It’s here! Our first discussion post for the Summer of Hunger Games! Now, this post is purely for parts 1 and 2 of Hunger Games, so please stick to those plot points – we won’t be approving comments that contain spoilers for the rest of the series. So rest easy first timers, this is a safe place. Remember, on the right hand side of this post you’ll see Book Talk’s own WORDS WE LIVE BY – so please, keep it friendly and fun 🙂 Let the games begin!
These games, of course, involve our second wonderful give-away! This time, we have two exclusive Scholastic Book Clubs Mockingjay pins as the prize. As with the first round, to enter be sure to comment on this post with the phrase “I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!” in the body of your comment. You must be over the age of 18 and a valid U.S. resident, click here for complete rules. You will have until tonight July 30th, 2010 at 9pm EST to enter. We will draw two (2) names at random tomorrow 1pm EST. Please only submit the phrase one time, and leave the rest of your comments for good ole’ fashioned book talk.
Warning! There are spoilers here for parts 1 and 2 of Hunger Games! Click on the ‘continue reading’ link to read some of our thoughts on the book so far and comment with some of your own!
Alright, tributes, we are two parts into Hunger Games for Summer of Hunger Games and Katniss has just called Peeta’s name. Chills, shivers, goosebumps, whatever you call it, there is a visceral reaction to the end of part two. Katniss has changed.
Trevor and I were chatting while finishing up Part two, maybe you all can weigh in on the conversation:
Trevor: I never noticed this but Katniss does not directly kill anyone for most of the first two parts –
Me: Well, I think she needs to be that way- we have to get to know her as an innocent.
Trevor: I guess, but it is one of those things I just never noticed, you know? She is presented as the “hunter.”
Me: The compassionate hunter though –
Trevor: True, but Peeta is presented as innocent and he kills before she does.
Me: I think we’re supposed to believe in her goodness. Peeta is an innocent, and kind of presented as one in a way – but at the same time, he’s not. Because we’re seeing him through Katniss’ eyes. So we don’t know what is real and what isn’t real with him.
Trevor: Well – either way, chapter eighteen was intense.
What do you guys think? Go on! Let’s hear it!
Can’t get enough? While you’re talking about the book here, be sure to check out the official Scholastic Hunger Games Facebook page or head over to our friends at On Our Minds who are giving away a free copy of Mockingjay that will land on your doorstep August 24th! Don’t forget to keep the conversation going on Twitter with #SoHG!
Book Talk 
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
As much as Peeta is potrayed as innocent, You already know that he feels something for Katniss. So it wasn’t that far off a thought for me to think that he is killing for her. Also, Katniss not killing gives more depth to her character. She is put in a situation where she knows that she has to, but at the same time she is putting a lot of thought into what she does, who she does it to and how it is going to happen. She is a planner. That is why it took everyone, including Katniss, by surprise when she finally did kill someone!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I think for the most part many of the tributes are truly entering the arena as innocents. Only the career tributes are there for personal glory. The others had their name called and wished for someone to take their place. Katniss is a hunter for the purpose of survival only. Even when she hunted animals with Gale it was simply to provide for her family and his, it was never about the sport of hunting.
When Katniss said Peeta’s name at the end of part one I feel that it was in relief. She never truly wanted to kill him and now is allowing herself to take down the wall she put up in preparation of possiblity of killing him.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin! I will ROCK that pin.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I think you’re definitely right that Katniss has to be presented as “innocent” but I think another point that Collins is trying to make is that the Hunger Games turn people INTO killers, most don’t come into the arena that way.
Oh, yeah totally – I agree. But the rest of them are so quick to jump on the killing bandwagon – the Careers are immediate. But maybe that’s because the richer districts had the training to turn their children into killers before they hit the arena?
I agree. Katniss is tough and a survivor, but she’s not a murderer and that is exactly what The Capitol is trying to make each and every one of these children who enter the games.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
i want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
That is an interesting point about Collins’ portrayal of innocence.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I did notice that Katniss doesn’t kill easily, in fact when she did kill someone it came as a shock to me, just like it did to her. She is smart and knows this is a game to the death; she is a trained hunter and has the capacity to kill; she knows that they will force her to kill if she doesn’t choose to on her own, but she hesitates and keeps herself out of the action for most of the beginning of the book. She saves in the first Hunger Games before she kills and ultimately refuses to kill in the end. I think this is what makes her endearing to not only the reader but the rest of Panem.
Interesting Trevor thinks Peeta is an innocent. I never read him that way. I think he is a good man and definitely loves Katniss. But, he, more than anyone else in the book, understood the game from the beginning. He reminds me of a politician. He knew exactly what needed to be done during each step and played his role perfectly. I think calling him an innocent lessens what he was able to accomplish in the Hunger Games.
Oh and…“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
I agree with J-Lynn that the term “innocent” is probably best not applied to Peeta.
What is innocence? Doesn’t the whole structure of the Capitol’s oppression of the Districts ensure that no one remains innocent? When Peeta gave Katniss the bread, he defied The Capitol’s desire to keep the classes separate in the Districts (which is how most corrupt systems maintain control). Peeta’s compassion for Katniss is presented as innocence, but Peeta is acutely aware of the power games played by the Capitol, and giving Katniss bread was an act of rebellion in and of itself.
I believe Ms. Collins wants readers to think about how they might respond to the untenable circumstance of being thrust into the arena. I doubt I would last a day.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I did notice that…though I think it’s meant to highlight that Peeta will do just about anything for Katniss, including killing. That scene where he helped the Careers kill the girl who made the campfire (and then went back to finish her off!) was really chilling, though.
I think Katniss is represented as an innocent so that we will see her moral dilemmas and her inevitable loss of innocence.
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!” pretty pretty please with sugar on top
To be honest I was more surprised when Peeta killed. I thought for sure he was going to be our tragic what if the sub plot character that had to die for Katniss to step it up and begin to really survive in the games.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
True, Katniss is a hunter. She’s been providing food for her family. But, she never had to hunt people before which is entirely different. Her mindset would have to change entirely.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Great book. My wife and I have had some interesting discussions. “I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!” for my wife because she is such a big fan of the books.
I find it interesting that, while they all make tough decisions (because it truly is kill or be killed), she continues to have a moral debate. Her attachment to the other players intrigues me. I don’t think that you can leave something like the Hunger Games the same as when you went in (assuming you survive).
P.S.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I think Collins wants us to think about our own complicity in The Hunger Games. Those of us who live in developed economies (such as the U.S.) ARE the Capitol. We enjoy our excessive entertainment-driven lives because people in other parts of the world work in conditions not unlike the ones Collins describes in the series to make products for us.
So glad you brought this up! I have thought of this as well and it makes the book all the more layered!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Maybe it’s because of my obsession with Harry Potter, but I was almost annoyed by the fact that Katniss doesn’t kill anyone directly. To me, it felt like another author trying to save the purity of the character.
I have this thought that authors are always hesitant to have their main characters murder because they don’t want the readers to dislike or turn on the characters. Opinions?
But I do like what J-Lynn said about how Katniss not killing endeared her to Panem. It’s so true. I doubt she would be loved as much if she were a brutal killer. It really is something to think about.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I don’t believe Collin’s was trying to save the purity of the character at all.
The Capitol survives on manipulation and control. The Hunger Games is a perfect example of this. Katniss does not avoid killing anyone directly because she is innocent, she does it because she’s not a murderer. Even if The Capitol tries to put her in a situation to force her to kill other children she tries to hold true to her morals.
However, Katniss is also a survivor, a fighter, and a protector.
This is why the Games are so terrible, so intense. They manipulate these children, force them to become perfect on the outside and desperate killers on the inside.
I love the conversation Katniss and Peeta shared on the rooftop the night before the Games. I believe that conversation sheds a lot of light on WHY Katniss does not kill right away. The Games change you, force you to become a murderer and as Peeta explained he didn’t want them to, “Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.”
Ya, I never thought she was a monster or a murderer or anything of that nature. My conversation with Preeti may have been a little out of context. I guess it felt like, especially the first time I read it, she would have reached the part where the Hunger Games changes her a lot earlier. Especially since her hunting instincts are always so ingrained in her thoughts in the book.
Great conversation tributes! Keep it up!
Yes, I agree with everything you said. The question for me is whether there is a distinction between being an innocent and choosing not to murder. I see Katniss’ choice not to murder until she is forced to as evidence that, deep down inside, she still has innocence within her.
Also, would things have turned out differently if Katniss had allowed the Capitol to turn her into a monster? Or did the Capitol succeed?
And . . . I wonder if readers would have liked her as much as they do if she began to kill left and right. The themes of the novel would have probably been different if she had.
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
I am very much looking forward to reading this series! It is my next read and am excited for a great adventure!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Just like the first time I read through these books, I WAS HOOKED FROM THE START! The characters, the world, the hardship the people in the Districts go through…I was entranced by it all.
I really enjoyed how Collins introduced the Hunger Games in Chapter 1. She didn’t just put everything out there in an information dump, she teased the readers with little snippets. Through Katniss’ brief mentions of the reaping, Collins built up a suspenseful curiosity until the reader was just dying to figure out what happens to these two young, chosen children.
From the beginning, it was obvious to me that Katniss had a lot of strength and spirit. I felt that she was a very jaded, yet smart young girl who resented her mother for being weak.
Being brought up in the harsh realities of living in The Seam she not only learned how to survive, but how to protect. Katniss sees through the manipulations of the Capitol. She knows how her world works and how to work the world she lives in.
However, being a survivor, living in The Seam and watching her Mother’s breakdown had it’s affect on Katniss’ character. In my opinion, Katniss sees emotion and feelings as a weakness. I really loved watching how this aspect of her personality plays out through the rest of the chapters.
As we get to know more about The Capitol and the Games, I became fascinated by this world full of injustices and manipulations.
I love Collin’s constant comparisons throughout the story: The Capitol vs. the Districts; the rich vs. the poor; the haves vs. the have-nots. For example, Katniss is always describing the delicious food the people of the Capitol gorge on only to have their tummies sucked and tucked while those in Districts starve and yearn for fat, full bellies. Even the comparison of how Katniss treated the Avox girl and how the Avox girl cares for Katniss was very interesting.
I’m very intrigued by the redheaded Avox girl. I’m hoping more of her story will be told in the Mockingjay. Sometimes I think that she came from the Capitol and was searching for the missing 13th District, other times I wonder if she was part of a secret resistance and got caught traveling to or from District 13. I don’t know, but like many of the mysteries in this series, it’s killing me to find out. I would love to hear other reader’s thoughts on the Avox girl’s mysterious past.
~~~~~~Apples, Alliances, Attacks. Oh my!~~~~~~
Once the Hunger Games begin, I can’t help but read with a fury. Collins does not hold back when writing the Games. They are smart, they are dirty, they are violent, they are harsh.
I read each word with intense anticipation, wondering what these poor children will be put through next. And Katniss goes through it all, dehydration, hunger, literally being set on fire! Oh and the tracker jackers…my worst nightmare. But nothing can break this girl. Katniss forces herself to get back up every time. Every hardship whether emotional or physical she fights back. I love her for it.
I’m excited for Part III. It’s so hard to stop myself from reading ahead!
As Katniss Everdeen said, “Let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin, Cato, I think. Let them begin for real.”
I almost forgot:
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I agree that Peeta understood the games from the beginning. He knew what he had to do to protect the girl he loved. Once a man has it imprinted on him to protect someone he loves, he will definitely kill quickly to protect her.
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Katniss is as much a protector (of her family & friends) as Peeta. It’s not a “man” thing. One of the best things about this series is that Collins doesn’t fall into cultural stereotypes about gender.
That is so true. Both men and women or in this case boys and girls are portrayed taking care of their families. It does not seem to matter. For the survival of the family, everyone must help out.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin.
I was hooked on this book from the first page. Katniss is, in my opinion, a character who stays true to herself while trying to play a game and stay alive. She is also a great example of a strong female main character in a book that appeals to both male and female readers. I love recommending this book and can’t wait for Mockingjay!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I’m super curious about Cinna. I think he’s a character that would be so interesting to learn about. I love how Katniss first describes him as not looking like the rest- or acting- of the people from the Capital.
I love Cinna. I think he exemplifies rebellion. I hope to learn more about him in the third book too.
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
I think that Katniss wasn’t planning on killing anyone because she probbly figured that flight is better than fight since she could get hurt or killed. Plus she wants to keep her promise to Prim and to do that she can’t die. I want a Mockingjay Book Club pin! But with Peeta if he didn’t kill that girl then the Careers could have killed him easily. He had to prove his worth.
With everything in the games there is a chance to get hurt or killed. I think that when she told Prim that she’d try her best, it meant that she wouldn’t just go hide in a tree and wait for everyone to kill each other. I took it as her actually killing or doing things (such as blowing up the careers food) to keep the games moving forward. Blowing up the food was dangerous, and she was injured, but it was a good move for her to make.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
I wonder if Peeta’s mother will show up later..
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin.
I love these books. I am anxiously awaiting the 3rd book’s release! I feel as if I know these characters. I can’t wait to find out what happens to them!
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
Wow. Love reading all the discussions. Thanks for hosting this.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I was surprised when Peeta killed the girl. Then I started thinking, perhaps he actually didn’t. She might have been mortally wounded, and he held her hand as she died. That would seem more like his character, except then, what did he intend when he went back to check on her? At any rate, I think he would have killed to protect Katniss.
The dualities (as mentioned previously) in the book would be great classroom discussion.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin. Please!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin. I would love it!!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin. Please!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin
I think that Peeta kills first trying to protect Katniss. He loves her and he is protecting her. I can not wait until August 24th for The Mockingjay!!
I WANT A BOOK CLUB’S MOCKINGJAY PIN.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin”
I just started reading this book and so far it seems really good
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I can’t wait to teach this whole trilogy in a classroom, having students take either side (Capitol or District) and completing assignments based on that main choice. These books are so amazing!! I am loving designing a unit on this.
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
That is an awesome idea! I think it’d be really interesting to have students think about how the Hunger Games would look through Peeta’s eyes.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin !!!!
I want a mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
I also noticed, like everyone else, that Katniss didn’t really kill anyone in the first half. It did come to a surprise to me since she was prepping herself the entire time to not get attached to anyone and to just try to survive for Prim. But again, I do see that Katniss is a somewhat of a planner and wanted to find the right moment. To me, Katniss would only kill, without hesitation, if she was in immediate danger. By that I mean someone actually being on her heels where she couldn’t escape or up in her face.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Peeta killing was even more shocking to me. But, his killing first made sense because he was with the Careers. Killing the girl was almost in a sense proving himself to the Careers and showing that he could kill and isn’t just this nice guy that everyone saw him to be.
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin!”
I Want A Book Clubs Mockingjay Pin!
I just began reading Catching Fire last night. Loving it. I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockigjay Pin!
I don’t even think Peeta killed that girl when he was with the careers. Maybe he just talked her into death or something. Or if he did, it was out of mercy to end her pain because the careers attacked her before that, right?
I want a book clubs mockingjay pin!
I messed up in my comment. Haha
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Katniss isn’t a killer. For the most part, none of the Tributes are, save for the Careers who treat the Games with such honor.
It is such a paradox, though, because Katniss is a criminal (back in District 12), but she does it because it is utterly necersary. I suppose the same rule applies to the Games. She, just like Peeta and everyone, hoped and wanted to survive.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Katniss is a survivor. She started out as a hunter to feed her family. She knew what it felt like to end a life for the greater good.
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Later, she felt she had to take her sister’s place and had to hunt/fight and kill for the same justified reasons.
How did everyone feel about chapter 18? I was drained after it. So much going on. It was crazy!
The first time I read The Hunger Games I hated the Capitol. After Rue was killed in Chapter 18 I was boiling over with anger. It makes one really think. Why are children pitted against one another? Is there really a purpose in it? The districts are aware of it, but I doubt the Capitol citizens remember its “true significance.”
When Katniss and Rue teamed up, I cheered. Like Katniss I knew it could last forever. However, I did not expect Rue to be taken away so suddenly. It seemed like the plan all along was to inspire a false sense of security. This mirrors Katniss’ daily life in District 12. There is some comfort. Yet in other districts like District 11, there is less if no comfort.
What will it take for the Capitol Citizens to “wake up and smell the coffee?”
P.S. I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Chapter 18 was crazy. I never realized so much could happen in a chapter without it feeling like it was lacking something.
Rebecca- The Capitol citizens may not remember the true significance, but, the way I read it, they love where they live, so why would that go against the Capitol?
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Now that that’s done, here is my discussion.
The Capitol residents. Katniss sees them as, well, not even human, and they see her the exact same way. There’s a bit of a misunderstanding there. I agree with Katniss on this matter, though.
I have a Facebook and very recently I made a post about Cinna and some of our other Capitol citizens. Suzanne Collins is hooked on Roman names (I’ll try not to spoil much); Caesar Flickerman, Claudius Templesmith, Cato, Portia, Cinna, Venia, Flavius, Octavia, even Panem is Latin for bread. Avox; vox is Latin for voice, and the a- prefix means “the opposite”. So Avox means no voice.
Another matter is the seemingly “minor” characters. Collins, I know, does not leave minor characters as minor characters. Each one has his/her own role in the plot. I would keep an eye on Cinna, the Avox girl, Effie, and the prep team. Although they look like they’re not important to the plot, I think they might make an appearance in Mockingjay. (I’ll add in more characters once we discuss Catching Fire.)
I teach sophomores, and we read Julius Caesar every year. I could not help but wonder how many more Roman names and references to Julius Caesar would appear. In an interview she compares THG to gladiator and reality tv. Do you think Roman names bring that to life for us?
That’s very interesting. What I also noticed was the district industries idea. District Twelve is coal…fire….Hephaestus…Vulcan! And District Eleven is agriculture, which makes me think of Dionysus and Demeter. You see where I’m going? And a lot of Greek gods have Roman equivalents.
I have to admit that in fourth grade, we were intrigued by the idea of gladiators killing each other. Some of us even thought that was a fun idea. But reading the Hunger Games has put the gladiator situation into a new light- it’s horrific, not entertainment.
I want a Book Clubs mockingjay pin!
I think that Katniss is presented as innocent in a way, but she’s also a very tough and independent girl. Though she is in innocent in the way of not directly killing anyone so far, she’s not so “innocent” in other ways.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
It’s been interesting to reread the book (read it last summer) now that I’ve read Catching Fire. It seems to make more sense and now that we know more about each character it seems like there’s a new insight to them.
I was intrigued by the story when I was told about it from a young friend of mine last year. I wondered how the children would actually be able to kill others in order to survive. I think the author did a fantastic job with Katniss. These books are just great and another wonderful addition for my classroom!!!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
From Rue dying to the announcement that two tributes can now win – Chapter 18 is definitely intense.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I was hesitant to re-read it at first, but I’m so glad I did. It reminded me how much I liked this book and the refreshment of all the characters relationships. Already in part 3 and can’t wait to start Catching Fire…let alone Mockingjay!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I really love these books. I really hate when people say Katniss is innocent. She’s the HBIC.
Also, team Gale plz.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I just have to say, “I love these books.” They are fabulous and addictive.
Katniss is an innocent person because that is what is needed. She always puts her loved ones first. That is how she ends up putting herself into the arena. She is very thoughtful and only acts when she has a plan. She was always able to think outside the box and it helps her.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Eep! Thank you for the giveaway, I’m anticipating these books so much!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
atomicxrawr@yahoo.com
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”
🙂
I mentioned this in the last HG post, but I am of the belief that Katniss’ father is alive. I really hope he is, at least. He’d be an amazing character to read about!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin! 🙂 I would love to have another copy of this book in my classroom, to help hook reluctant readers!
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pen
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
Although Katniss is a survivor and hunts to feed herself her family, and Gale’s family, she isn’t a murderer. In a way, the Games try to take away your humanity, but she fought to keep her humanity and innocence.
I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!
I want a book clubs moacking jay pin!]
even though this has nothing to do with the discussion (which, I dont know what we are discussing)I just wanted to say i am super excited for tonight, my library is holding a book group on ‘catching fire’ and everyone gets a voucher for a free copy of the book when it comes out!! go libraries!!!!!!
“I want a Book Clubs Mockingjay pin!”