Happy 2012!
I think it was back in college (1997-ish) when I've had an epiphany. I was only my way to a lecture with a Baskin Robbins Mocha Blast in hand and I was feeling a bit guilty for my seeming routine to always get a Mocha blast on my way to class. Then I stopped and it dawned on me: I go through phases. That particular slice of time, I was into Mocha Blast. I knew I'd tire of it eventually, but during those days, especially during those lectures, they were my one pleasure. And see, even now, 15+ years later, I do remember those days fondly as my Mocha Blast days.
Just recently was what I call my "vampire phase". Gosh. I had lots of posts about Twilight & True Blood. I am over it now...and i'm thinking I am now in my Hunger Games phase. I have finished the whole series and don't think I've ever loved a series as much. Yes, I thought the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo is GREAT, awesome even, but it was not an easy read. This one was soo un-put-down-able, and I just want to note here..in my journal and acknowledge this phase.
I don't think I do a great job in reviewing books since i'm not a big book person, and so i'll just answer some of the questions they posed at With A Good Book and go with that.
Who was your favorite character in The Hunger Games? Why?
While I love Katniss, Peeta has really won me over by the end of the book. I just fall for that kind of character. In Twilight, Edward was supposed to be the epitome of the "perfect man", but I hardly thought so, and his prude-ness was very off-putting. To me, the closest to being perfect in terms of what mean to me is Peeta. And to think that there's really no sex in this book, it's not about that, it's the goodness of his heart that comes across loud in clear in the series
What did you feel was the most emotional moment in book? Which part was the hardest to read?
The deaths were pretty hard, especially Rue - even though we all knew she was going to die, but I did love the part where she sang the song for her, and even more touching was getting the bread from Rue's district
Why do you think fire is an appropriate symbol for Katniss?
She's raw. She's not one you can easily control.
How does Katniss’ early encounter with Peeta affect their relationship after they are chosen as tributes?
She just felt like she owed him her life, due to the bread and why and how on earth can she kill him? There's really no justification in her mind even if it's for the games to see the person who gave her the lifeline to live die.
Did your perception of Peeta change over the course of The Hunger Games? How and why?
Yes and No. Ever since he said he loved her before the games, I just knew he did everything for her. But, because the book seemed to set it up that it was going to be Gale & Katniss, I did end up a bit surprised that I was rooting for Peeta in the end.
Why does Katniss ignore Haymitch’s advice to head directly away from the Cornucopia? Did she do the right thing to fight for equipment?
Wait. Am I mistaken? She was going to go for it...but because she had the split second thought, she ended up only getting the backpack and a small plastic thing, right? Which was why she was cursing Peeta when she saw him going for it and she had to retreat?
Why does Peeta join with the Career Tributes in the beginning of the Games? What does he hope to gain? Why do they accept him when they start hunting as a group?
Of course he wanted to protect her. The Careers on the other hand were a bit stupid to think that he would lead them to her. The question was, what were the careers thinking!?
What did you think of the fact that they changed the rules partway through the games to allow two winners from the same district?
I actually like this part. I think this is what makes this book so compelling. The games are more comparable to Big Brother than it is a football game. The people behind it are real people who end up "falling in love" with the characters on the screen. As an example, in True Blood, in the books, Lafayatte was killed in the end of the first season, but since the actor who played Lafayette turned out to be a fan favorite, I think Alan Ball just could not kill him off. He made a conscious decision to change the course of the series. In a sense, the game makers were seeing that the love story angle was getting them the ratings and the need to prolong it somehow...and it was a brilliant move, for a little while. And then of course, announcing later that the rules have changed yet again. It's just as well.
Overall, I can't say enough about how good this book is, how greatly paced it is and compelling the characters are. I can't wait to see the movie
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