Reading – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, p. 218- 297

In chapter 16, Katniss and Peeta train for the Games.  Haymitch tells them to make friends because they’ll need more allies this time around.  He tells them to make their own pack and choose who they like – who might be of some use to them.  When Katniss is at the knot-tying station, Finnick comes up to her and shows off, so she moves to another station. She meets the two tributes from District 6: Wiress and Beetee. They’re very strange, but she likes them because they seem nice. They see the Gamemakers and Katniss sees that Plutarch Heavensbee is the Head Gamemaker this year. Just above his head, Wiress and Beetee show Katniss that you can see a forcefield in between the Gamemakers and them. They tell her that most forcefields have a spot where you can penetrate them. During dinner, she talks with Peeta and he tells her that Johanna nicknamed Wiress and Beetee “Nuts” and “Bolts.” They meet up with some other tributes, including an elderly woman from District 4 named Mags. Katniss decides that she wants Mags on her team as well as Nuts and Bolts. Then they do the individual lessons, where they show the Gamemakers what they can do. I’m not going to say what Katniss and Peeta do, but it’s really intense.

In chapter 17, they talk about what they did for the Gamemakers. Then they see their training scores. They both pull a 12. Next, they have their interviews. I won’t say what goes on, but at the end of Katniss’ interview, Cinna has somehow managed to turn her dress into a mockingjay.

In chapter 18, during Peeta’s interview with the news, he shows Katniss up and tells the world that Katniss is pregnant, which is definitely not true. The crowd goes wild and people cry. At the end, each of the tributes hold hands and stand in one unbroken line, the first public show of unity among the districts since the dark days. Katniss gets ready to go into the games. Cinna is with her and gives her a prep talk before she is taken to the games, but just before she leaves, he is attacked and mugged by Capitol people, and taken away.

In chapter 19, the games begin. The tributes are on twelve spokes, each with two tributes on them, in water. They have to swim to the island where the cornucopia is. The cornucopia is filled with food, weapons, and other supplies. Finnick and Katniss cross each other and he tells her that they are allies, and he has the mockingjay wristband that Haymitch had. Katniss reluctantly agrees with him. They help Peeta and Mags and go find shelter away from the cornucopia. While walking through the jungle, Peeta unexpectedly hits the forcefield that surrounds the arena and is shot backwards onto the ground. Katniss listens for his heartbeat but just hears silence.

In chapter 20, Katniss freaks out because she thinks Peeta is dead. Finnick gives Peeta mouth-to-mouth and saves his life. They survive for a while. They find a way to roast meat by throwing it on the forcefield, because when it comes back, its cooked. When they can’t find water, Haymitch sends them a spial, which they stick in a tree to get water from. Then a fog comes and it has a weird smell, and then the team finds out that it blisters them when it touches their skin.

Wow, this is going really fast! This is a lot faster than the first book.  In the first book, there would be a whole chapter of Katniss just searching for water or something.  In this book, like 8 different things are happening in one chapter!  It’s only the first or second day, and yet so much has gone on in the Games and a lot of people have died.  I really like Finnick, especially because he saved Peeta.  He’s actually nice and not arrogant as he first appeared to be.  I like how Haymitch sort of just put him in Katniss and Peeta’s alliance.