Reading: The Hunger Games

Hopefully you’re excited because this book is definitely getting good! Here’s what’s gone down pages 133-171.

Katniss puts two-and-two together and realizes that Peeta is saying he has a crush on her. The crowd sighs and sympathizes with the star-crossed lovers. Once the ceremony is done the tributes are shuttled back to the training center. Katniss tries everything she can to avoid Peeta but when her elevator reaches her floor she sees Peeta in the hallway and angrily storms towards him. She shoves Peeta ordering him to tell her why he told everyone he has a crush on her. Haymitch and the stylists arrive. Peeta admits that it was his idea to fake the crush to win both of them sponsors. He claims that Katniss is mad only because she’s afraid of Gale finding out. Now to everyone following the games she appears desirable as an object of love.
At dinner they all watch the recap of the interviews. Haymitch gives the tributes their finally bits of advice. He tells them that “when the gong sounds, get the hell out of there” because they are not able to survive the battles that will go on at the Cornucopia. They’re instructed to get away as far as they can from the other tributes. Once they get away, they have to find their water source. After that his only piece of advice is to stay alive.
Katniss tries to fall asleep but spends countless hours lying awake in bed. Her mind is overwhelmed with scenarios of the day to come. To ease her nerves Katniss escapes up to the roof where she finds Peeta watching the Capitols celebrate with a party. This whole evening Peeta’s been worried about how he can keep his personal identity during the games and how he can avoid making a disgrace of himself.
Today’s the day of the games and Katniss, along with the other tributes, has a tracking device inserted into her. That must hurt. I absolutely hate shots and would most definitely cry during this. The tributes are taken to the Lanch Room where she will get ready for the games. After the Hunger Games are finished the arenas become historic sites, and the people from the Capitol come and vacation there.
Going into the Games all tributes are equipped with hooded black jackets that reflect body heat. Cinna remembers to attach Madge’s mockingjay pin to her simple outfit. Once all the tributes are dressed and ready, the games begin!
All tributes must wait sixty seconds before they’re released into the arena. Katniss contemplates whether or not she should disobey Haymitch and fight at the Cornucopia for supplies. Still unable to decide, she eyes a bow and a quiver of arrows. She looks at Peeta and he’s shaking his head no, and Katniss misses the gong and now doesn’t stand a chance at the Cornucopia. Disobeying Peeta and Haymitch, Katniss takes off sprinting towards the Cornucopia and grabs a sheet of plastic, a loaf of bread, and a backpack. However, Katniss sees another tribute coming towards the same backpack. When he’s close enough he coughs spattering blood all over Katniss’s face (when I first read this I thought this was going to be some kind of stupid human trick he could do). Quickly she notices the knife in his back, and the girl who threw it begins to throw another knife at Katniss. Protecting herself with her backpack, Katniss manages to escape with one of the girl’s knives and heads running towards the woods.
She hears the cannons that are shot daily, once for every tribute killed that day. The first day into the games and already there are eleven shots. Inside her backpack she finds a sleeping bag, crackers, beef strips (I’m thinking these strips are supposed to be like beef jerky? I hate beef jerky, but maybe in the games I could maybe manage to choke some down), iodine, matches, wire, sunglasses, and an empty water bottle (shoot why’s it have to be an empty one?!). Determined to find a water source, Katniss keeps heading away from the Cornucopia. She sets two snares and climbs into a tree to rest for the night. Katniss is for sure a thinker. I mean who else would of thought to put their belt around the tree and fasten herself in it?
It’s morning now and Katniss awakes to the sound of a snap. Nearby she can see someone is building a fire. Katniss thinks whoever this is must be a complete idiot to be building a fire because it will only attract the bigger tributes. A pack of the stronger ‘Career’ tributes come along and kill whoever the girl was making the fire. Katniss notices that the Career tributes has teamed up and made alliances. Still in the tree, she listens to the tributes talking about the death of the girl, and Katniss realizes Peeta has teamed up with the Career Tributes.
Katniss is completely oblivious as to why Peeta has joined forces with the Careers. Peeta leaves the group to make sure the girl with the fire is dead, and the group discusses how they’re just using Peeta to find “her.” Without hesitation, Katniss realizes they’re talking about her. I feel like everyone at some point anyway, has been ‘used’ so people can get closer to another. Poor Peeta!
She climbs down from the tree, checks her snares, and finds a rabbit. She cooks it from the hot embers of the recently killed tribute’s fire. Katniss hopes that her hunting and cooking skills will help her earn sponsors. Still without water, Katniss is starting to become dehydrated. She keeps on moving forward in hopes of finding her water source.
The next morning Katniss keeps moving and is still unable to find water. She thinks that Haymitch has given up on her and refuses to send her any help from her sponsors. After thinking about why Haymitch wouldn’t send her water, she thinks that maybe it’s because she’s close to water. Mustering all of her strength, she keeps going but collapses into mud. Mud means water. Katniss finally found her water source, a pond full of water lilies. She purifies her water and immediately replenishes her weak and tired body. After a successful night she climbs up a nearby tree and sleep for the night.
The next morning Katniss wakes up to a loud noise that sounds like a stampede. She see a huge ‘wall of fire’ coming towards her.

Get ready the next post will be even more exciting. I’m finally getting hooked onto this book, and I can’t wait to read the next two in the series. Thanks for reading!