins’s direct, choppy style is so perfect for the terror and suspense of Katniss running through the forest. It now makes more sense than ever for things to unfold the way they do. This is not in the past tense. This is occurring right now. It is a rather wonderful way for the activity to unfold. (It is unfortunate, though, for it to have taken this long for me to finally feel like the narration makes sense. I can’t ignore that.)
It’s late afternoon when I begin to hear the cannons. Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have finally stopped at the Cornucopia. They never collect the bloodbath bodies until the killers have dispersed. On the opening day, they don’t even fire the cannons until the intial fighting’s over because it’s too hard to keep track of the fatalities. I allow myself to pause, panting, as I count the shots. One…two…three…on and on until they reach eleven. Eleven dead in all. Thirteen left to play. My fingernails scrape at the dried blood the boy from District 9 coughed into my face. He’s gone, certainly. I wonder about Peeta. Has he lasted through the day? I’ll know in a few hours. When they project the dead’s images into the sky for the rest of us to see.
I simply cannot believe this. Five pages into the Games and Collins has killed off eleven people. I swear to you, I thought it would be a few here and there, with the halfway point being reached somewhere near page 250 or something. This is shit getting real to the billionth degree. THEY ARE ALMOST HALFWAY DONE ALREADY AND IT HAS BEEN SIX FUCKING PAGES.
Holy mother of god.
All of a sudden, I’m overwhelmed by the thought that Peeta may already be lost, bled white, collected, and in the process of being transported back to the Capitol to be cleaned up, redressed, and shipped in a simple wooden box back to District 12.
Now I’m overwhelmed. I don’t think Collins would kill off Peeta so quickly, but, then again, I DIDN’T EXPECT HER TO KILL OFF HALF THE TRIBUTES IN ONE PARAGRAPH.
Katniss realizes that she was smart to pick up her pack, which contains a host of crucial supplies, among them a heat reflecting sleeping bag, some minimal food, and a container for water. Which is unsurprisingly empty. Katniss is pained to think about the lake to the right of her; what if it’s the only water source?
This is so fucked up.
Katniss’s natural survival instincts bode her well here in the forest. She hears the wild animals coming out, which may spook anyone else out, but that means it’s a food source for her. She sets up a few snare traps just in case. Food will run out and it’s better for her to have something now than nothing later.
She decides to camp the night out, far in the forest, far up into a willow tree, even using her belt to secure herself on the branch so she doesn’t roll out of the tree. Smart girl. But sleep doesn’t come easy to her, just like the night before, and she’s awake when she hears the anthem.
It’s time to announce the dead.
I take a deep breath as the faces of the eleven dead tributes begin and tick them off one by one on my fingers.
The first to appear is the girl from District 3. That means that the Career Tributes from 1 and 2 have all survived. No surprises there. Then the boy from 4. I didn’t expect that one, usually all Careers make it through the first day. The boy from District 5…I guess the fox-faced girl made it. Both tributes from 6 and 7. The boy from 8. Both from 9. Yes, there’s the boy who I fought for the backpack. I’ve run through my fingers, only one more dead tribute to go. Is it Peeta? No, there’s the girl from District 10. That’s it. The Capitol seal is back with a final musical flourish. Then darkness and the sounds of the forest resume.
It’s chart time, guys!
So there we have it. Our neat little way to keep track of who is left. Man, that makes this look so bad. Also, there are mostly girls left. WHAT!
Katniss finally dozes off, after thinking about those who survived, which includes the 12-year-old girl named Rue. She’s awakened by the sound of another tribute who foolishly starts a fire near here, essentially guaranteeing their own death.
What are they thinking? A fire lit just at nightfall would have been one thing. Those who battled at the Cornucopia, with their superior strength and surplus of supplies, they couldn’t possibly have been near enough to spot the flames then. But now, when they’ve possibly been combing the woods for hours looking for victims. You might as well be waving a flag and shouting, “Come and get me!â€
Is Collins seriously going to kill off #12 in this chapter? DAMN IT.
It doesn’t take but a few hours for it to happen.
Then I hear it. Several pairs of feet breaking into a run. The fire starter must have dozed off. They’re on her before she can escape. I know it’s a girl now, I can tell by the pleading, the agonized scream that follows. Then there’s laughter and congratulations from several voices. Someone cries out, “Twelve down and eleven to go!†which gets a round of appreciative hoots.
I did not expect to be so disturbed by this. This is seriously horrible. Collins is wasting no time going straight to fucked up in one single chapter.
Katniss, worried that she will soon be spotted, prepares for the worst. But the worst doesn’t happen to her at all, as she soon realizes the group is distracted by another problem: the cannon announcing a death has not gone off.
The group loudly argues about whether or not the girl they just killed is actually dead. And then:
An argument breaks out until one tribute silences the others. “We’re wasting time! I’ll go finish her and let’s move on!â€
I almost fall out of the tree. The voice belongs to Peeta.
You seriously have to be fucking kidding me. Everything is so fucked right now.
Yeah, this only took TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS to start.
I love that you brought out a chart. But Mark, we need a list!
I would also enjoy a gif or something to show your distress. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GIFs?!?!
Lists and gifs, and maybe a fake Livejournal, as in: 'Dear Journal, today I got to the arena. Had blood spat on my face by a dying boy, etc.' Mark can do them so well!
Where are the lists Mark, where?!
Why hasn't there been a livejournal about Peeta's love for Katniss or whatever.
I know this shit is intense, but he found the time for Harry Potter. Although not nearly as much near the end, maybe he's just used to it now? I don't know Mark's mind.
Ooh! A list would be nice!
I'm good with a chart for this, it makes sense.
But it's a bit off. Says that the girl from 9 is alive, when it says both died.
Oh, I thought the review read as his thoughts chronologically…so the list comes right after the bloodbath deaths had been announced, and Girl from 9 died later, so she's not in that chart. Next time the chart crops up, she'll be included.
Naw, in the paragraph where she died, it states- "tributes from 6 and 7. The boy from 8. Both from 9. Yes, there’s the boy who I fought for the backpack." So yes, there was another girl killed off at the end of the chapter (maybe?) but not the one from district 9. Plus, if you count his scratches, there's only 10 dead not the 11.
Oh right. I didn't go back and reread. Thanks 🙂
Everyone with a name is still alive, then. I wonder how long that will last.
Looks like someone's been watching "America's Next Top Model".
I'm surprised any of them is forming such a large group. But then if they all went and hit in the woods the producers would just find some way to fuck with them, and they surely know that.
I'm so glad you've got to the games now. EXCITED. I was also like WTF when she killed off like, half of the contestants so quickly.
But no one who *mattered* right? Ugh, it just sucks that no one with a name got killed off. <— unrealistic is what I mean
Well, barely anyone HAS a name at this point, so I wouldn't consider it too unrealistic. Especially since half of the people with names are main characters.
Since I started this series on the same day as you did, but finished it only days later, I can hardly say that I've been waiting ages for you to get to this chapter, but at least days. I remember reading your earlier reviews where you wondered if anyone would die, or how soon it would happen, and thinking how PROFOUNDLY unprepared you were because SHIT WAS GOING TO GET REAL. I thought HP was brutal. And then I read this.
SHIT IS SO REAL
You can say this for Collins she is not afraid of death.
Ahhh and that last sentences. I was so WTF when I read it.
Though some things that bug me about Katness (and other first person narrators in children's books) is how sometimes they don't realize obvious things because the author wants to keep some suspense up. Like in the last chapter where she gets so angry at Peeta and decides to accept the confession as a tatic. Still, it's not super bothersome in here as it is in some of the other stories I've read. (A big one being Percy Jackson, which I still loved, but got annoyed when the guy would be downright STUPID at times, just to further the suspense needs.)
Oh Mark I know how you feel! I was so freaking disturbed and shocked about how graphic Collins is. And this is a YOUNG adult book. Also, Mark they are going to make this into a movie. It might just be the most messed up movie ever!
AND NOW PEETA IS HANGING WITH THE CARREERS!?!?! D: D: D:
I am worried about the movie for this reason. I read it is going to be PG-13, but then it really is going to have to be toned down and that is sort of a shame.
I was so fucking surprised that Peeta was with the Careers. Like totally dumbfounded. Fantastic twist that I really did not see coming at all.
Have you seen a PG-13 movie lately? Do you realize how much violence you can actually get away with and still have it be PG-13? You can definitely show a kid getting a knife in the back. As long as there's no heavy petting, it'll be okay.
Seems like this level of violence should be fine in PG-13. As long as they don't have premarital sex or say 'fuck' too many times o.0
Ugh. Like people don't hear fuck every single day when they're 13. Dumb. Like I know that this is a young adult book, but it bothers me that Katniss's mind isn't just a constant stream of expletives. Wouldn't want to offend children inbetween all the murder scenes.
This chapter was when I realised I could not possibly stop reading, EVER. This was also when I got past the writing altogether, and really got into the story.
I was horrified by the way she killed off so many tributes in one go, in that bloodbath, and I was so glad that Katniss lost her chance to get to the bow, because I really wanted her to get the hell out of there. Oh, and I also had to make a list to keep track of who was still alive, it was so mind-boggling.
And Peeta. Right now he's a complete enigma. I couldn't make sense of what he was doing. After what he had said about not losing his identity, he teams up with the Careers and becomes a ruthless killing machine? I don't think so Peeta. And as I really needed to see Kat's reaction to this fucked up situation, I just kept reading until I finished.
BTW, I've been hitting F5 for the last hour, so glad I could finally read this as soon as you wrote it, and not three hours later as I do during weekdays. 🙂
But isn't it also so painful to accept that Katniss has to give up the bow? Because you know if she got it, she could fucking win. I guess that would be too easy, though.
Yeah, if she got the bow right there and then it would seem to easy, and not really realistic. Plus it would take out a lot of -much-needed?- suspense!
I think I actually really liked that she didn't get the bow. We already know she's a master archer, and so by denying Katniss her weapon of choice, Collins sets us up to wonder how she's going to survive. I think it's a masterful decision to reveal Katniss's other survival techniques sort of slowly so that the reader can build up additional faith that she'll be able to survive.
That being said, when she didn't get the bow, I personally freaked the FUCK out for about 10 minutes wondering what the hell she was going to do. ALSO getting blood spat in her face was literally the most disgusting thing and I COULD NOT DEAL.
Oh yeah, I totally agree. It would be way too easy if she got the bow right away and could just sit up in a tree, picking people off. But you feel how badly Katniss wants it, and you also want her to have it just so you know she can defend herself.
OMG the blood. That was one of the most disturbing images EVER. *shudders*
Also, I immediately started thinking of all of the types of diseases that are bloodborne. Do those still exist in the future?
Maybe they screen the kids before they go in. It wouldn't be very interesting if someone dies of the flu (or whatever), now would it?
Although, I could see the Capitol purposely infecting some of the kids with more physically terrible diseases at some point in the Games.
This totally must've happened at some point, right?
Rabies perhaps
Ebola, totally. But only for someone who was wicked boring without it
No don't give it to that kid, he had a good interview! Its got to be that one!
It's can also be part of the strategy fun! Okay, contestants, we're throwing you into a rat-infested dungeon. Try to avoid rats/other contestants with the Black Plague!
(Why am I imagining new terrible and interesting ways of mass murder in an arena for my amusement?)
Yeah, interesting ideas everyone, are we turning into Gamemakers? 😀
I hope not… they might think dying of disease is "too boring".
Still, seeing the blood made me think SICKNESS AUGH.
Yeah, dying of disease means nobody KILLS anyone, they just die, and THAT's not entertaining.
I really want to see that in the movie. I am not sure if I want this filmed in a classy big-budget-movie way or shaky handheld camera way, but if it is the latter I keep thinking back to the big battle in Children of Men (which is my favorite movie) where the blood splatters on the camera (which was not supposed to happen but they decided to leave it on cause it looked fucking amazing).
YES. I vote for the latter. Because the Games are actually being filmed reality TV-style.
Really? That would look so awesome!
Maybe they could do part 1 the old school way, I think it'd show the world off the best, but the actual Games in the reality TV way?
AGREED. Look at us, all little directors! Maybe they should hire us? 😉
Is it weird that I would pay to be an extra in this movie? Like imagine getting made up to be a citizen of The Capitol or whatever. Want so bad. Or anything really would be the fucking shit.
It isn't weird at all, at least on my standards of weirdness. 😉
If I lived in the States I would so be begging to just see the filming!
If they film this anywhere even sort of near me I will stalk the shit out of it.
I would pay for just this scene. Just this one (for now…). The blood and the deaths and the flying weapons and all of this crazy shit just seems awesome in my head so I would love to see what it looks like in *real* life. And and I don't live in the States either, so thats another imposible dream for me, joining the Harry Potter theme park. sigh.
Oh, the Harry Potter park. A dream come true for everyone but me, WHY DO I LIVE SOOOO FAR AWAAAAY? :'(
OH YOUR PAIN. I FEEL IT. It's a shame there is no Harry Potter parks all over the world, everyone deservs that joy. But don't worry Pinky, someday when I take over the world with my nightly plans I will see it happen (and yes I just did a Pinky and the Brain reference, you can stop judging me now) 😀
I judge you in a positive way because you made a Pinky and the Brain reference.
I wish we had a Harry Potter park in the UK 🙁
I wish I had a Harry Potter park too, but it's more likely they make a Twilight park that a Harry Potter one, which is even worse that no park at all *Gun meet Head*.
And Pinky and the Brain make everything better.
Ok then, Brain, let me know when you do so 😀
(Pinky and the Brain is PURE AWESOMENESS)
Maybe next week… you just wait MUAHAHAHAHA…
And Pinky and the Brain made my childhood along with Harry Potter and Friends, I love them all *happy sigh*
Wait, how do you mean reality-tv style?
I'm completely irrational and imagining this as some kind of Blair Witch/Jersey Shore mash-up and my brain is going "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" D: D: D:
The last time I heard, they were aiming for a PG-13 rating with the movie.
WHICH IS SUCH BULLSHIT. I WANT BLOOD.
Okay, off to de-crazy now.
WHAT?! With all the blood and killing WHY?
Yeah, she'll have to work hard and get it some other way.
BTW, I've been hitting F5 for the last hour, so glad I could finally read this as soon as you wrote it, and not three hours later as I do during weekdays. 🙂
Heh. I'm the opposite. I usually and right here when he posts the reviews during the week since in my timezone (GMT) it's generally right as I'm getting home from class. But tonight I just got here because I was out shopping and going to dinner with friends.
See! This is why I had forgotten about how long Part 1 was. Shit gets so real so fast that you condense all the lead-up in your mind and focus only on the every-minute intensity and possible death of anyone.
I'm sooo glad (and hopeful!) that the narration is starting to make sense. It took me over half of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" before I liked it. There is a hump w/ every book…
At least we're invested in the characters and can feel the terror they're feeling. That's why I like the build up so much (also the Capitol just sounds fucking cool. Like horrible and evil, but pretty and with lots of cool gadgets. Okay, you can stop judging now)
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TMuzwbVSGpI/AAAAAAAAApE/ol6y5ZsZ3uQ/tumblr_l9bckqGBau1qbjce0o1_500.gif">
Hahaha. Oh, Mark, you kept asking, "Is Collins actually going to kill anyone?" and I kept thinking about how NOT PREPARED you were for the reality of the Games. Yep, she's killing people off.
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TPmrBe4h4fI/AAAAAAAAAyo/wYM8_9hPido/tangled_dealwithit.gif">
Shit has gotten real. The Games are so brutal. THIS is why everyone talks about getting so hooked on this book and not being able to stop reading — because once you start the Games, you're almost afraid to put the book down.
Also, the Peeta reveal at the end of the chapter? HEAD ASPLODE.
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3lVOb8wvDlE/TKAlVaoyqnI/AAAAAAAAAOk/GlcbeHIQT0c/himym_mindblown.gif">
PASQUAL <3 <3 <3 <3
Dude, I just saw Tangled yesterday and I am in love. What an awesome movie.
I JUST SAW IT YESTERDAY TOO! Oh my, I loved it desperately. Although I had convinced myself that the witch was played by Bernadette Peters and then it wasn't her and I was sad.
I'm the hitch
I'm what no one believes
I'm the Witch!
You're all liars and thieves
Like his father
Like his son will be to
But why bother?
You'll just do what you'll do…
Dude I wanted it to be her SO BADLY D:
Into the Woods is my favourite ever.
You made me drag out my original cast album last night while I was knitting and reading fanfic. It was a good evening.
That does sound exceedingly lovely!
Tangled was SO GOOD. Best Disney (non-Pixar) movie in LONG while.
Hey thanks for the images. WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE IMAGES IN MRTHG?!?!
Also I am so with you on when Mark didn't know if Collins was going to kill anyone. I was creepily laughing at my computer screen with it. More so then even during Harry Potter, Mark was just so not prepared.
LOL. Me too. Whenever Mark was would say something about wondering if people were really going to die I would just think to myself "You have NO idea, Mark…"
THIS.
Also, I find it amazing that you put gifs from disney movies for this chapter *is easily amused*. And Tangled = awesome.
Yeah, Disney is kind of the anti-thesis of THG, isn't it? I was actually shocked that you could SEE BLOOD in one scene in Tangled.
Yeah, but even if they don't show a lot of blood in Disney films, they are not all sunshine and rainbows: Simba's dad, anyone? Why is it that so many characters are orphans? It's kind of depressing.
I want to see Tangled, I suppose it's good from your comments, so thanks!
It's a mix of instant sympathy/emotional hardship that must be overcome, and simple conservation of characters. Why write, cast, design, and animate two parents when one can get all the necessary exposition and emotional resonance done just as well?
I definitely felt like the last gif when I saw that it was Peeta's voice in the end. WHAT THE HECK!?
THIS POST IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PURE AWESOME PERFECTION. I want to hug you, Alot, for this post.
This is so fucked up, I've been refeshing like mad since yesterday so that I can read the next chapter!
I REMEMBER FEELING THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT PEETA. Merlin, the shock of that chapter just steamrollers EVERYTHING, from here on out (as I'm sure you know, since you're ahead of yourself already :P) everything is just… *SPEECHLESSNESS*.
I find Katniss a lot more bearable during the Games, as well as Collins' writing. I think it's the tense atmosphere; it takes the focus away from anything I might want to nitpick. 😛
Just a note – I don't know if the HTML is screwing up after you post, but I've noticed in several places now, some of the blockquotes and commentary parts are mixed in together. For instance, this sentence: "Just…what a terrible mental image. This is really happening. Fuck." I'm guessing that was YOUR comment, not Collins', but it's in the block of quotation from the book. 😛
Just thought I'd let you know, as I think it's happened before.
Peeta being with the Careers is shocking. I have a feeling we're always going to be wondering how the hell he managed to latch on to them.
Yeah, like even if it's somehow part of his strategy, I don't think they'd do it if there wasn't something in it for them…
This chapter right here made me realize that as prepared I thought I might be? I WAS NOWHERE FUCKING CLOSE
RIGHT
Like I figured there'd be a few people who die outright because shit like this doesn't let anything go easy, but SO MANY SO FAST!
My thoughts on this chapter are difficult to form into paragraphs, so I'm going to make a list 😀
1. Didnt surprise me Collins started killing peolpe off early, I was surprised it was so many though. I thought 5 or less, not 12 in a chapter.
2. Literally as soon as the Games start I find Katniss so much more bearable. In the entire chapter she didn't annoy me once.
3. Lucky the arena suits what Katniss knows how to survive.
4. Belting herself in a tree is smart as fuck, although it makes me wonder what kind of tree it was where you can get high up and be safe on thick branches at the same time #logisticcuriosity
5. #ilikehashtags #stopjudgingme
6. Wut do not light a fire are you mad?
7. What are you doing Peeta? Step away from the Careers, they arent even your friends.
8. Plz Katniss do not fall out of your tree, that would be bad.
9. Bet you could really do with some of those cookies you threw out of the train now huh? Well too bad you gave them to a dandelion.
10. Ahhhhh shit is so real.
4. Yeah it was a willow tree Treasure, READ BETTER NEXT TIME >.>
Point stands though, I'd love to know what trees there are around her generally.
7) Why haven't they killed him yet is what I want to know? What has he promised them? Sexual favors? Which actually leads me to, why is there not way more sex involved in the Games? Shouldn't people be prostituting themselves right and left, yet Katniss hasn't mentioned it.
8) So so so bad. Hope the belt is strong
9) hahahahahahaha ilu for this. Dandelion is doing an evil-laugh right now, you so know it.
7) Because sex is a) a major distraction b) potentially loud c) wastes valuable fluids and energy in a situation where food and water is pretty darn scarce. Maybe the Career group could afford giant nightly orgies but it's not likely for the rest of them unless they're suicidal. Also, they're all kids, and their parents and grandparents and siblings and friends back home are going to be watching this – hell, it's implied that the entire village does.
Not that this stops the infamous Battle Royale, but Battle Royale isn't what you can call children's literature, which to my surprise it turns out that Hunger Games is. But then again, they made us read The Giver in elementary so it's not like creepy faux utopias and child murder are anything new there.
You need to sign up with an Intense Debate account so I can follow your comments.
Well too bad you gave them to a dandelion.
FANTASTIC
YAY! I am so happy we're at the games. This shit is SEVERELY fucked up.
You know how last chapter I was like, "Peeta's too awesome for her, Peeta's too awesome for words!"? THIS DASHED ALL OF MY DREAMS. I was desperate to cling to any explanation for this. No. Not my Peeta. NO FUCKING WAY.
THE GAMES FUCK UP EVERYTHING EVER.
It's offensive that you would think that it would be mostly boys who would make it through. When I read The Hunger Games I wasn't at all surprised that more girls survived the initial bloodbath than boys.
Most people would write more dudes surviving. Collins did not. Hence my WHAT! in response.
I like that in this series, there's not an assumption that boys are inherently stronger or that they have better odds of winning. The girls can be just as deadly and dangerous.
But actually, by the end of this chapter, you've got six dead girls and six dead boys, so it worked out pretty evenly.
I like that in this series, there's not an assumption that boys are inherently stronger or that they have better odds of winning. The girls can be just as deadly and dangerous.
I'm not gonna lie. Seriously half of the reason that I love these books so much is what Collins does with gender. It's SO refreshing to have series like this were there is an awesome and complex female protagonist and traditional gender roles are challenged without a big in-narrative to do about it.. Things are just the way they are.
I think it makes sense because honestly, girls would be less likely to engage in the bloodbath portion of the games, so they'd be more likely to make it longer, although they might not have an advantage towards actually winning.
It's said that the boys are pretty big, even the starved ones, usually bigger than the girls. Course, with knife throwing lady, that just gives her more target room.
I think it's also been said that it's not uncommon for the tributes to try taking out the strongest contenders at the very beginning, while they still can. So, really, having more women survive the Cornucopia cuts both ways.
Yay I couldn't wait till you got to this chapter ^_^
Every time you wondered about her killing someone off I was just like 'He is so going to be mindfucked.'
Since you said you were on ch.15 yesterday, are you going to post all your reviews till that point today?
I love how you legit did not think Collins was going to kill people. Oh Mark, you had no idea. I was glad that Peeta was doing that also. Like he was very perfect before, and while we had to assume Katniss and Peeta would end up killing people, this way is fantastic.
Hmm, I didn't see it this way. I think Katniss had some ideas of self-preservation. If she tried to help the girl, the girl might have killed Katniss. I realize that her death is sad, and that Katniss could have prevented it, but Katniss's intervention (and even warning) could have led to her death. Just a thought.
Oops, I'm sorry, I accidentally clicked the wrong "Reply" button. My reply is completely unrelated to your post…and I'm not sure how to delete it!
I remember also being shocked at how many people died RIGHT AWAY. But I think it makes total sense, especially given the Cornucopia. It's there to provoke a bloodbath. To weed out the people who can't resist. I feel like in most competitions things work this way. The majority of the competition is knocked out fairly quickly, leaving the more skilled/savvy people to battle it out.
It would make the Games more entertaining, that's for sure.
And so it begins and it only gets better…and by better I mean more MESSED UP.
*sobs openly*
It’s ok we’ll get through it together 🙂 Just remember to breathe!
By the way, Mark, monday the 6th is HAGRID's birthday!!!! (the character, not the actor) We should have a gif party for him!!!! WOO HOO!!!
I hope you keep the chart for the blog posts coming up, I found it incredibly useful for remembering who's still living!
So, 12 dead. That MIGHT mean that there are few enough characters left in the arena that we'll finally get to learn who they are! I found these deaths kind of strange. The characters have no names, no personalities, no physical appearance. It just feels like someone saying "I pretended that 12 anonymous people existed, and now I'm pretending that they're dead." These characters literally only existed in order to be killed off in a way that would make the story feel more serious.
Also, Katniss thinks that Rue is much too smart to light a fire. When did she ever talk to Rue? She doesn't know anything about Rue, except that she's twelve and, presumably, fast on her feet.
Lastly, oh no Peeta! My suspicion is that he noticed Katniss looking at the bow. He knows she needs it to live, and he knew she couldn't survive getting it. Since he thinks he's going to die anyway, he decided to go for it. Therefore, my completely baseless theory is that Peeta teamed up with the Careers in order to get the bow to give to Katniss.
Rue hung around with Peeta and Katniss during the training portion I believe.
Didn't she follow them around silently and never speak?
Oh…right.
Maybe Katniss is just assuming Rue is a lot like Prim, as she already has, and she knows/hopes Prim would be smart enough not to do that..
On the other hand, she knows Rue did well in her private assessment thing, but hasn't been giving away what it is she's good at, so she has to be quite smart
Katniss says that she can't help observing Rue during training, so maybe she's seen she has good surviving skills? I think she says something like she's good with plants, climbs well and her aim with the slingshot. Perhaps she has observed more than that.
You know, I also thought a lot about the twelve who died, and about others who die in this series without any real backstory. It bothered me at first, but then I kind of accepted it because of the first-person present tense. We really are in Katniss' head, so we know as much about these people as she does.
These characters literally only existed in order to be killed off in a way that would make the story feel more serious.
But for the capitol, that's exactly what these kids are, basically. And them being namesless doesn't bother me (Well, it BOTHERS me a lot, but….) because, like I mentioned last chapter, I think, it makes sense to me that Katniss probably would want to know as little about her opponents as possible. If she knows she will probably have to kill (some of) them, distancing herself as much as possible is a defense mechanism. And she's our narrator, so we have these poor dead kids with no names. Terrible, but I think it's actually good in the context of the story.
I think this is actually a really good point and an interesting way to approach the narrative. The fact that these kids can have no names and just be killed like it's nothing seems to tie into the idea of how little these lives mean to the Capitol.
You know how when you're watching a new season of a reality show and you never really know the contestants' names until they start eliminating people? I think this is the same kind of situation. Don't people usually say that they will only bother learning the names once the group gets smaller?
As for Katniss, I don't think she wants to know the tributes anyway. I think she mentions it many times that she doesn't want to get to know someone that is either going to kill her or have to be killed by her. She basically keeps to herself and is even reluctant with interacting with Peeta over the past few days. I don't blame her. The only time she even bothered paying attention was to see the scores and that is really all she needs to know.
I didn't expect this, but after reading the chapter, I think that there is no other (logical) option for this. At the very beginning of the Games, all the contestants are close to each other, so it's the easiest way for the stronger ones/the Careers to finish off a few opponents. I AM surprised, that the Careers found that girl who lit the fire – isn't the arena really huge?! She kind of shouted "Please kill me!", but how could anyone hear that?
By the way: PEETA! I HATE YOU!!! HOW DARE YOU?!
(And BOTH from District 9 are dead.)
Gifs for your viewing pleasure.
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OMGs, that last one. XD XD XD
The first one was my exact expression after reading about the first death.
MOAR (to copy Mark and even though they crashed my server- worth it)
also they fit the situation so well for the big Peeta reveal. Well not that last one, the last one just kicks some major ass.
UPVOTE UPVOTE UPVOTE
MOAR as per request
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I may or may not have a whole folder of gifs sitting around on my computer
This was long over due. Thanks dear.
I aim to please 😉
oh my god that cat.
and why is nino so angry? you're scaring matsujun, flippin' over a table…
LOL. The Indy gif is pretty much my favorite thing ever.
in your chart you forgot the girl from district 9
I have nothing exciting or original or even coherent to say. It's mostly: "OMGs WTF WHAT WHAT WHAT OMGs PEOPLE DIED HOLY SHIT PEETA??????"
My reaction. WORD FOR WORD.
YES!!!!! I CAN FINALLY STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT THE GAMES NOT STARTING AND ABOUT COLLINS MAKING ME WAIT!!!….Only to be really really perturbed by the brutallity of it all O.o.
I love this chapter. Man I really do love this chapter. I love it because for the first time in this book, the writing actually makes sense and I actually feel how horrible everything is. I mean I've been a lot of awful things in this book and I knew things would get even worse, but I couldn't have thought it was going to be this bad. We basically saw 24 children try and kill each other, and 11 on them not making it. The fact Collins can actually make me feel perturbed by this, proves that she is actually not a bad writer at all and that the present tense had to be done all along. She has my respects for that.
I agree. All through Mark's reviews, I felt kinda weird about his criticism of her writing. Present tense seems silly until you get to the Games, but once we're there…it feels almost necessary. I think Collins made a deliberate decision about present tense for the Games, and she couldn't just switch it up for the Reaping/Capitol/training, etc.
Right. I think it would have been worse if she just switch out of nowhere, the writing might not be perfect (at all) but at least it serves its purpose, as we can clearly see in this chapter.
I did the exact same thing when I was reading the book: made a chart and crossed out dead tributes, also wrote their names and any info about them.
p.146: Landmines? What? Why?
p.146: Haymitch is right, the Cornucopia sounds like a death trap
p.147: This is actually pretty tense
p.147: DO NOT FUCKING DO IT KATNISS. Don't make me whip out an Akbar .gif
p.148: ONE DOWN
p.149: "Thanks for the knife" *highfives*
p.150: I just realized, there's probably going to be a lot of camping now. Fuck, and it's not even wizard camping 🙁
p.151: Well, half are dead already? You sort of rushed that, didn't you Collins?
p.151: Of course Peeta's alive, he's an expert at playing the game
p.152: Kat is a survivalist right now. Suck it Bear Grills
p.152: "Twilight is closing in…" MOTHERFUCK
p.153: "There could be any number of animals stalking me at this moment." I swear to all the god of Olympus, if Kat starts hunting mountain lions… :@
p.154: For some reason, I'm imagining the Capitol's Anthem is the Rocky Training Montage theme.
p.155: Why the emphasis on Foxface?
p.155: I knew Rue would make it. YOU WILL ALL RUE THE DAY SHE WAS CHOSEN.
p.155: "The anger at his superiority on the roof" What? How was he being "superior" on the roof? He was confiding his fears of losing his identity during the games.
p.156: Maybe I'm too bloodthirsty, but it seems there's a simple solution to this: Kill them, stomp out the fire, steal their supplies, dance hard techno
p.157: Do the people "Hooting" not realize that means them too? Derp.
p.157: "She's much too bright" and you know this…how? I don't recall you ever speaking with her a single time.
p.158: DUN DUN DUN. Peeta is obviously just playing the game
Overall, this chapter was pretty good. We got mostly just the action, no monologue about the futility of this whole thing or whatever, and for once it seems Kat is serious about the whole "Not giving up easily" thing. I'm still wondering about the Rue thing, since we have not evidence from what I remember that Katniss has ever interacted with Rue, yet she's assuming the girl is bright despite any real evidence. I sort of saw the twist coming, since I figured Peeta was enough of a strategist that he might form an alliance.
Grade: "B+"
Wow, we get TWO 'playing the game's! OUTSTANDING
I guess you had to make up for forgetting it a couple of chapters back? 😀
That, and the fact that Peeta is being all devious this chapter.
Oh your comments. Love.
"YOU WILL ALL RUE THE DAY SHE WAS CHOSEN"
ahahahahahaha Yes.
"Maybe I'm too bloodthirsty, but it seems there's a simple solution to this: Kill them, stomp out the fire, steal their supplies, dance hard techno"<—– Can we please have a MRTHG techno dance party? Y/Y/Y/Y/Y/Y/Y
But also did people think Peeta wasn't playing the game? I agree with you, it seemed very obvious to me.
"p.149: "Thanks for the knife" *highfives*"
This made me LOL.
"p.150: I just realized, there's probably going to be a lot of camping now. Fuck, and it's not even wizard camping :("
But camping makes everything better!… well maybe not a bloody games in which you could be brutally killed at any time…mmm you know what never mind D:.
"p.158: DUN DUN DUN. Peeta is obviously just playing the game"
Oh to make or not make a dirty joke 😉
It's not even wizard camping at all. SO SAD.
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You deserve a prize!
DON'T CRY DRACOOOOOOOO!!!!! I mean PEETAAAAAAAA 😉 (I shall express my undying love for Tom Felton later :D).
I should find an akbar.gif. I feel like I'll be needing it.
"She's much too bright"
A lot of people have said they think it's odd that Katniss makes this assumption from very little interaction. I always thought of it as a combination of gut instinct when meeting someone and sheer hope. Katniss sized up much of the competition quickly and she has a feeling Rue is bright. Also, they did talk about how young Rue was and how she seemed to follow them around. I think there is a hope that Rue is still alive so the comment is more "She's much too bright, right? She would know not to do that?!"
Mark, I….. we… Good God.
We were not in ANY WAY prepared for this chapter. I was SCREAMING at my computer screen at one o'clock in the morning. SCREAMING. I kid you not.
Let me just tell you that my comments should be done in all onomatopoeias because that is all that was uttered the entire chapter.
Step off before the minute is up, and land mines blow your legs off. *stammers* WHAT!
Then the boy slips to the ground. That's when I see the knife in his back.
AUDIBLE GASP.
A grin crosses my face.Thanks for the knife, I think.
JUST RUN, KATNISS. RUN!
I'll know in a few hours. When they project the dead's images into the sky for the rest of us to see.
Just…. just…ugh.
DEPRESSING.
Someone cries out, "Twelve down and eleven to go!" which gets a round of appreciative hoots.
I HATE THESE PEOPLE.
*mouth gapes open*
PEEEEETTTTTAAA. WHAT ARE YOU DOING??????
*breaks down into sobs*
How?
What?
Huh?
This WHOLE THING is a MESS.
God damn you, Suzanne Collins.
This chapter fucked my brain.
Also, I just want to say that Peeta is so on my shit list right now. For the past three chapter endings, he has…. grrrr.
First it was the, "I wanna train alone." Fine, whatever. Be a butthead.
Then, it was, "Oh, I'm in love with my fellow tribute. Tragic. I'm so tragic (and playing the game!)." Ugh.
And NOW, he's running around with the Careers?!?
Yeah, there's survival needs and all that, but….
GRRRR.
You know how Meyer was afraid to kill off ANY character? Collins has no such fears. It's going to be dirty. Bloody. Gritty. Shit is going to get REAL. The Hunger Games series is my favorite, and I'm so glad you're reading it!
Yes, this is why the book reads better in first person present tense. It just wouldn't be the same. YOU are in the games, watching people die. YOU are hunting for food. It did take a while to get started, but it also made it feel more natural now. It's just the way Katniss is.
I knew all the named characters would survive, and I figured the Careers would (or most of them anyway).
I also expected mass deaths.
We're past Hollywood and the semis now, here's your Top 12 Finalists (obligatory American Idol comparison).
WTF, Peeta? What are you doing and why are the Careers letting you hang with them? OMG did you take out the dead Career and claim his place?
This chapter broke me. I got myself back under control after one chapter, but I'm now ahead, or I'd have more indepth comments.
OMG did you take out the dead Career and claim his place?
Interesting idea! I hadn't thought of that, but I have been wondering how Peeta pulled this off. I'm pretty sure at this point that it's all part of his strategy and he's playing the game. (OKAY, can someone explain why "he's playing the game" is a joke? I think I missed that along the way. And if it's really obvious and I'm being thick, I'll be embarassed, but still tell me because I want to know.) But still, why would the Careers accept him? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS??!!
I hadn't thought of that either and I kind of like it. I mean, how in the world would Peeta get in with the Careers? Sure he got an 8 in training, in the Career range, but he also declared himself in love with a girl in front of their entire world and talked about smelling like roses. That doesn't exactly scream "killing machine." I also missed the whole playing the game thing somewhere along the line and am confuzzled. I have thoughts, but they mostly have to do with things my friends say so I'm doubting that train of thought. But I'll join you in embarrassment. We can share.
Haha, I'm glad I'm not alone, and I hope someone comes along to tell us 🙂
I think that the joke came from lossthief, a variation of 'Peeta can play the game' has appeared in all his/her? comments, and people really took to that. Hope this helps 🙂
Well if I were them I'd be looking at my threats, Katniss got an 11 in whatever, they have no clue right? Katniss is a mystery, a dangerous mystery. Then Peeta says, oh yeah and I love her, for me that's great, someone might even come out of a safe spot to help someone who claimed that. I think they're using him to get to her, might even hurt him to use as bait. I'm a horrible person but that's what I would do.
I think I re-read this chapter four times from the shock of it.
I… ugh. I'm a mess. lol.
Mark, I loved your HP section, so I bought this book JUST SO I COULD FOLLOW ALONG WITH YOU.
I read up to this part, and then I COULD NOT STOP, so I had to keep reading. But, since I read it within the past day, my feelings are fresh and I will just go back to them and not spoil anything for you (not that I even know wtf is happening yet because I am not done!)…
but, Peeta, DIAF. Also, the fact that Collins included the girl begging not to be killed….um, my heart. It is 1,000 pieces now.
Mark, I am so excited about reading this with you though!! You are my new favorite ~ever.~
the girl begging not to be killed
That is going to be so awful in the movie.
I really want to know about this girl. I mean, for all we know, she could have killed some people back in the Cornucopia, and I think people wouldn't be as sympathetic to her as they're being.
Everyone feels bad for her (because she was killed, and begged for mercy), but we don't know if she herself was merciful/murderous.
I suppose it doesn't make a difference – either way, we should care for her because she's a human being. I just find it interesting that this girl might have been just as cutthroat/willing to kill as the Careers were, and yet we're all viewing her sympathetically because we watched her die.
I think her death is more shocking to us because these 'killing machines' can't even kill her properly and she stays there agonizing while they discuss if they killed her right or not until the kid from 12 finishes her off. Had they been better, like the girl with the knives who killed the boy who attacked Katniss, we probably wouldn't be so sympathetic and we'd be laughing at her for being 'too dumb to live'.
Am I the only one who really wants the girl from Kick Ass to play Katniss in this movie? Chloe Whatsherface? Is there an official word as to who will be playing Katniss yet?
There's not word on ANY casting so far, but yeah I really think Chloe Moretz would to a (excuse the pun) kick ass job as Katniss.
I think she's too young in a way that would bother me. She could be Prim though, maybe.
I think she can play older, plus there's the fact that the movie isn't due out until 2013, so She'd be 14-15 when shooting starts. Plus, I'm imagining the rest of the trilogy happens immediately after the ending of the first, or somewhere thereabouts, and better to have an actress who can stay in the age range for the shooting, instead of having a 23-year-old playing a 16-year-old.
She just looks nothing like I picture Katniss looking, which is selfish I guess but still. I'd rather Katniss be an unknown.
I completely agree. As amazing as I think Chloe is and as much as I believe she could pull off the intensity, I don't think she's right for the part. I'd always be thinking of her Kick Ass character. Plus she does look the exact opposite of how I imagine Katniss. Seriously, there's very little you could do to make her look more different. But I do think Chloe would make a good Prim. She could play the anguish she feels at having her sister take her place.
I agree that I'd rather have Katniss be an unknown actress. I actually have a preference for a fan that made a video as Katniss and honestly can't picture anyone else as Katniss now. Would post the video, but ~spoilers~. I plan on posting the video, though, when the chapter that she reenacts happens.
She was one of the names I've seen thrown around but I think that, generally, she's considered to be way too young as she's only 13. Maybe she could play Prim. :p
You think your heart is in 1,000 pieces now, just wait. JUST WAIT.
It feels like a rush to kill so many characters off so quickly… and then you realize that now, all the deaths are going to be that much more personal and intimate and PAINFUL, because there are fewer tributes to deal with.
BTW, the chart/list is wrong. "Both from 9" are dead, but according to your chart, only the boy from 9 is dead.
I want to keep reading but I can't 🙁 I shall stick to my guns and follow at the same pace.
I found myself relating to Katniss in the last few chapters. The nervousness of going into something you've seen but haven't done. Given killing people is 10x worse then just going out for a performance, but I could feel the same nervous feeling as I read. I also finally bought the other two books and started to ponder about their names because they both have something to do with what we have seen already in this book.
I really agree that this is the chapter where the first person present tense narration pays off. Previously it was just a convenient way to develop Katniss as a character, but now it just builds the suspense like OMG and relentlessly pushes the story forward.
And yeah, this chapter is intense. We finally get to see exactly how the Capitol is using these Games to turn the districts children into monsters. The Cornucopia is such a devious thing to do. Of course the Gamemakers would want to start out the Games with a lot of bloodshed. Good for entertainment to start with a bang. So they manufacture a scenario designed to make the tributes kill each other. So fucked up.
Hey Mark, just to let you know, your chart did not cross off the girl from District 9. I am not sure if anyone else has posted this but I just figure I would let you know for the sake of completeness.
Some suggestions for the chart, to increase readability:
* If it allows you to, use coloured backgrounds to show which ones have died.
* Use bold or italics in addition to strike-through.
* Have column headers for 'Girls' and 'Boys' and use symbols, like X and O, for the unnamed tributes. Though that has the problem of being inconsistent with the named ones.
* Use 'dead' symbols only, and place them to the right of the names, whether they have a name or not. Might be a bit tricky to actually do. Unless you make two smaller columns and put each to the right of one of the 'name' columns, and use them as checkmark-boxes.
By the way, how do you make bulleted lists in html?
bulleted lists are just:
first thing
.second thing
for numbered replace ul with ol
jhlgobjhl didn't know you could automatically embed html
(ul)
(li) first (/li)
(li)second(/li)
(/u)
replace parentheses w/ <>
Thanks!
I told you that some shit goes down in this chapter! *gloats*
Anyways, I can’t remember what I felt like at the first time in this chapter. That may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I read it at 12:00 am. This is the point where Collins sort of evolves in her writing, the story begins to show you not tell you. It’s the kind of showing that you see in horror movies where they have tons of frames per second and your eyes can’t track them, but she’s not telling you, at least.
I told you that some shit goes down in this chapter! *gloats*
DUDE. FROM THE RULES, what counts as a spoiler:
Sorry Bibliotrek, I accidenyally voted down your comment…finger slipped 🙁
I told you that some shit goes down in this chapter! *gloats*
Adding to this "Dude, not cool" by saying that, wow, it's really not cool to gloat about spoiling Mark in any way. Makes you look like you're doing it on purpose instead of accidentally blundering.
Of course, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're just someone who hasn't read the rules and not a troll.
Two things:
1) This is probably my second favorite chapter in this book! I love the immediacy of it. Sentences like "Food, containers of water, garments, fire starters" (148), which would have bothered me in previous chapters, really make me like Collins' writing sooo much more in this one; I feel like I am actually witnessing/identifying these things with Katniss.
2) All of you who haven't read this series in its entirety, even if you're to chapter 15 (Mark), are STILL not prepared. How fucked up is that?
Also, it's not like all the boys and no girls died. 5 girls and 6 boys in the bloodbath, plus the girl who built the fire, which makes 6 girls and 6 boys dead by the end of the chapter. It all evened out.
I think my heart stopped with that last sentence, Peeta with the careers. We've been made to believe that he's a terrified and gentle boy and in fact it all looks like its been an act. I can't figure out who the real Peeta is , all I can think is desperate times call for desperate measures.
I really enjoyed Collin's writing in this chapter, it worked really well for the running through the trees looking for safety and the abrupt deaths (really 12 deaths in one chapter!). Having said that I'm off to read the next chapter!
Mark! Mark! OMIGOD I WAS SO EXCITED YOU GOT TO THIS CHAPTER!!!! SO EXCITE!!!
Shit is about to get so real
I appreciate the chart. I hope you keep it updated, um, if anyone else dies. I was very surprised by Peeta's alliance and wondered how that would work out.
Yeah. *nods* SO NOT PREPARED, MARK. We warned you, we really did!
THIS IS A GOOD COMMENT AND YOU SHOULD FEEL GOOD.
Hey all you Hunger Games readers, I wasn't able to get a copy of the book so I haven't been able to read along with you. I was wondering if you think this would make a good Christmas present for my little brother who is 15. He likes reading, he likes Harry Potter and the Ranger's Apprentice series. I've been trying to get him to read books with female protagonists and last year I gave him a copy of the Golden Compass because I heard that was good but I haven't read it myself. I don't think he's read it, though. He's also really into video games and sports so I might just get him a video game but I wanted to take another shot with the female protagonist thing and I thought the Hunger Games might be a good choice.
I'm also considering the Garth Nix series (which I have read) if anyone is familiar with that.
Any thoughts? (I apologize if I'm interrupting the comment flow)
It depends on your brother, honestly. The Hunger Games is a very intense series. VERY intense. I feel like it would either get him very interested, or just put him off the story entirely. I feel like the Abhorsen series might be a better choice if you're considering that– it follows a more typical fantasy format while still being really innovative.
Just putting in my ten cents, but I'd put in my vote for pretty much anything by Garth Nix, especially any of the Abhorsen Trilogy- Sabriel and Lirael one of my favorite book characters.
I feel the same way about the Abhorsen trilogy but I guess I thought my brother might be more interested in a book about a bunch of people killing each other, heh. I think I might get him the first book from both series and hope that he likes one of them. Thanks for the advice.
Well, your Brother might be a little old for the first ones, but the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series by Rick Riordan is a good one. Garth Nix is a good idea too, especially his Abhorsen trilogy and his stand alone "Shade's Children" as well.
Another good series is the "Bartimaeus" Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
I'll put in a vote for the Abhorsen trilogy, although it took me two readings before I warmed up to the first book.
Yeah… there's a reason why I sometimes mention A Game of Thrones when I talk to people about the Hunger Games. Collins is BRUTAL, but also realistic. If you think about it, it makes sense that so many would die at the beginning. Everyone is very close to each other, most of them have probably not been told to get away from the Cornucopia (or can't resist the temptation) and especially for the Careers who are trained to combat, it makes much more sense to eliminate as many as possible, as soon as possible. It's also the most entertaining for those in the Capitol. Once everyone scatters and has to hunt each other down, it's much harder for them to get kills, and if no one is dying, the Games are not entertaining. Or rather, if no one is dying in an interesting way.
Not only is it a vicious punch to the reader's gut, it's a big dramatic start to the 'entertainment' of the games, which they then have to keep going with fewer and fewer candidates. Haymitch knew what he was talking about. Get out of the immediate bloodbath and simply avoid the conflict as long as possible (while not dying from hunger or traps) and you can hopefully survive while the others kill each other off, until there are much fewer opponents to deal with. It's sound strategy, although it still doesn't help because these ARE CHILDREN WTF.
I would love for Mark to read A Game of Thrones, just for his awesome take on the story, writing, themes, etc. But it's not YA, and it's got very adult content, so it might not be appropriate for a significant portion of his audience (and possibly not of interest to him). A Game of Thrones and the rest of the series are just so good though! And AGOT keeps with the "put kids in really rough positions" thread that HP, HGs both have. 😀
Back to Hunger Games: While I wasn't concerned with the writing style in part one, for the most part because I read the book in like one sitting, so I just devoured it. But it really starts to flow now that the Games are actually happening, and as I reread, the writing is more effective here than in part one.
Yeah, everything Collins does works here. Now that we've entered a life-or-death situation, I'm hanging on every thought and object that Katniss lists in her head. Shoot––I would have soaked up the descriptions of every single thing in that silly cornucopia and not complained!
Where are the cameras, though? Are they hidden in trees? Or are they the ones with telescopic lenses that fly around attached to propellers? And what in the world is up with that flyin' TV screen!? How big would that sucker have to be so that every tribute could see it? I'm sorry I laughed at your writing Suzanne, PLEASE TELL ME! :'(
The hidden cameras annoyed me even more than the HOVERCRAFTS FROM NOWHERE.
I guess the cameras are the super-tiny kind––like the one in my laptop. And I guess that the hovercrafts are the, uh, teleporting kind? =/ Ha,ha,ha. Who knows.
I pictured the 'screen' as a large holographic projection. I think ldwy is right, and the arena is like a dome– so picture a giant IMAX theatre. It would be very easy to project images into the 'sky' and have them appear on the surface of the dome. As for the cameras, well. If the entire arena is constructed, I'm sure there are cameras everywhere; in plants, in trees, wherever they're needed so that every surface or close to it is under surveillance. After all, it would be no fun if the tributes managed to die off-screen.
Ah man, I'd try to find those cameras, then! The lenses might be useful to start fires, and the plastic casing could be combined with the plastic Katniss already has for…more plastic!
😉
Yeah…Mark, I was dying waiting for you to get here. Also, every time you'd write something like "I wonder if Collins is going to kill someone off…" I would literally laugh at my computer screen and then spend a while making a really weird high-pitched keening sound as I tried to maintain and prevent myself from spoiling you. Because omg, yes, she kills people – as you said, she kills off half the tributes in the first chapter. Shit is real and bloody and so very fucked up. I almost feel like Collins is going "here, have some violent death and demented shit and DEAL WITH IT" (which makes me happy in a weird way. Please don't think I'm crazy, I just appreciate her bravery with this! :D)
When I hit this chapter, I was hit with the realization that Collins was not going to hold back or pamper us because it's a YA book. She was going to hit us with all the gory awfulness that a competition like this would bring and that's all there is to it.
The Peeta thing made me make this face: o___O and then I just *had* to read the rest of it – I lack your restraint, and I applaud you for the ability to put the book down because I just flat-out could not.
I can't wait for you to read more!! 😀
I love this review Mark, it's reminiscent of your HP reviews. When everything was so, as you eloquently put it, fucked up.
Mark, you're so NOT prepared.
And also, what's Peeta playing at?
He's trying to keep himself safe/not a target by sticking with a group (which I'm guessing must be the careers). It's a smart move, but a bit surprising considering that he's teaming with the sort of people he didn't want to become.
It's a smart move, but a bit surprising considering that he's teaming with the sort of people he didn't want to become.
So glad you said that. Isn't it odd that, in the last chapter, Katniss was challenging Peeta's remark that he didn't want to be a pawn in the Capitol's games, and yet now it's come to this? What's Peeta playing at, indeed…
Ahh, good point, very interesting interpretation.
I actually read it another way. He must have some other motive because he's putting himself in harms way. In my mind, he has somehow managed to convince the careers that he should team with them. I think it's some kind of act. Therefore, in the event they manage to figure that out, he's with them and they could kill him like that. I'd personally want to be as far away from the careers as possible. So take all that together,and I think it points to Peeta definitely having his own agenda in allying with the careers, that outweighs the risk.
Well, he may have struck some kind of deal with them (say, finding them food in exchange for their protection), which would mean that he wouldn't have to do much (or possibly any) of the killing himself. Yes, he'd have to watch the Careers kill others, but that was going to happen whether he joined them or not.
Of course, that also means that at some point the group is going to turn in on itself and he's going to be the weakest one there.
"DON'T KILL ME! I WILL BAKE YOU CAKE!"
Because when you have a choice between cake or death, the answer is always obvious, isn't it?
On the one hand, it did take an AWFULLY long time for the blood bath to finally begin. On the other, isn't that maybe a good thing? Gives us a chance not only to get invested in the characters, especially Peeta. More importantly, it gives us–and Katniss–time to really wonder who to trust. The paranoia building up until this point goes a long way to make action that unfolds that much more intense, IMO.
I think it was great that it took us a while to get to the Games. We got to see the way District 12 is, the fucked up culture of the Capitol, and meet a lot of interesting supporting characters. Also, Cinna = my lifeline.
So, I'm really glad that we did not jump right into it.
Also, intensity to the power of 17,000.
AGONY.
Ugh so much agony! Poor children 🙁
And yes, the look at District 12 was so important! To see where Katniss came from, including all of the hardship she's already had to face…in a way, it almost makes the arena seem like a piece of cake. Except for the whole fight-to-the-death thing.
I really do agree. Besides, I'm glad I was there to see her volunteer to take Prim's place, rather than just hearing about it. I personally felt that that was a very important and powerful moment in the story and I think the anguish and terror and desperation to protect her sister that Katniss felt was important for us to witness.
Besides, suspense (to me) is kinda fun and while we got to see the culture of District 12 and the Capitol, the whole time the suspense is just building because it's all happy but you know it's leading to something atrocious.
I <3 Cinna so.
I liked her flight. The fact that everything wasn’t going perfectly for her was good. It wouldn’t have been believable otherwise. But the fact that even as she is worried about dehydrating, she resists for awhile going down into the valley makes no sense to me. She is a successful hunter/tracker. Water is not up on the ridges, even if you feel like you are less penned in there. Water is in valleys. Water creates valleys. She is a woodsy girl. She knows this.
I think Haymitch really does have their backs. I want to know what else (besides the star-crossed lovers strategy) he and Peeta decided/planned in their private session.
Peeta banded together with the bad career tributes!!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG. What the fuck is this, Peeta?! At this point I’m inclined to believe there’s some good underlying motive. He seems to be good at manipulation (so far in a good way, mostly) so I’m hoping he’s playing them. The fact that he hasn’t told them what earned Katniss her 11 yet supports this.
At first I didn't even register that he was killed. When he spit blood at her, I thought it was part of his fighting technique…like his purposefully bit his cheek (or even accidentally) and in a close, hand-to-hand grapple, used that to his advantage to get Katniss to let go of the pack. Then I registered KNIFE OH SHIT!
Well Thanks WordPress for the "like" button.
OH GOD PEETA WHAT ARE YOU DOING MY BRAAAIIINNN. 9_6 Wow. WAY TO KEEP YOUR IDENTITY INTACT, ASS. I don't have a whole lot to say this chapter because it is so very real and I need to keep reading, so: Katniss, you best get to camouflaging that backpack, PRONTO. Also, if she was so thirsty, why didn't she just kill that rabbit she saw and drink its blood? It seemed like an obvious short-term fix, but maybe rabbits don't bleed a lot or maybe she was afraid of leaving a trail. IDK. And yes, I am also really liking how we're plunged straight into the games– it's like we are right there with Katniss! SO INTENSE. Alright, now I need to read chapter 12 and find out WHAT PEETA IS UP TO >:(
I went out and bought these books two and a half days ago and I've finished all three. I respect you for actually having the restraint to not go on when shit is this real, so early on. *salutes Mark*
A couple of years ago, I wondered how an evil empire would put its own "twist" on the reality show concept. Obviously my imagination was too limited… I was thinking a show like Big Brother, only the people that get voted out don't go home, if you know what I mean. That kind of show would mess with the players' minds (and the audience's!) in a whole different way… the players wouldn't be allowed to raise a hand to each other, but they would condemn one of their own to death every week by vote.
So… Peeta's actually killing people? Awesome!
This actually seems like an awesome chapter, and Collins's style ready does suit the more action-paced narrative. Stuff is happening, and it is wondrous!
(also, that chart totally reminds me of the one from Battle Royale. cannot deny.)
Got an Intense Debate account! Whoo! I first read this book about 2 years ago and this was the chapter that made me decide to hole myself in my room for another 3 hours, dinner and papers be damned.
This pretty much sums up my thoughts during the entire course of the games.
<img src=http://i56.tinypic.com/1568ri1.jpg>
I understand why Katniss is pissed at Peeta. After all that talk about wanting to die himself, I'd be mad at him too for teaming up with the Careers. However, the other commentators are right; Peeta knows how to play people. Katniss, though, is the one who has to struggle to be anyone other than herself.
Can I give you a cookie for this image? But you have to promise not to give it to a dandelion!!! Promise? Okay, here you go.
I think that because we are outside the situation we can see what Peeta is playing at, you know? If we were actually in Katniss' place we'd also be like WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BULLSHIT because, seriously, wtf is just the correct response in that real-life situation.
No, seriously, WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE THINGS? THEY'RE CREEPING ME OUT BIG TIME.
I think they're maybe giant isopods. I have an irrational fear of those things, along with spider crabs.
I hope I NEVER EVER encounter them. Why are there so many disgusting insects on Earth?
THANK GOD I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE. THEY ARE SCARY. ME DOESN'T LIKE O.o
those look like trilobites. are those trilobites eating doritos? how? trilobites are extinct. i dont understand. what?
I'm thinking the natural reaction to that picture is not 'wants to hug'… ._.;
They're cute! Don't judge me! D:
I was just telling someone yesterday that I find giant isopods absurdly adorable. From a distance.
THEY LOOK LIKE BLAST-ENDED SKREWTS!
DUN
DUN
DUNNNNNNNNN
I love how visual this chapter is. I mean, Collin's descriptions of setting are simplistic- but we all totally could imagine the arena perfectly, right?
Also, have an adorable plushie Peeta:
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/233/f/9/Pe…
(dunno how to embed images yet SOMEONE TEACH ME)
You have to use the < img src=”URL HERE” > code (without the spaces and quotation marks). I just figured it out myself.
Go forth, my fellow image embedder.
AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH
<img src=&rdquo ;http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcj2uuptNV1qd0ha8.gif”>
WELL THAT FAILED. trying again
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcj2uuptNV1qd0ha8.gif"alt="letstryagain"/>
OMG THAT GIF IS SO TERRIFYING
Thank you! I have been looking for how to embed stuff as well! (Can I also practice here?)
<img src=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs49/i/2009/206/9/4/Peeta_and_Katniss_by_burdge_bug.jpg>
OMG! He has a loaf of bread! That is quite possibly the most adorable thing I have seen. Which is funny considering the contexts of this book.
Did you….make this? Buy it? If so, WHERE CAN I BUY THIS?!?!
And I like it cause it looks like the guy I want to play Peeta. He was in Race to Witch Mountain and he just looks perfecttttt
This is his imdb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1573253/
I wish I had that kind of talent! haha I found it on dA, it's made by braynz and was a commision for someone, so theres only one. BUT I WANT IT TOO.
This book I swear. I could not put it down once I read this chapter and I stayed up all night to finish the whole thing. I was exhausted, disturbed and I just wanted some sleep, but nooooooo! The second I closed my eyes, all of these horrifying images of the killing spree just got to me. Thanks for never letting me sleep again Collins!
This entire series has given me the most screwed-up dreams! I just finished Mockingjay the other say and as sad as I was to finish the series, I was kinda glad to reclaim my sunconscious a little bit.
Yeeeeaaaah, for all the disdain I have for these books I can't say they're not vivid. I ended up needing sleeping pills a couple times.
It is at this point that I just said “fuck it” and read the rest of the book. I’ll hold off on the second ’till you get there, but yeah.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
TAGS!!! tehehehehe…
Um, I is bad…. I read this chapter yesterday, next thing I knew, I'd finished the book! In my defence, it was a rainy Saturday…
If Collins can describe food with so much detail it can be called food porn, imagine how descriptive the the deaths will be. And she has shown she has no problem killing characters. D:
I just recently finished this book, and all I could think of was how much the Hunger Games reminded me of the Triwizard Tournament, except more twisted and the spectators actually want people to die.
just so everybody knows. I have nicknamed the boy from District 9 who died Wikus.
Why Wikus?
He's the main character of the movie District 9
Bleh. I couldn't stand that guy. It is a good name, though.
I see. Not a bad name.
After the knife-in-the-back thing, I was glad that the rest of those deaths occurred 'off-screen' so to speak, because Holy Disturbing.
And yup, another end-of-chapter bombshell! How is Collins so damn good at them? As time went on I took the covering the last few lines with my hands if I flipped to the last page of a chapter, because I knew so often it would either be a bombshell, a cliffhanger or both.
Oh my goodness, me too! I always had to cover it with a bookmark because I soon as I got to the last page I would want to look at the last line because I just KNEW something bomb-shelly was about to happen. So glad that I am not alone in this!
And that's why I couldn't stop reading. I can't deal with cliffhangers, I NEED TO KNOW! She is so good at that.
Someone cries out, “Twelve down and eleven to go!” which gets a round of appreciative hoots.
I have just realised how deeply disturbing this is. Whoever is talking, just basically said he/she is going to kill you all (eleven to go) and you cheer?
Wow. Just wow.
I thought this same thing. I was thinking, "Well, at least 5 of you in that group need to go so you might as well get to it." Gah, disturbing.
Haha oh god Mark. You of all people to think that Collins wasn't going to kill anyone during the first day… I mean, you were the one saying how fucked up everything is, so why are you surprised =P.
Also I realized that the reason why we kind of forget that A LOT of people are going to die during the games is because we only get what's inside of Katniss' mind. And her mind was thinking about who to trust, whether Peeta is a good, guy or not PEETA LOVES HER, is everything a play, is everything tricked… blah blah blah.
Although we do get glimpses of what happens during training, it's not like we see how fierce all the other kids are. All that we got was how Katniss was overthinking shit.
You are not prepared. You are SO not prepared.
I was doing such a good job of reading along with you…and then I got to the last line of this chapter, and I couldn't make myself put the book down until 2 chapters later–and I only stopped because I was late getting to someone's house. As frustrating as first person can be, Collins sure can tell a suspenseful story. 🙂
It intrigued me that the arena is partly woods, which puts Katniss in her element; I guess I didn't expect that; but she's a hunter and she knows how to survive in this environment, so she's definitely going to have that advantage.
But yeah, the fact that she just sits in a tree while listening to the Careers kill the girl…it kind of unnerved me, but that's her character: she's got to look out for herself. Her reasoning is, she wants to win first of all, but also, if she'd gone to help, she'd have been killed too. Which is understandable 'cause the reader is in Katniss' head but it also shows how messed uuuuup these Games are.
I'm vicariously experiencing my first Hunger Games reading through your blog and loving it. Though I've got to say, your self control is amazing–I had started out reading a couple chapters a day, thinking hmmm okay when is shit gonna hit the fan, then it actually did and I was like WHAT. And literally spent a sleepless night finishing the book. So kudos to you. 🙂 You're in for it, for sure.
Shit got real, huh?
I knew this would happen. 😛
Aren't you excited you're reading this? 😛
This is exactly where I suddenly got invested and read the rest in a few hours. I completely agree that it's where the writing style suddenly starts to make sense.
I almost fell out of my chair when I read that last line. Peeta! WTF OH GOD SHIT GOT SO REAL.
New reader, awesome blog
I guess I must be in the minority here, but I really, really don’t like this chapter. It’s just so… sterile and lazy plotting on Collins’s part. 12 characters dead. That might strike me as tragic if I knew anything about them, or even the ways in which they died, but I don’t, so to me it comes across as a vaguely sad statistic.
Minority, probably, but not a minority of one. Collins fleshed out so few characters before the Games started that you already knew who the redshirts were. Straight-up law of conservation of characters says that most of them are going to get picked off anonymously, but this is ridiculous. We know literally nothing about ten of the twelve people who have died. It's difficult to feel shocked or hit hard by something so abstract.
Which works, in a way, since it's first person narration. Katniss can't allow herself the time to be distracted by grief or shock without seriously endangering herself.
Of course, I think Collins could have had Katniss at least pay attention to their names or interviews or anything, if only to note their weaknesses or even find reasons to hate them in order to make their deaths easier to handle. I do think they didn't need to be quite so abstract as they come across.
Oh, it totally makes logical sense. It just doesn't have any impact on me as a reader, and you get the feeling that it was supposed to.
The more I reflect on it, I think Collins’s decision not the name or develop a majority of the contestants was probably motivated by self censorship. It’s not that YA novels can’t contain some extremely questionable material; the Long Walk by Stephen King, a very similar sort of story to this and which also predates Battle Royale (actually I believe KÅshun Takami is a fan of King’s so it’s conceivable that he took some inspiration from the Walk), is a young adult novel. However, if you want to gain mainstream recognition you do, to a certain extent, have to play it safe.
And also I think she really is that kind of character. She only notices the people that directly interact with her, and everyone else is just kind of "background" to her. She doesn't read people all that well and they don't hold her attention or stick in her mind for the most part. So most of them go into the arena without names.
(I wonder if we'll find out that she's on the spectrum? Probably not…)
But the fact that *no one* with a name has died yet? Yeah, that's a bit much.
Yeah, I agree. There was no emotional punch from this chapter, because all the characters were just numbers and genders. I was trying to find a way to say this that didn't make me sound like a bad person.
In real life, I am absolutely saddened by the idea of people dying. But the characters in this book aren't people. Those twelve characters don't have names and personalities that I could have gotten to know. Collins never bothered to make them up.
I think more girls survived that first fighting because they avoided the cornucopia; the strongest boys went in there to see what they could get, and a lot of them died because they were weaker than they thought they were.
The thing that disturbed me the most was that I couldn't stop thinking about all the fighters in the arena as children who have been victimized and forced into this (except maybe for 'careers' who volunteered). It is so disturbing that this book is supposed to be for young people to read!
Thanks for your review, I'm really loving it!
This chapter right here is where I really started to get hooked on the story. Before hand, it was enjoyable, but not something I was obsessing over. But right around this chapter is where I stayed up till sunrise reading because I couldn't put it down. Heck, even in rereading it with you, I've been slow- Peeta's just now giving Haymitch a bath after he puked on the floor. But now that I've read this review… I'm anxious just to grab the book and skip ahead so I can read this again 😀
In other news…. Yaaaay, I finally caught up. I guess it was the blood bath and killing of the games I needed to get motivated 😀 I almost kept going after chapter 12, but I managed to stop myself. Barely.
Okay, I'm following the reviews because I haven't read this book yet and..
OH MY GOD.
Can I just say that my brain turned to MUSH at the end of this review?!?!?!
OH MY GOOOOD!
I must sound so dumb but WOW. OMG. WOW. CANNOT COMPUTE.
OMG I LOVED THIS PART. I was so bored for like the first half of the book before the games started, but when it actually did, I could barely look up without finishing it! 😀 Shit gets real, I agree. That was why l loved this. :3 For the plot and action. I don't necessarily like the characters so much (-waits for fans to pounce on me-), but I guess they've been growing on me.
omigod i just found out katniss will be played by kayla scodelario and she is british and looks like she belongs on gossip girl, not in the hunger games.
They haven't made any casting announcements that I can find, but a lot of people want her for the role. I dig it. She'd have to get like malnurished skinny, but she meets the physical description from the book, she is the right age (a little older than Katniss but not too much, and she definitely could play younger), she's the right height, over all I like it.
character assassination — that's what it is.
I enjoyed reading your experience of Harry Potter so much, I thought it'd be great to do this one with you, having never even heard of The Hunger Games before. I honestly planned on reading it chapter by chapter as the reviews were posted, but then I got over excited and finished the whole thing. I have one thing to say…
You Are Not Prepared.
I fucking love Peeta so much. Even though he's a bloodthirsty motherfucker.
Every time I see Peeta's name, I have to remind myself that he's a male character. My mind keeps seeing "Peeta" and picturing a female.
I have trouble not calling him Peter. Eventually I got used to "Peeta", but it took awhile.
She does the cliffhanger endings of chapters so well. I find myself saying WTF?! at the end of nearly every chapter.
Peibee-an-Jay on devianArt took the liberty of drawing the boy from District 9 and giving him an identity, which just makes his death about 100x more depressing.
<img src=http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/124/1/3/The_Boy_from_District_9_by_Peibee_an_Jay.png>
When I first found out you were reading this series, I was so excited. I read the first book a few months after it came out (wasn't able to put it down so I don't envy you there) and anxiously awaited the release of the other two. I can understand the issues you had with the writing near the start, but it's good to hear that you're really getting into the book at this point 🙂 Hopefully you enjoy the rest as well, can't wait for the next review
Okay, it's too late for me to really say anything. In fact I'm probably not going to be doing much of anything for the next two weeks (finals AND grading papers). So, I'm just going to experiment with gifs.
<imgsrc =http://www.mediafire.com/i/?5y7cnuovr7gj116>
K. That didn't work… <img src="http://www.mediafire.com/i/?5y7cnuovr7gj116">
<img src="http://mfi.re/imgbnc.php/c19fac42530986cc75d217e4726b04934g.jpg" border="0">
YES!!!! I WIN!!!! OH SHIT!! IT'S ON NOW!!
<img src="http://mfi.re/imgbnc.php/8f9b66b76967526b7e4af89a518fb96fd1fc85644febd91fa4327b30852297034g.jpg" border="0">
THANK YOU FOR THE CHART. Brilliant. I was actually thinking about doing something similar myself.
Yes, that's right, I'm now delurking because after about ten or so chapters, I was like, fuck this, I am going to read these books myself. Holy shit, is all. I am actually having a hard time focusing at work today because I want to go home and finish the damn thing.
This shit's INTENSE, man.
the girl from 9 should be crossed off on your chart and is not. you only have 10 marked as dead.
When did Peeta even have time to make alliances?! Dear God, I'm so worried about Kat!
I got a little annoyed with this chapter since I know a little about nature- the tree she falls asleep in? A willow tree. Where do willows grow? By water. Obvious lack of knowledge by the author. But then, the author had annoyed me earler with the weapons when they were training- apparently, anything with a pointy part can be thrown, when with some of those weapons, that's definitely not the case.
I know about about 2 months late on this, but that was a really good idea making the chart. My first time through, I got about 2 chapters past this point, got confused as heck, and had to backtrack and make the chart to keep track.
I'm kinda surprised the early death toll took you by surprise, though. Once Haymitch called it "the Bloodbath" I got the sense that a heck of a lot of them were gonna die right away. It's really unwieldy trying to deal with 24 different characters at once. Which was one of the problems I had when I watched Battle Royale, I couldn't figure out who was who.
But yeah, the first time through this was a crazy heart-pounding chapter. I didn't very much appreciate that Katniss kept some information back from us about how things work, though. It created a disconnect between me as the reader and Katniss as the narrator. SHE's watched these Games all her life, so she knows about the land mines and the Bloodbath and how the Games in general work, but we as the reader were completely blind.
Your commentary would be much more interesting, and a great way to model active reading for students, if you didn't swear all the time. Not being a prude at all — I swear all the time. But it sounds unintelligent when written down, like you couldn't come up with another word.