"The Hunger Games"

The Hunger Games, where do I start. First of all, I say how uneasy I was about the whole Hunger Games and how I wasn't happy about the competition to kill each other to survive. That so didn't sit well with me, but never the less because of all the great reviews I read and recommendations to read it, indeed i dove right in and read it. I must add, that I was not disappointed!

Characters:

Katniss Everdeen- District 12 Girl Contestant and good hunter
Peeta Mellark-District 12 Boy Contestant and Bakers son
Gale- Katniss' best friend and companion to hunt
Primrose- Katniss little sister
Rue- District 11 Girl Contestant

This books was great! It took me a little bit to get into the whole storyline, but with some intense focus, I was able to figure out what was going on and was immediately captured by Katniss' skill of providing for her family at such a young age and her great love her younger sister Prim. I instantly fell in love with the family bond I felt between the two sisters (Katniss and Prim).

Gale is 18 or 19 and has been good friend with Katniss from the jump. He was her partner in hunting, learning, helping each other survive by providing game for their families to eat daily, spending everyday together. Before the games, Gale tells Katniss, you know we can run away and live outside of District 12 in the woods. Katniss thinks about it and wonders why Gales says that. She doesn't bother to ask him, but the question lingers in her mind. She loves Gale, but is not sure as a boyfriend or a best friend.

There are 12 Districts and a boy and a girl(24 kids) ranging from ages 12-18 are chosen randomly lottery style to play in the Games. These are no ordinary ames these are the HUNGER GAMES, strictly a game of LIFE SURVIVAL! The winner survives and the rest die trying to live! Prim's name was chosen to participate in the games, but Katniss loving her sister, spoke up and insisted that she go in place of her little sister. This has not been done, a volunteer to play in the games was unheard of for a long time untl Katniss did. Prim was not happy about it, but Katniss knew she would not let her little sister be a part of the blood bath that would await her in the games.

Katniss goes in place of her sister and Peeta Mellark is chosen for the boy to represent District 12. Peeta has noticed everything about Katniss sinc she was 5 years old, but Katniss never knew this until they were struggling to survive in the games. Peeta loved Katniss the first time he saw her at age 5 in school. His feelings are real for Katniss and all along Katniss thinks he's pretending to please the crowd as they all watch the games on live TV. Haymitch (Katniss and Peeta's mentor)tells Katniss she has to pretend to be in love with Peeta so as to please the crowd and get sponsors for the games. She understands and plays into the love scenario. All along Katniss pretends to love Peeta, yet she gets confused at times and poor Peeta not pretending is really in love with Katniss and everything he tells her and admits to is TRUE from the GET GO!

One of my fave characters in the book is RUE from District 11 a young 12 year old girl, small yet clever to get away from her enemies. Katniss and Rue become friends in the Arena where the games are held and Katniss is immediately drawn to RUE because she reminds her of her sister PRIM. They become a team in the arena looking out for each other and when RUE is caught by a net she screams for Katniss and she runs to find her yelling her name. When Katniss sees her, a spear comes flying into the net and hits RUE in the stomache. Katniss shoots her bow in the District 1 boys neck and he instantly dies. This was Katniss' first kill in the games.
Katniss sees Rues wound and she knows that she will soon die. Rue is getting weak and she tells Katniss, "You have to win" and Katniss tells her, " I'm going to. Going to win for both of us now, I promise." Rue tells her to sing a song for her, as Katniss swallows back tears, she sings the song her father use to sing to her when she was young.

In this part of the book, I just lost it, as I am now, as tears flow down my face. I can't help but see Katniss singing to Rue's small, fragile body as she watches and witnesses her last breath of life! How tragic! At this point Katniss is determined to win the games for RUE! Katniss gathers flowers and adorns Rue's body with the flowers sending her off to her death with beautiful flowers. District 11 seeing this send down a gift of a loaf of bread as a generous thank you for Katniss. This has never been done by any District, but District 11 was very thankful that Katniss took the time to send off RUE with love and peace! I lost it at that point as well. Tears coming down my face for the generosity and love that District 11 showed to Katniss.

During the games, Peeta is wounded and hides and camaflauges himself in the mud for 2 to 3 days and Katniss with her killer instincts and survival skills finds him and aids him to survival. He is ever so greatful to her! She does her darndest to help him live with her so she won't be alone or die alone. Their relationship grows and she finds herself so dependent on him, not to help her with the hunting but to sustain her sanity in the games and being with him through the games till the bitter end. She realizes they need each other and their relationship blooms from then on!

Peeta Mellark is my absolute favorite character in the book. I love how he's so sincere about his feelings for Katniss and how he pre-meditates what he's going to do when he gets into the arena to help Katniss. When he confesses that he likes Katniss in the interviews before the games begin, you can already feel that he's not pretending, yet Katniss on the other hand doesn't see it, ugh that girl!

Peeta has saved Katniss one too many times even before the games began. He reminds Katniss that Haymitch said they need to pretend like they're cross over lovers and she can kiss him at anytime to make it look good for the audience watching. They excahnges kisses in the cave, but this kiss was real! Katniss thinks to herself and says, "This is the first kiss that we're both fully aware of neither of us hobbled by sickness or ain or smply unconscious. Our lips neitherburning with fever or icy cold. This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest. Warm and curious. This is the first kiss that makes me want another." How can you NOT know that you're falling for someone if you're wanting more kisses in the manner that makes your chest all warm and feeling that swoon moment, oh that Katniss gets to me at moments like this. Poor Peeta!

Peeta tells Katniss everything he remembers about Katniss from the first day of school to events that happened since they were 5 years old. He says ever since that first day he saw her, he's been trying to get up the nerve to talk to her 11 years later and no success, until the games. Katniss tells him, "you have a good memory" and Peeta tells her, "I remember everything about you, you're the one who wasn't paying attention."

This book was remarkable and the whole Hunger Games just took me on a wild run for life, hunger physically and mentally, finding those you can trust, getting rid of those you call enemies and the mere survival of trying to live one more day in the land of Panem. Do Peeta and Katniss end up together after the games? Does she end up with Gale? What does Gale think of Katniss and Peeta in the games exchanging kisses and love for each other? What does Katniss do at home? Are they all friends? So many questions need to be answered, and I'm going to find out! Join me to the next book by Suzanne Collins CATCHING FIRE..I'm ready!