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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Katniss, The Girl Who Was On Fire

If you recognize this post's title, you must have read The Hunger Games. I just finished reading the first of the series and haven't written a book review, so no better chance than now. Warning, I'll try not to contain spoilers. If I do, I apologise now.

This week's Road Trip Wednesday topic:

What's the best book you've read in August.

Author:Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Pages: 374
Date of Release: Dec. 14th 2009
First Line:  "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


Part One: The Tribute

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”
-Effie Trinket

The book begins with Katniss waking to crawl underneath the chainlink fence and hunt--an action which is illigal. But with food on the scarce side, what's a girl to do? She has to feed her mother and her young sister Primrose (Prim). Here is also where Katniss' hunting partner Gale Hawthorn is introduced. They hunt and fish together, and talk about the nerve-wracking event that takes place later on in the day, the Reaping; the announcement of tributes for the 74th Hunger Games. When they finish hunting and selling some of their catch in a place called "The Hob" the two seperate to ready themselves for the ceremony. How it works is every person from age 12 to 18 must enter their name once, but for a years supply of tesserae--grain and oil--for one person they enter more. The more a person enters, the more tesserae the family gets. Katniss' name has been entered into the Game twenty times. Gale, who is eighteen and has seven brothers and sisters at home, has his named entered forty-two times. Now that Prim is old enough to enter, her name is entered once.

In the end Katniss and a boy named Peeta Mellark are the tributes from their district--District 12, which is set in the Appalachian and is known for coal mining. Since the Games are for "entertainment" and on television, the tributes have to look good right? They are all assigned a stylist. For District 12 it is Cinna and Portia--who I absoloutly love, by the way. The district is known for the tributes to be dressed in practically nothing--skanky coal miner outfits, for example. What does Cinna and Portia do to be radiant and different? They set them on fire.

Part Two:  The Games
“Winning means fame and fortune.
Losing means certain death.
The Hunger Games have begun.”


 The tributes know that the Games can take place anywhere from a desert, an artic region, to a forest. They have endured interviews, preparations, days of nerves, and finally it's time to start the games. Katniss knows she needs only one weapon--a bow and arrows--and it's not promised. Here is when cleverness, strength, skill, betrayal, and the strive to survive is tested.


Part Three:  The Victor
 
“Here’s some advice. Stay alive.”
-Haymitch Abernathy


It's all about who has gets the victory. I can't tell you much about this part without giving everything away.

My Thoughts
When I first heard about The Hunger Games it was from Stephenie Meyer's--the author of Twilight--website. It was when it first released and the book sounded so interesting, but I never got the chance to get my hands on it. I'm certainly glad I did. I would give it 4.5 stars. I can't wait to read the next one, Catching Fire.

Though I haven't read many, dystopians never cease to amaze me. It's interesting to wonder what the world be like in the future, and The Hunger Game's world would be a horrible world to live in. If Panem existed right now, based on where I live, I would probably be in District 12, too.

I cannot wait for the movie to come out! Here is a teaser trailer that just released.


The Love Interest

“Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you.”
-Katniss Everdeen

Two of my favorite aspects in novels are action and romance. I love a good fight scene just as much as I love mushy scene that makes you go "Squeee!" It has both action and romance, although the romance is different from other books and I found it interesting.

At first I wondered if there was something between Katniss and Gale. Though their relationship in the beginning of the book seemed platonic, I couldn't even begin to guess what Ms. Collins has up her sleeve for the next book.

Peeta. Sweet, sweet Peeta. To Katniss he is known as "the boy with the bread" and not just because he is the son of the baker. Though Peeta and Katniss never talked before the Games, they have a history so heavy Katniss feels she can never pay Peeta back for a favor he did for her.

Peeta: “Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping.”
Caesar: “She have another fellow?”
Peeta: “I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her.”
Caesar: “So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?”
Peeta: “I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning…won’t help in my case”
Caesar: “Why ever not?”
Peeta: “Because…because…she came here with me.”

Dun-dun-DUH!!!

Have you read The Hunger Games? What did you think? What was your favorite/least favorite part? Which was your favorite in the series--but no spoliers, please! :D

3 comments:

  1. Oh The Hunger Games! It is an unstoppable force of awesomeness. I'm so glad you liked it! (And that scene you quote at the end.. gets me every time! I love Peeta!)

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  2. Teaser Trailer- hmmm. Can't wait for a real one! I really liked Hunger Games- all three, except Dystopian isn't really my thing. That was the only minus to the series for me.

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  3. Omg - I am going to have to reread these books. SO fabulous! And I cannot wait for the movie!

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