Welcome to the Hunger Games read-along! Beginning July 1st, 2010, we will be reading and chatting about one chapter a day of both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins in anticipation of the release of Mockingjay on August 24th.

In the unlikely event that this is your first read of these amazing books, welcome! And more importantly, beware of spoilers! There will be spoilers.







Sunday, July 4, 2010

Hunger Games Chapter 4

In which Peeta cleans Haymitch off and Katniss is worried because he is kind.  She, in turn, throws the cookies from his father out the window and vows to have nothing more to do with him.

Flashback to the dandelion:  Katniss remembers she can eat them, takes Prim out to discover other plants to eat, and gains the confidence to hunt alone and trade in the hob alone, too.  The butcher, Peeta's father, the head Peacekeeper, and the mayor were all customers.  She finds Katniss (which I totally want to eat, now, by the way), and she also starts taking home her monthly tesserae.  Her mother slowly recovers.  Katniss is glad she didn't drown the cat (I love this detail).

Back to the present:  Katniss sees lights from another (unknown) district from the train.  She throws her clothes on the floor, sleeps without crying, gets up and puts the same clothes on again, and leaves her hair in the braided style her mother did up.  Katniss has her first hot chocolate, and it's true love.  I also love the detail that she only tasted an orange once, because her father bought one one New Year's as a treat.  One orange for four people, guys.  I have a whole bowlful sitting right here.  I'm the worst sort of capitol people!  I dye my hair and can't hunt and throw food away!  Aaaghh.  Okay, back to Katniss.  Haymitch is having the breakfast of champions, and Peeta throws it across the room.  Haymitch punches Peeta!  Nice. Katniss stabs her knife into the table near his hand, then throws it across the room.  Haymitch leaves them with the advice not to protest their stylists' ideas.

SC slips details like this in all over:  The mountains form a natural barrier between the Capitol and the eastern districts.  It's almost impossible to enter the capitol except through tunnels.  During the rebellion 74 years ago, rebels had to scale them and were picked off by capitol air forces.

Peeta starts working the crowd outside the train, and Katniss realizes he's doing it all on purpose, already trying to survive.  Which also means trying to kill her.

DUN DUN DUN.  Happy Independence Day, everyone!  I hope you're all traveling freely, riding in cars, and eating all the oranges you want!

2 comments:

  1. Is this book making anyone else hungry??

    I love all the delicious food descriptions, but it's a bit problematic when reading at midnight (I couldn't stop at Chapter 4!). Last night, I really wanted a big bowl of forbidden strawberries and I didn't have a single one in the house! Damn those food-hoarding Capitol peeps!

    Btw, those Career Tributes are scary. Who would want to train for this kind of thing?! Watch your back Katniss!

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  2. Thanks for keeping the blog alive through the holiday weekend, Heather! And you know what, I rly want to try katniss too! Wonder how many kids have since been tricked into eating turnip by parents/teachers who call it "katniss?"

    I also adore the orange story. Oranges were special treats to my grandparents growing up in NC, and if one appeared in their Christmas stocking, well that was cause for excitement. If a big honking orange had appeared in my Christmas stocking, I probably would've pitched it across the room. WHERE'S THE CHOCOLATE?

    Peeta has strong feelings about Haymitch's alcoholism. Wonder if that's his cruel mom's problem too?

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