Hey readers,
Now I know that I had promised this post would be up yesterday, but yesterday turned into a beach day and therefore no internet = no blogging. However, It's bright and early Monday morning and I can't wait for "The Hunger Games' to commence.
First of all, I have got to say that this book has been incredibly intense for the first two chapters! I mean, you had so much going on through the course of the introduction and I really enjoyed it. It was so good, in fact, that I'm blogging about chapters 1-2 when I'm well into chapter 4. How are you guys liking it?
Anyhow, these first two chapters describe the beginning of The Hunger Games which would be the reaping. The reaping is when two children (one boy and one girl) are picked randomly from a bowl filled with the names of each child in the district. When the names are picked, they are forcefully entered into The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games, now, is a televised fight to the death. There are 24 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 that are put in various conditions and have to fight against the other contestants for survival.
The whole concept is morbit, to be honest, but I love it. Some of you may have not realized this, but Katniss was narrating in the past tense and therefore I already know that she survived The Hunger Games. For some of you, that might make you feel like it ruined the suspense for you, but if anything it made mine greater. I just can't wait to see how she won; whether she won the traditional way of The Hunger Games or if she got a little smarter than them and defeated the system in and of itself. You never know...
There were quite a few characters introduced to us in these chapters:-
*Prim: - Real name is Primrose Everdeen
- 12 Years Old
- Older sister is Katniss Everdeen
- Owns a cat named Buttercup
- Owns a goat whom she gets milk and cheese from
*Katniss - Full name is Katniss Everdeen
- 16 Years Old
- Has a very frank or matter-of-fact attitude
- Hunter
- Hunting partner is Gale
- Has a dislike of her mother
- The main supporter of her family
*Mother - Seems to be the typical motherly character
- Was sucked into a state of hopelessness and depression
when her husband was killed
- Her mental and physical state after being widowed caused
Katniss to resent her
*Gale - 18 Years Old
- Katniss's Best Friend/Hunting Partner
- The main supporter of his poor family
- Wants to run off into the woods with Katniss (<3?)
- Has a "pointless temper"
*Peeta - Full name is Peeta Mellark
- 16 years Old
- Had helped out Katniss 4 years prior by sneaking her bread
from his family's bakery
- Disliked by katniss because she feels like she owes him
something
*Madge - Full name is Madge Undersee
- The daughter of the mayor
- Gets along with Katniss at school (close acquaintances?)
- Resented by Gale for being wealthy (the odds are always in
her favor in THG)
*Effie - Full name is Effie Trinket
- Hosts/ runs The Hunger Games
- An odd woman with a pink wig and an eerily joyous attitude
to THG
Everything changed in this story when Prim's name was chosen. Katniss can't let her little sister die, so she volunteers to take her place in The Hunger Games. The next person to be picked was Peeta Mellark, the baker's son.
QUESTIONS:
1. How do you feel about the reaping?
I honestly hate it. I mean, it makes for a great story, but the whole idea of picking innocent children out of a bowl and making them kill each other is just so morbid to me. I know that The Hunger Games is a way for the capitol to remind these people that they have so much power over them, but they could really find another way to do it; it's just cruel and unnecessary.
2. Why do you think the capitol had strict laws against hunting?
I think that allowing people to go out and find food by themselves by hunting and such would make the capitol feel like they are losing power. They want to have people at their mercy by pretty much starving them into anything they want them to do. think about it; by depriving the citizens of Panem of food, many people have their children take out a tesserae to provide their families with food. However, the odds of this child being picked in The Hunger Games is then less and less likely to be in their favor. I think that this isn't as much a kind gesture from the capitol as it is a bait.
3. What is your take on Katniss?
I like Katniss; I don't know if it's her sassy attitude or her internal drive for the survival of her family. This makes her quite rough, yes I know, but I feel like I can relate. If my family was in the same financial and emotional distress as hers, you best believe I would be out there doing any and everything to help them out. I respect Katniss for her perseverance and her overall bravery. Sneaking outside District 12 gates to hunt- brave. Trading her life for Prim's- brave. I think that Katniss can make some sort of change in The Hunger Games and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
4. What do you think Gale is to Katniss?
To katniss, I think that Gale is more than a hunting partner, but rather a best friend. At first I was uncertain as she said that he was the only person that could make her smile. It seemed as if their relationship was more romantic than friendly, but she made it evident that she wasn't that interested in him that sort of way. I am still on the fence sometimes; for instance, she brought up the fact that he had a bunch of girls after him and that he had all the attention he needed like she was jealous or something. I'm sure we'll find out definitively by the end of the book.
5. What is your take on Effie Trinket?
I obviously don't like her too much. I mean, anyone who is sick enough to jubilantly endorse something so disgusting and depressing isn't my type. I think that she has some sort of inset problem. It could be her pink wig that never sits on her head properly, her eerie joy or maybe even the way in which she speaks. the fact that her character is so off the grid and shady gives me the idea that Suzanne Collins is foreshadowing something that will be exposed about her later on in the book.
6. Why do you think Katniss is REALLY upset with her mom?
I think that Katniss understands that her mom was mentally ill after suddenly becoming a widow, but while she can accept and respect that, she can't get past the fact that her mother's inability to work through her mental state to take care of Katniss and her little sister Prim caused her, at the age of eleven, to take up the responsibility of providing for her family. I think that this hurt Katniss emotionally as well and therefore forgiving her mother is harder than most might find it to be.
7. How do you think Gale thinks of Katniss?
There is no doubt in my mind that Gale is in love with Katniss. they've known each other for four years and grew closer and closer as hunting partners and were now close friends. His liking for Katniss was evident when he bought up the "running away" idea along with the "kid" topic as well. Even the way he talks to her seems gentle and sweet, like he really cares about her not only as a friend, but as something more. the only problem is that either Katniss doesn't realize this or she doesn't feel the same way.
8. Why was Katniss so against the idea of running away with Gale? What would you do?
I think that Katniss didn't want to run off with Gale because not only does she not feel the same way about Gale that he felt about her, but she had her family to mind. They spoke on the topic of their families, but it seemed as if Gale was more willing to leave them behind than was Katniss. If it were me, I would be like Katniss. Gale seems like a great guy, so it might not be that I don't like him per say, but the concern for the well-being of my family would keep me from abandoning them, especially knowing that my mother could go into another state of depression and leave Prim to fend for herself.
9. Do you think that Gale's reaction to Madge (the mayor's daughter) was just? Why/Why not?
I don't think that it was necessary for Gale to get so upset at Madge, but I do understand his anger. Because Madge's family is wealthy, her name only has to go in 5 times this year. However, for people who have taken out tesseraes, their names are added multiple times; for instance, Katniss's name was entered over 20 times and Gale's name was in nearly 50 times. Therefore, Gale understands that the likelihood of her name being picked from the bowl to Katniss or Gale's names was extremely slim. I don't think that he should have resented her for it as it would be more reasonable and understandable if he resented the capitol for the unfair circumstances that the poor were in.
10. How do you feel about the tesserae system?
I don't know how I feel because I'm not in that situation like the rest of them. I like the idea that the capitol is helping these people by giving them an opportunity to get food to eat, but at the same time it puts peoples' life in a greater chance of danger and therefore, I have no idea about how I feel about it. How do you feel?
11. How do you feel about the fact that The Hunger Games is televised?
I relate it to the Roman times where two men were put up against each other or maybe even a man and a ferocious animal were made to fight to the death; it's one of those things that is massively disturbing that people would watch anyways. I, personally, would never watch it. It's hard enough for me to see people on tv shows get voted off farless killed off. My major dislike of the televised aspect of it, though, is that I could imagine that family members of some of the contestants would be watching to make sure their son, daughter, sister, brother, neice, nephew, WHOEVER, was safe; but what if they weren't? Nobody should have to watch someone that they love be brutally massacred on television. it's just horrible.
12. Does Panem scare you?
Yes, absolutely. It scares me because I'm from North America, so the thought of my country being destroyed and made into a ruthless place ruled by dictators is horrifying. Heck, even the thought of Mitt Romney becoming president scares me! At any rate, the thought of Panem is quite terrifying because although many of the situations might seem fictional, in this world of hate and cruelty, anything is possible.
13. What does the description of Haymitch Abernathy tell you?
Many of you see him as the typical drunkard, but I see him as a tortured soul. Imagine having to brutally kill other children in order to survive. You're going to see and do things that nobody should ever have to experience. Therefore, I think that Haymitch is messed up in the head and he might be drinking to drown out those gruesome memories that he has carried with him for all of those years.
14. How did you feel when they called Prim's name?
It was very clever how Collins placed the part where her name was called on the last line of chapter 1 because the shock and suspense made me turn that page so fast I nearly ripped it out of the book entirely! My heart dropped because I was trying to think of how she would survive in this game. It was just very scary as the reader. It was almost like Prim was MY little sister and I could feel that worry in my heart that Katniss soon felt.
15. How did you feel when Katniss Volunteered?
I didn't want Katniss to be a part of The Hunger Games, but being in the situation that she was in where it was either her or Prim, I could understand fully where she was coming from. I would have done the same thing, so I felt proud of Katniss and my respect for her grew immensely at this point in the story.
Okay, well that was my overview of chapters 1-2. The review of chapters 3-4 will be out on October 28th, so get to reading!
Oh, before I forget, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE leave some comments on your take on these two chapters. Tell me if you liked them, disliked them, or even answer some of the questions that I answered in this post. I really need you guys to have some feedback for this book club to work. Can't wait to hear from you guys!
Love Always <3,
katrina Lowell
Now I know that I had promised this post would be up yesterday, but yesterday turned into a beach day and therefore no internet = no blogging. However, It's bright and early Monday morning and I can't wait for "The Hunger Games' to commence.
First of all, I have got to say that this book has been incredibly intense for the first two chapters! I mean, you had so much going on through the course of the introduction and I really enjoyed it. It was so good, in fact, that I'm blogging about chapters 1-2 when I'm well into chapter 4. How are you guys liking it?
Anyhow, these first two chapters describe the beginning of The Hunger Games which would be the reaping. The reaping is when two children (one boy and one girl) are picked randomly from a bowl filled with the names of each child in the district. When the names are picked, they are forcefully entered into The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games, now, is a televised fight to the death. There are 24 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 that are put in various conditions and have to fight against the other contestants for survival.
The whole concept is morbit, to be honest, but I love it. Some of you may have not realized this, but Katniss was narrating in the past tense and therefore I already know that she survived The Hunger Games. For some of you, that might make you feel like it ruined the suspense for you, but if anything it made mine greater. I just can't wait to see how she won; whether she won the traditional way of The Hunger Games or if she got a little smarter than them and defeated the system in and of itself. You never know...
There were quite a few characters introduced to us in these chapters:-
*Prim: - Real name is Primrose Everdeen
- 12 Years Old
- Older sister is Katniss Everdeen
- Owns a cat named Buttercup
- Owns a goat whom she gets milk and cheese from
*Katniss - Full name is Katniss Everdeen
- 16 Years Old
- Has a very frank or matter-of-fact attitude
- Hunter
- Hunting partner is Gale
- Has a dislike of her mother
- The main supporter of her family
*Mother - Seems to be the typical motherly character
- Was sucked into a state of hopelessness and depression
when her husband was killed
- Her mental and physical state after being widowed caused
Katniss to resent her
*Gale - 18 Years Old
- Katniss's Best Friend/Hunting Partner
- The main supporter of his poor family
- Wants to run off into the woods with Katniss (<3?)
- Has a "pointless temper"
*Peeta - Full name is Peeta Mellark
- 16 years Old
- Had helped out Katniss 4 years prior by sneaking her bread
from his family's bakery
- Disliked by katniss because she feels like she owes him
something
*Madge - Full name is Madge Undersee
- The daughter of the mayor
- Gets along with Katniss at school (close acquaintances?)
- Resented by Gale for being wealthy (the odds are always in
her favor in THG)
*Effie - Full name is Effie Trinket
- Hosts/ runs The Hunger Games
- An odd woman with a pink wig and an eerily joyous attitude
to THG
Everything changed in this story when Prim's name was chosen. Katniss can't let her little sister die, so she volunteers to take her place in The Hunger Games. The next person to be picked was Peeta Mellark, the baker's son.
QUESTIONS:
1. How do you feel about the reaping?
I honestly hate it. I mean, it makes for a great story, but the whole idea of picking innocent children out of a bowl and making them kill each other is just so morbid to me. I know that The Hunger Games is a way for the capitol to remind these people that they have so much power over them, but they could really find another way to do it; it's just cruel and unnecessary.
2. Why do you think the capitol had strict laws against hunting?
I think that allowing people to go out and find food by themselves by hunting and such would make the capitol feel like they are losing power. They want to have people at their mercy by pretty much starving them into anything they want them to do. think about it; by depriving the citizens of Panem of food, many people have their children take out a tesserae to provide their families with food. However, the odds of this child being picked in The Hunger Games is then less and less likely to be in their favor. I think that this isn't as much a kind gesture from the capitol as it is a bait.
3. What is your take on Katniss?
I like Katniss; I don't know if it's her sassy attitude or her internal drive for the survival of her family. This makes her quite rough, yes I know, but I feel like I can relate. If my family was in the same financial and emotional distress as hers, you best believe I would be out there doing any and everything to help them out. I respect Katniss for her perseverance and her overall bravery. Sneaking outside District 12 gates to hunt- brave. Trading her life for Prim's- brave. I think that Katniss can make some sort of change in The Hunger Games and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
4. What do you think Gale is to Katniss?
To katniss, I think that Gale is more than a hunting partner, but rather a best friend. At first I was uncertain as she said that he was the only person that could make her smile. It seemed as if their relationship was more romantic than friendly, but she made it evident that she wasn't that interested in him that sort of way. I am still on the fence sometimes; for instance, she brought up the fact that he had a bunch of girls after him and that he had all the attention he needed like she was jealous or something. I'm sure we'll find out definitively by the end of the book.
5. What is your take on Effie Trinket?
I obviously don't like her too much. I mean, anyone who is sick enough to jubilantly endorse something so disgusting and depressing isn't my type. I think that she has some sort of inset problem. It could be her pink wig that never sits on her head properly, her eerie joy or maybe even the way in which she speaks. the fact that her character is so off the grid and shady gives me the idea that Suzanne Collins is foreshadowing something that will be exposed about her later on in the book.
6. Why do you think Katniss is REALLY upset with her mom?
I think that Katniss understands that her mom was mentally ill after suddenly becoming a widow, but while she can accept and respect that, she can't get past the fact that her mother's inability to work through her mental state to take care of Katniss and her little sister Prim caused her, at the age of eleven, to take up the responsibility of providing for her family. I think that this hurt Katniss emotionally as well and therefore forgiving her mother is harder than most might find it to be.
7. How do you think Gale thinks of Katniss?
There is no doubt in my mind that Gale is in love with Katniss. they've known each other for four years and grew closer and closer as hunting partners and were now close friends. His liking for Katniss was evident when he bought up the "running away" idea along with the "kid" topic as well. Even the way he talks to her seems gentle and sweet, like he really cares about her not only as a friend, but as something more. the only problem is that either Katniss doesn't realize this or she doesn't feel the same way.
8. Why was Katniss so against the idea of running away with Gale? What would you do?
I think that Katniss didn't want to run off with Gale because not only does she not feel the same way about Gale that he felt about her, but she had her family to mind. They spoke on the topic of their families, but it seemed as if Gale was more willing to leave them behind than was Katniss. If it were me, I would be like Katniss. Gale seems like a great guy, so it might not be that I don't like him per say, but the concern for the well-being of my family would keep me from abandoning them, especially knowing that my mother could go into another state of depression and leave Prim to fend for herself.
9. Do you think that Gale's reaction to Madge (the mayor's daughter) was just? Why/Why not?
I don't think that it was necessary for Gale to get so upset at Madge, but I do understand his anger. Because Madge's family is wealthy, her name only has to go in 5 times this year. However, for people who have taken out tesseraes, their names are added multiple times; for instance, Katniss's name was entered over 20 times and Gale's name was in nearly 50 times. Therefore, Gale understands that the likelihood of her name being picked from the bowl to Katniss or Gale's names was extremely slim. I don't think that he should have resented her for it as it would be more reasonable and understandable if he resented the capitol for the unfair circumstances that the poor were in.
10. How do you feel about the tesserae system?
I don't know how I feel because I'm not in that situation like the rest of them. I like the idea that the capitol is helping these people by giving them an opportunity to get food to eat, but at the same time it puts peoples' life in a greater chance of danger and therefore, I have no idea about how I feel about it. How do you feel?
11. How do you feel about the fact that The Hunger Games is televised?
I relate it to the Roman times where two men were put up against each other or maybe even a man and a ferocious animal were made to fight to the death; it's one of those things that is massively disturbing that people would watch anyways. I, personally, would never watch it. It's hard enough for me to see people on tv shows get voted off farless killed off. My major dislike of the televised aspect of it, though, is that I could imagine that family members of some of the contestants would be watching to make sure their son, daughter, sister, brother, neice, nephew, WHOEVER, was safe; but what if they weren't? Nobody should have to watch someone that they love be brutally massacred on television. it's just horrible.
12. Does Panem scare you?
Yes, absolutely. It scares me because I'm from North America, so the thought of my country being destroyed and made into a ruthless place ruled by dictators is horrifying. Heck, even the thought of Mitt Romney becoming president scares me! At any rate, the thought of Panem is quite terrifying because although many of the situations might seem fictional, in this world of hate and cruelty, anything is possible.
13. What does the description of Haymitch Abernathy tell you?
Many of you see him as the typical drunkard, but I see him as a tortured soul. Imagine having to brutally kill other children in order to survive. You're going to see and do things that nobody should ever have to experience. Therefore, I think that Haymitch is messed up in the head and he might be drinking to drown out those gruesome memories that he has carried with him for all of those years.
14. How did you feel when they called Prim's name?
It was very clever how Collins placed the part where her name was called on the last line of chapter 1 because the shock and suspense made me turn that page so fast I nearly ripped it out of the book entirely! My heart dropped because I was trying to think of how she would survive in this game. It was just very scary as the reader. It was almost like Prim was MY little sister and I could feel that worry in my heart that Katniss soon felt.
15. How did you feel when Katniss Volunteered?
I didn't want Katniss to be a part of The Hunger Games, but being in the situation that she was in where it was either her or Prim, I could understand fully where she was coming from. I would have done the same thing, so I felt proud of Katniss and my respect for her grew immensely at this point in the story.
Okay, well that was my overview of chapters 1-2. The review of chapters 3-4 will be out on October 28th, so get to reading!
Oh, before I forget, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE leave some comments on your take on these two chapters. Tell me if you liked them, disliked them, or even answer some of the questions that I answered in this post. I really need you guys to have some feedback for this book club to work. Can't wait to hear from you guys!
Love Always <3,
katrina Lowell
3 comments:
High Katarina :) Although I have already read the book (and seen the movie, patiently awaiting the second)I would like to participate, if you don't mind...... I promise I won't spoil anything, there's nothing worse than that, in my opinion.
Hey Sydney! Thank you so much for joining the club. Tell me, did you enjoy the book? I love the fact that you read the book because you'll be able to understand things that happened at the beginning in a deeper, more meaningful way, so don't mind. Anyhow, welcome to the club. We're glad to have you!
Love Always,
<3 Katrina Lowell
Heyyyy so now here's where I share what I feel on this book :) chapters 1-2 that is. Effie I think is just a little dillusional. She thinks what she's doing is right and that there is a glory involved but this is because the Capitol has brainwashed them all. The Capitol is the definite enemy here. Hay itch I'm slightly sorry to say is one of my faorite characters. He is so...blunt and honest I just love him. He also adds in some Comic relief haha :) the first two chapters overall are exceptional and being inside katniss's head the whole time really helps :) anyways you're doing good with the book club! Keep it up :)
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