Reading – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, p. 298- 367

In chapter 21, they run away from the strange fog, but Peeta has to be carried by Finnick because it affects their nervous system. Mags cannot keep going on with them, so she dies in the fog. They escape the fog and are then attacked by monkeys. Before one of the monkeys attacks Peeta, one of the tributes from District 6, a drug addict, throws herself in front of the monkey to save him.  

In chapter 22, the District 6 tribute is killed by the monkey. Their skin starts to become infected because of the fog, and Haymitch sends them something to heal them. They make camp at the beach, where Johanna finds them. She has Beetee and Wiress with her, and Wiress keeps saying “tick tock, tick tock.” Johanna tells Katniss that she got them for her, in order to be in their alliance. Katniss figures out from Wiress’ tick-tocking that the arena is a big clock.

In chapter 23, they realize that each of the twelve sections of the arena has a different challenge for them to face. They try to figure out what horror is in each section, and take time to regroup and strategize.  During this time, Wiress unfortunately dies.  Then Katniss hears a scream coming from the jungle that sounds like her sister’s scream.

In chapter 24, Katniss runs and tries to find her sister, only to discover that it’s a jabberjay that is only mimicking her sister’s voice. Finnick finds her and tells her it’s not real, but then he hears a jabberjay that sounds like a girl that he likes named Annie. Katniss hear’s Gale’s jabberjay next, and they suffer for a while until the hour ends. Finnick and Peeta and Katniss talk and bond when they get back to their camp.

In chapter 25, they get up and strategize more. Beetee comes up with a really complicated plan that has something to do with the tree that gets struck with lightening every time the clock strikes 12.

I think the arena in this book is really cool.  I really like how it’s a clock so they have to figure out when and where each “attack” will be.  I think it kind of funny that Katniss is really confused about the environment.  All she’s ever seen was forest, but now she is in a jungle and it’s completely new to her.  She and Peeta don’t even know what monkeys are.  I also like the fact that they have an alliance.  I loved her alliance with Ruth in the first book, but that didn’t last very long.  And Katniss and Peeta have always really been together ever since the first reaping.  So this is the first time that there is actually a group working together for a common goal – to stay alive.  It going to be weird though, when all the other tributes are dead and they will have to start killing each other.  I will definitely not like it when the alliance has to break.  But I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens.