Books Read in 2011

Tessa's books-read-2011 book montage

Clockwork Angel
The Hunger Games
Mockingjay
Catching Fire
Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer


Books Read in 2011 »

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Hunger Games Rant


WARNING: This post contains spoilers of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

I finished reading The Hunger Games last Friday, which means roughly 1400 pages read in five days - not bad for a mother of toddler twins! I was hooked from page one up until I had maybe 10% of book three left, those I read those 10% fast, too. Seriously, I lost one and a half kilos, because I wasn't snacking while reading and it helped me get over my chocolate addiction.

I don't know where to begin praising these books. The writing is so perfect, the voice, the tense, the action. There was never a dull moment. The first book will always been my favourite, though the others were great as well. It sort of annoyed me in book two that she kept blaming herself for the deaths of people. It's just that Katniss had been so level- and logical minded throughout that it seems like she should have been able to see that those deaths weren't her fault. It was President Snow who put them in the circle and had them fight it out; it was the man in District 11's choice to salute her, which got him killed; it was Coin's plot to put Katniss in a mockingjay suit and have her be a hero of the people. It wasn't even her fault that people started to feel rebellious when she put those poisoned berries in her mouth at the end of book one, because all she was thinking about at the time was to save Peeta. She even reflects on that later, but still she doesn't recognize the fact that none of those deaths were her fault. All Katniss was ever doing when she did those "rebel acts" was saving others or being sincere (in District 11). 
Fan art by http://rohanelf.deviantart.com/
Which brings me to book three. I was captivated, just like with the other two, but it really annoyed me that she kept blaming herself. It also annoyed me to death that she never gave Gale a chance. Yes, I was aboard the Gale/Katniss ship from the first pages, and I hated how Katniss always dismissed him. There were clues, though, in the second and third books that they wouldn't end up together: his lack of responses when he should have been angry when she kissed Peeta in front of him; his lack of being there when she needed him the most; her general lack of interest. But come on, it would have been perfect to have them end up together. Her reaction to seeing him flogged was a promise that he was the one she loved and would end up with! A promise that wasn't fulfilled. They started in the forest and should have ended in the forest. They had history, they cared for one another, they were both responsible, and he even had a cute nickname for her. I'll explain later how I think the series should have ended.
Fan art by Apricotteacup
Peeta. Okay, he's the boy with the bread and "pita" is bread (pronounced the same way). Still, I don't like it as a name. But that's not all. I never cared much for him. That utter self-sacrifice act of his is just too fictional. It's human nature to want to survive, but his attitude was somewhere along time lines "nah, you go ahead and live - I don't really mind dying, even though I have family at home who would miss me." The fact that Katniss had never spoken to him before the reaping makes the fact that he's completely in love with her more than a little iffy. He didn't even know her. He just seemed like a weak character, completely useless in both games and not caring, it seemed, that she hurt him over and over by being dismissive and "choosing" Gale in book two. He was hurt at the end of book one, but that was it. He forgave her for everything, before and after.
Fan art by EmpressFunk
Now, the ending. The way I see it, there was no need for that last scene of battle where Prim was blown up and Katniss dove into mental breakdown. There was no need to kill President Coin. It seems to have been done just to add a gasp-factor and to make the ending bitter-semisweet, making Katniss choose Peeta just because he was there when Gale had (finally) given up on her for her continuous disrespect of him. Still, if Gale had been there at the end, she could have chosen him. I mean, she didn't know if she loved Peeta or not by the end of the war, so why not?

Fan art by ILUVsnake
Collins probably wrote the killing Prim-scene to show that President Coin was no different from President Snow, but I already had that impression. I think it would have been perfect if Katniss had managed to sneak into the mansion, killed Snow, staged an explosion where she and Gale "died", and then run off with Gale to live in the woods. The two of them could make it there, you know. Katniss wouldn't want to show her face to Panem anymore and she wouldn't have to. The bitter-sweet ending would be that now that Coin has taken over, not much has changed. Prim could have voiced her wishes to work in the Capitol's hospital if they won the war, which is how Katniss would have realized that she wouldn't see much of Prim anyway and she wouldn't have to take care of Prim anymore. This is how I thought it would end, and in my mind, this is the perfect ending. It would even make it possible to create a new series based on this one, if the author cared for it.

Fan art by Kara-Lija
And Peeta? Well, wasn't Delly perfect for him? Her taking care of Peeta in District 13 didn't make Katniss jealous (which says a lot - namely that she didn't have those sort of feelings for Peeta), so it seriously looked like that's where that was heading in book three and it looked like the perfect solution to the triangle mess. 

Hookay, rant over! Even though those were the disappointing issues with the books, the pluses outweigh the minuses by far. I absolutely loved everything else. The districts, the games, the characters, the living in District 12. These series have been placed amongst the top series in my mind. Definitely the best dystopia series I've read. I wonder how Collins came up with the concept. It's just brilliant. Even though the ending and Peeta leave a bitter taste in my mouth, I still give these series as a whole five stars out of five. I borrowed them at the library, but I'm going to invest in a copy of each, since I'll be reading these books over and over - hopefully until I'm in love with Peeta (yeah, right!).

Oh, and by the way, Finnik dying...what was the point of that?

29 comments:

  1. I read the series in a few days too! However, I was always on the Peeta train. I thought Gale was too much of a marines guy and she needed someone sensitive in her life. And, I really hated Finnik in the beginning but was more devastated about him dying than Prim. Great series!

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  2. I felt the same way about the ending (and I like yours better!). Actually, the way it read I wasn't sure if it was all real or if Katniss was having a nightmare until she was back in District 12.

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  3. While I can't agree with you about Gale (Go Team Peeta!), I absolutely agree with you about Prim's death and Finnick's. Those two were the only ones in the series that felt gratuitous - as if it was just to create shock factor. The other thing that really bugged me was that Katniss voted for another Hunger Games. I felt that was so out of character for her. Then, that just got dropped and we never found out whether it happened or not.

    Besides that, though, no doubt the series was brilliant. I read it so fast I swear my eyeballs bled!

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  4. I totally agree! (Even though I too was Team Peeta.) But, yeah, I thought Finnick's and Prim's deaths were unnecessary, and if she really HAD to have them, I thought they could have been dealt with better. I love your idea for an ending! :)

    All in all, I thought book 1 was amazing and then the following 2 books just went down in quality. Though, they were all 3 amazing. Maybe because book 1 was SO good, all our expectations were elevated for the rest of the trilogy.

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  5. I am fascinated at how differently people are affected by books. I found the concept to be terrific, but I felt the execution was rather mediocre. IMO, a brilliant author could have hit a grand slam with this story arc, while for me (to continue the baseball analogy) this author only hit a single. I found the Katniss character especially annoying, illogical, and rather flat. I don't take my own opinons as gospel; I am intrigued by the vast differences in how we each respond to such books.

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  6. This is a most splendid blog post. As someone who loves visuals I really admired your clever inserts. I haven't read this series but I just keep falling all over it in the blogosphere so I feel someone's telling me to get cracking! Thank you for finally pushing me over the edge. Pity about the spoilers, ha ha...

    I especially came by to thank you for responding to my 'disaster' post. I appreciated your thoughts. I kept my head above water and am now watching the river go down. I am still isolated in the CBD as am surrounded by water and no businesses are operating. Big clean up now...

    BTW I have a Publication Party started on my blog. I'd love it if you could come by and read what authors have to say about getting published. Perhaps you could leave a comment about your aspirations. There are prizes each week. Please come by. The champagne's free!

    Denise :)

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  7. Well, it was a lot of text, and since I prefer keeping my posts short...but I had a lot to rant about, I decided to break it up ;) Definitely start reading, though! They're soooo worth it.

    I'm so glad you and yours are all right. I saw some footage from some of the villages on last night's news, some guys sweeping water away and such. They say that over seventy people are still missing. I hope they're found alive.

    I'll definitely stop by your party! I don't drink alcohol, but I suppose virtual champagne doesn't count ;)

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  8. I think the writing was very good. I was however unhappy with the ending. I feel peeta was the right choice because gale was just not ment for Katniss. If he really loved her he wouldn't of decided to just never speak to her again. I think killing prim was just a bit over the line though. Gale should have been killed by the peacekeepers. Thats what should have made her go crazy. I personally wish Finnick Didn't die. If he did I think Annie would go completely insane but she didn't. I think Coin should have died. I knew thats what had to be done. She is WAY too much like snow and he would be killed anyway. I just felt a little empty at the end of this week when I finished the last book because I despratley wan'ted more. Oh and I thought that Katniss and Haymitch would have voted no for another Hunger Games. Even just one more. The last paragraph needs work too.

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  9. i totally agree that she should have ended up with gale (i was team gale since the beginning) and i would rather have your ending!! At the end when she said she saw him (peeta) i was hoping she was talking about gale cause i knew if it was that would be who she would end up with. You were right that they had history, they were each others ears and eyes not only in the woods but also in the battle. I mean come on she did promise that she would choose gale and also at the beginning he asked her to run with him into the woods!!! I think the fans who are in love with gale and end up with him!! also i think though peeta was right wen gale and him were fighting with each other on who katniss would pick, he was right that she would have been made if he stepped in for peeta!!! but who knows then maybe they would have ended up together!!!

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  10. I found the series absolutely amazing. I loved the whole concept of the Games and the way things worked. Collins did a wonderful job right up until the third book where it started lacking what the first and second had. The third, it seemed, was just there to kill off a few main characters and end the war. I couldn't decide between Gale and Peeta, but like you said, Peeta didn't seem realistic. What kind of fool would decide he loved a girl before even knowing who she was? Gale was a much better choice, even though they lost interest in each other when Katniss started seeing Peeta being tortured. But before then, who was the one who comforted her and was there for her? Not the boy with the bread. Gale even saved Peeta to make Katniss happy. People seem to forget that a lot. The third book kept a pretty good appeal but not as good as the first two right up until Katniss was put on Boggs' team and sent to the Capitol. That's when everything got fuzzy. I've rewritten the ending to my needs twice now, trying to shut out the excuse of a happy ever after Collins provided. To me, it seemed as if the book series turned out so good she finally couldn't keep that consistent through to the ending.

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  11. "It wasn't even her fault that people started to feel rebellious when she put those poisoned berries in her mouth at the end of book one, because all she was thinking about at the time was to save Peeta."

    Regardless of her intent, Katniss was still the catalyst for the things that lead to the deaths, so yes, in a way, it was her fault.

    "There were clues, though, in the second and third books that they wouldn't end up together"

    Clues? Gale is pretty much a minor character in both book one and book two. He hardly has any screen time. We're largely with Peeta, so most people would root for him. It was pretty obvious she wasn't going to end up with Gale in the end.

    "That utter self-sacrifice act of his is just too fictional."

    Perhaps for you. You have to remember though, that you are not the character Peeta, and just because you wouldn't do something doesn't mean that he wouldn't. Something else to keep in mind is that you aren't in his situation. You don't really know how you'd act to save a loved one in The Hunger Games unless you were also taking part in them.

    "He forgave her for everything, before and after."

    What's wrong with forgiveness? At any rate, it makes sense for him to forgive her. First of all, he loves her. Second, it would be silly for him to continue holding a grudge against her because she did what she had to do to keep both of them alive.

    "There was no need to kill President Coin."

    If there was no need to kill her, Collins' wouldn't have killed her. We had already been given examples in book 3 on how shady and power-hungry President Coin was. It's probably a good thing she didn't get to keep power.

    "And Peeta? Well, wasn't Delly perfect for him? Her taking care of Peeta in District 13 didn't make Katniss jealous (which says a lot - namely that she didn't have those sort of feelings for Peeta), so it seriously looked like that's where that was heading in book three and it looked like the perfect solution to the triangle mess."

    You're getting the totally wrong impression from Delly's appearance...the face that Katniss doesn't get jealous says nothing like what you assume it does. It only says that there's no romantic relationship between Delly and Peeta. Why would she think there was anyway? Just because Peeta has interaction with another female doesn't mean he's most likely going to fall in love with her. Johanna acted flirtatiously with Gale—does that mean the two of them are fooling around behind Katniss's back? Of course not.

    "...This is how I thought it would end, and in my mind, this is the perfect ending."

    Lol, not in my mind.

    Though the only major point I really agree with you on is that Prim's death was unnecessary, it was interesting seeing another fan's perspective on the series :)

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  12. i agree with anonymous on the Finnick part, i thought he was the only thing that kept annie comletely sane so i believed that she would have lost it. it was less the death of finnick that upset me and more how it would affect annie. to tessa quinn i think you are CRAZY there was a complete and TOTAL need for President Coin's death and Peeta may have only started speaking to her after the reaping but how do you say he wasnt in love with her? Gale is a strictly friend--correction--brother zone guy. Thats where Katniss wanted to keep him. It isnt always about how long you know a person but how you feel about them. Peeta had loved Katniss from a distance for YEARS when (as explained in Mockingjay) Gale had other girls on his mind (in a relationship kinda way) until new years eve.
    Your ending not at ALL how i expected. Im guessing you were so upset with the fact that she didn't end up with Gale that you didnt notice her say that it wasnt Gale's fire she needed but Peeta and the fact that no matter what your losses (which i believe is why Prim was killed and Katniss went into breakdown mode) that life can go on. Being a writer myself i see what Collins was trying to compare:

    Katniss's father dies- Peeta gives her bread, thus motivating her to take care of her family and survive "As long as you find yourself you'll never starve"

    Prim dies- Peeta gives her love (as he did before) showing her that there will always be a brighter day. "I have plenty of fire myself. What i ned is the dandelion in the spring (the one she found after the bread.) the bright yellow that means rebirth and not destruction."
    So thats my view the story is what i believe to be the BEST STORY EVER WRITTEN. Its practical yet futuristic and different, beautifully executed and much unlike ther dystopion stories. It is not just another tale of high school drama. This is an epic of life death love hate and the fight for justice in a world plagued by the games. Romance survival, and relationships are intricatley (sp?) weaved into a web of flawlessly executed action so that all play roles in some of the most critical desicions.
    and thats coming from a seventh grader.

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  13. Well, sorry for being "crazy" but I do have a right to my opinions ;)

    You were clearly team-Peeta at the time when the books were being published. I came in late so I missed the whole team-Peeta/team-Gale debate, but I would have been on Gale's side because I liked him better.

    There's nothing wrong with my opinions of how I would have liked to see things a) end b) develop relationship-vise. As I said, people have different opinions - you clearly have your own strong opinions that I don't agree with, but that's okay because I realize that even though people may have an opinion on things it doesn't necessarily mean that their opinion is the right one (just like I know that my opinion isn't necessarily the right one - it's just how I feel/think about things). I don't think there's a right or wrong in matters like these anyway and I don't think the author minds discussions like these because any kind of discussions on the books is publicity and people have fun throwing ideas back and forth and dissect personalities and situations (take the Harry Potter books and the whole Potter-verse for example). I'm not going to put you down for your opinions and call you crazy, though ;)

    I also think that this is the best dystopian ever written even though I don't agree with how she handled some things. I am a writer too, about to be published under a different name in a different genre, so I, too, understand how writers/authors think and, like with all books I read, was assessing, criticizing and comparing in the back of my mind from the very first page. MY assessment was that things could have been handled differently and less angsty - but they weren't and there's nothing I can do about that (nor would I want to - these aren't my books).

    Anyway, I gave it five out of five (see the last paragraph in the post), and I recommend this read to whomever will listen.

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  14. go team gale *cries* i like him better from the start but i knew she wold pick peeta in the end

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  15. From the very start i was team Peeta and i still am but I have to agree why did they have to kill Finnik and Prim? Now that was sad :'( I especially liked Finnik at first i found him quite annoying getting to close to Katniss at the party but then in the arena of the quarter quell when he saved Peeta's life i started to like him but now hes dead....Now what was the point of that?!?!?!

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  16. I agree with the whole Peeta being a weak character thing.I mean,I feel like he seemed like a pretty decent guy and all,but the whole falling-in-love-with-Katniss-from-afar thing just seemed so fake to me that it really just came off as annoying to me.I like the comics,though!Very true.

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  17. I like Peeta and I think Gale was somewhat self centered and heartless. The end.
    For Coin's killing being totally useless, no. Definately no.
    This leads into why I don't like Gale. He's too violent, bloodthirsty and hungry for revenge. In the last part of the first games, Katniss says she "Doesn't want anyone else to die" even though Cato and numerous Careers are still out there. Then, in book two, we see the games starting up again. Fast forward to book three because two is entirely useless in my debate. Peeta's gone and Gale is there. This is where we really see who Gale is. He fights for every opportunity and doesn't care about killing people although Katniss has been highly sensitive on this subject from the beginning. When they blow up the nut, Katniss literally goes on full fledged emotional breakdown for capitol people. Heck, in the earlier games she feels bad about killing people. When she seeks Gale for comfort, he's all like, "Hey, they killed half our people and dads, revenge. Is. Here." And Katniss hates that. Then, when they find Peeta and everything goes haywire, the war group sets out and you honestly see who Katniss really is when it comes to people. She just... cares. Subject is, when she's around Gale she's a different person. When Prim dies, remember that it could have been Gale's bomb that killed her. So her death wasn't unnecesarry, it was a key to later events in the story that sewed important details into place. Had she not died, she might have gone with Gale. But he made bombs to kill people and didn't even flinch when they died. So Katniss can't let this go, therefor she remains a cool relationship with Gale, showing how cold Gale is when it comes to life. When they vote on Coin's idea for the games being reheld for capitol children, Katniss votes "Yes", "For Prim." But she doesn't understand the concept of the rebels' bombs killing her sister until she runs into Snow in the rose-ery and he reminds her of the promise, "I thought we agreed not to lie to eachother." Then he says he is sorry for Prim's death and that he didn't do it, but this promise reflects that he is actually telling the truth. So when she goes to execute Snow, she stops and murders Coin instead because she wants to start this whole thing over again with the capitol children and she just wants it all to end. That and Coin is bloodthirsty.
    So there. Gale and Coin and half the rebels are heartless people that live off wars. Gale and Coin and the rest of Panem wants payback. Katniss just wants peace, and Peeta gives her that, something that weaves everything back into place and all is calm again.
    And in the end, for some reason Snow find's Coin's murder absolutely hilarious and dies of a hysteria attack. Kill two birds with one stone.

    So that's my view and it was very twisted. You have got to pay attention in Mockingjay, it's not just the strategy and love games that are in the first two books. It's actual thought provoking and thought out actions that are twisted with right and wrong, and digging under love and protection to hide motives.

    So if you were entirely amazed by the thoughts that were up there I suggest you re read Mockingjay and look at it in a different light while paying absolute attention, because I definately had to read it twice.

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  18. i like the picure with the cake and the dead squirl and next time write *spoiler alert* cuz i didnt know that prim dies still on book 3 wish me luck!

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  19. I like to think that even though it was Gale's bomb that killed Prim, Katniss would have chosen Peeta still. I think she needed the peace and comfort that Peeta gave to her. That's not to say there was no passion because in the cave and on the beach when she kissed Peeta there was a part of her that wanted more and it wasn't for the sake of the games and I think that proves that she had more desire for Peeta than Gale. She never seemed to have that fire for Gale and when faced with the actual possibility of leaving him behind when she was ordered back to District 12 she accepted it because, proved true or not, the bomb that killed Prim would always lead Katniss to believe Gale had something to do with it, whether he let the bomb off or not, he was related to those incidents.
    I don't understand why people say "Gale & Katniss grew up together so they should stay together" that makes it sound as though Peeta & Katniss have nothing, they won the Games together and found comfort in each other that they couldn't find in anyone else. I think that connection is a lot stronger than 'hunting in the woods together'
    However, I respect other peoples opinions and I love to see what other people take away from these amazing novels.

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  20. Even though this comment is totally after the fact, I have the insane urge to post anyway. In any case, I both agree and disagree with some of your points.

    On one hand, like other people said in their comments, I felt like some of the deaths in the story were unnecessary; that is, it seemed like Prim's death was just... superfluous. I would have preferred, as someone else suggested, if Gale had been killed instead (I mean, come on. He really ought to have been, when he got dragged into the house at the end of the novel.) However, if that had happened, I probably would have been a little bummed that Katniss would have picked Peeta because he was her only option, but I digress.

    On the other hand, I really think Katniss and Peeta are much better together. Gale is too... radical, in my opinion. Katniss and he differ on very important philosophical issues, I feel; he's out for blood, constantly, without reservation. Innocents can die in the masses, as long as people make progress. Katniss, on the other hand (with the exception of her idiosyncrasy at the end of the novel, choosing to hold another Hunger Games), is far more on Peeta's side --- no innocents should die. Though it can't always be avoided, if it can be, it should. I feel like that's one of the main reasons Gale never sat too well with me; he's way, way too vengeful. Out of all the characters, I felt like he's had the least reason to be angry... and yet he's more angry than anyone. No, I don't think Katniss and he are very compatible.

    On that note, I always felt like she saw Gale as a brother. Her momentary possessiveness of him was the same, in my opinion, as that of best friends. Both times she kisses him ("you only kiss me when I'm hurt") are because she wants to make him feel better, to protect him. She protects her family, the ones she loves. Essentially, just as Katniss volunteered in the Games to save Prim, she kisses Gale to protect him. There was never any passion behind the kisses, not like there was ("I felt something odd in my heart stir," or whatever that quote is) with Peeta.

    I also think Peeta and Katniss's connection through in the Games is something very important. Though Gale had access to watch the Games, he wasn't there. While this is by no means his fault, it just... I don't think he'd ever be able to fully understand Katniss, not without being there with her, not without experiencing that kind of nightmare. That's why Peeta's the one who takes away her nightmares; he understands. They suffer together.

    I could really go on for hours why I believe Peeta and Katniss are much more compatible and make much more sense (the actual attraction, philosophical compatibility, ease of friendship, comfort and understanding) but.. I'm really sleepy and need a nap. So, that's all for now.

    Still, it's interesting to see THG through the eyes of a Team Gale member. XD Thanks for sharing! Love these books way too much.

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  21. I disagree on a lot of points. I thought that the plot was executed perfectly. And killing Coin was an essential part of it. About halfway through Mockingjay, I began to realize that Coin is a lot like Snow, who was willing to do practically anything for power. "If your immediate answer isn't Coin, then you're a threat. You're the face of the rebellion. You may have more influence than any other single person. Outwardly, the most you've ever done is tolerated her." This quote said to me that Coin was willing to do anything to hold onto her power, including killing a girl who wants to kill Snow as much as she did, even though her reasons were purely because she wanted power.

    As far as Peeta and Gale are concerned, again I couldn't disagree more. While yes, I think it's strange that a boy who was able to manipulate words the way Peeta could, never talked to Katniss prior to The Games, I think it was necessary. Because when Katniss started out she had no idea how she was going to be able to murder the Boy With the Bread and was always wondering why he was doing the things he did. And Delly? Really? To me, she wasn't jealous because she was so mad at Peeta. And while she shouldn't have been mad, she couldn't help it, he was supposed to be in love with her. Instead he was screaming at the top of his lungs about how she was a mutt that needed to die. She missed the boy with the bread, and that's why she was so mad at him. And Gale and Katniss were too similar in all the wrong ways, and too different in all the wrong ways. That's why they didn't mesh as well as Katniss and Peeta. And besides she was going to pick the one who she couldn't survive without, and Peeta saved her life when she was eleven. Without him, there wouldn't have been a Katniss Everdeen to take her sister's place in The Hunger Games.

    One thing I agree with is the Finnick thing...I'm about to cry just thinking about it. So...I'm gonna stop.

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  22. what?
    i like your ending, but i couldnt imagine katniss and gale together forever that way.. or peeta and delly,
    or katniss living without prim (if she was still alive)

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  23. What most of you seem to forget as you coment on flat characters and confused emotions is these books were writen for teenagers. I'm not saying adults can't enjoy them, but to truely appreciate them you need to perceive them as a teenager would, because teenagers usually are unpredictable and indecisive. Of course Katniss is confused! On one hand she has the boy she grew up with, hunts with, is close to his family, but on the other hand she has a boy who has saved her on multiple occasions, in the games, with the bread, a boy who has confessed his love for her and never pulled back. Unfortunately, the did have to kill Prim to show how Gale is no longer the childhood campanion the Katnniss knew and loved. Another reason she couldn't run off with Gale into the woods is even though they physically could and said they would when they were children, Gale could never be happy leaving the new society. He was so in love with the idea of anyone ruling but the Capitol that he would have only left the society kicking, screaming, and hating the person who took him. And Peeta never speaking to her but feeling like he loves her makes sense too. Haven't you ever had a HUGE crush on someone and no matter how good of a public speaker you are you just couldn't work up the nerve to talk to them?! I agree that the ending was rushed, but when you consider she wrote the last book in a month...

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  24. I have to reply to this...

    I was instantly on Peeta's side. And I don't think the book should have ended differently (except for Finnick dieing.. I need to think about a reason for that one)

    Why?
    As stated before: Gale is too radical, fire and fire don't go well together. They would end up burning each other.
    They killed Prim to make Katniss see just that.

    Why she voted for one more Hunger Games?
    Else they would have killed all Capitol people. It made Katniss realise that nothing was going to change with Coin as president. She said yes, to stop the executions. That if you ask me, saved a lot of lives. And to me, as soon as she killed Coin, the last HG never happened.

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  25. I love reading all the different thoughts and opinions on this book! I loved the books and could NOT put them down. I was team Gale the entire time though. To me, Katniss hated everything the Capitol stood for and her and Peeta's love is only the result of the Capitol. Had the Capitol not held the Hunger Games every year would Peeta have still confessed his undying love for Katniss? I, personally, don't think so. The end of the third book also upsets me. The last few pages of the book were finished too quickly. It's like the author was rushed to finish so she summarized everything in a few pages. I think she could have easily made a fourth book. Just my thoughts. After reading everyone's take on the books I feel like I need to reread them. The first time I read them so quickly. I think the second time through I could really analyze everything from a different perspective. Then (maybe) I would be Team Peeta (probably not)! :p P.S. I cried during the movie when Katniss took Prim's place and also when Rue died. I did not cry at all while reading the books and was totally embarassed that I cried at the movies! Ha!

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  26. The reason that the author made a lot of people die (Both good and bad), was to show that war is bad. She said this in an interview before the third book was released.

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  27. i say fire to match fire. Katniss and Gale burn just as brightly together. Peeta is a weakness. Fire to burn the delicate dandelion in the meadow. Together, they drag each other down. Fire matched with fire blazes higher. Katniss and Gale forever <3

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  28. Thanks!

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