The Hunger Games, Week 4

Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of The Hunger Games.

Did you enjoy the ending of the book? Did things go the way you expected them to go? I did not think it was a predictable ending. There were a lot of twists and turns. 

Katniss is able to find Peeta at the beginning of this section, even though he is camouflaged to look like rocks. I'm curious how he was able to camouflage himself so completely with just mud and leaves. Especially since he was so injured when he did it. How much longer do you think he would have survived had Katniss not found him? I think he was pretty close to death. 

Peeta starts to make a turn for the better after he gets some broth. What did you think about the fact that Katniss and Peeta were sent supplies after Katniss kissed Peeta? Don't you think that Peeta really believed that Katniss's affection for him was real? Do you think it ever was real for her, or was it always part of the game? What did you think when Katniss drugged Peeta so that she could get the supplies that the Gamemakers promised? I don't think he would have let her get them otherwise. Katniss was incredibly lucky that Thresh from Rue's district saved her life. Cato and Clove would definitely have killed her. 

It was definitely interesting when Peeta revealed his first memory of Katniss. After I realized that Peeta's dad had liked Katniss's mom, I was able to understand why he had always been so nice to Katniss. And, maybe that explains why Peeta's mom wasn't very nice! Maybe she knew that Katniss's mom was Peeta's dad's first love. It made me happy every time that the pair got food and supplies after sharing an intimate moment, but it was still really weird that the people watching were getting so much enjoyment out of their private moments. What do you think Peeta and Katniss's families thought of seeing the pair in such intimate situations? I think that would be really weird to watch. 

Were you surprised that Peeta's inability to recognize poison berries led to Foxface's demise? She must have been desperate for food to eat something she wasn't completely sure was safe. 

What did you think of those mutated wolves? The Gamemakers must have been desperate to have the games wrap up if they were willing to introduce such terrifying creatures. I found it really hard to read the section with the wolves and Cato. It was so creepy when the wolves had the faces of the other tributes. That was so scary. Cato had such a horrifying end. I can't imagine what his family thought as they watched him die such a horrible death. I just don't know how anyone watched the children die. It was terrible that they let his death continue on for so long. 

Were you surprised when the announcement said that they couldn't have two winners? I knew they wouldn't let both of them win. They just wanted to have Katniss and Peeta reunite in the arena. I was glad the Gamemakers relented when Katniss and Peeta decided to eat the berries. I guess they figured there needed to be some sort of winner of the Games. 

Do you think Katniss's actions with Peeta were just for the games? Don't you think she had real feelings for Peeta? I think she did, but I don't blame her for feeling confused. Were you surprised that the Capitol was upset with Katniss and Peeta's last stand? It makes sense that they were mad. Peeta and Katniss kind of made a mockery of the game at the end. Do you think they will be able to convince people that they acted out of love? 

Are you going to read the next book in the series to see what happens next? Are you curious to see how the storyline continues? If you enjoyed this book and would like to check out some similar titles, check out this list I made. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Before you go, check out author, Suzanne Collins, as she talks about her inspiration behind the novel. Does it surprise you that she was able to come up with a book series just by flipping channels on the television?  

I hope you enjoyed reading along with us this month! Next month, we're reading Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!