Wednesday, March 6, 2013

        Catching Fire the continuing story of Katniss and District 12's persistent struggles.
    The Games are over for now.  Katniss and Peeta have survived and have the scars to prove it. Katniss has returned to her family and best friend Gale. She should feel joyful now that she's living in Victor's Village, has plenty of food and money. Instead she feels restless, and depressed. Katniss doesn't have anything to occupy her time. Her best friend Gale is on the point of dejecting her because of her betrayal to him. Her relationship with Peeta has gone sour, since she told him that she was pretending to love him. She knows that she hurt both of them by her actions, but doesn't know how to fix those relationships. But how can she when neither Gale or Peeta want to talk about these events? 
    The 75th Hunger Game is approaching, and this one is a Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quells occur every 25 years, as an anniversary of the Hunger Games. What makes the Quarter Quells different from the regular Hunger Games is that they have terrible twists and turns for the tributes. Katniss isn't excited about the upcoming Quarter Quell because she will have to mentor the chosen girl tribute. 
      On top of everything, President Snow threatens her to convince him and the districts that her and Peeta didn't use the berries as an act of defiance, but because they were so much in love. after President Snow leaves Katniss becomes worried that her and Peeta will not be able to extinguish the flames that are beginning to kindle. 

 Warning: there are 16 violent scenes. There are 8 scenes of sensuality, but nothing racy. There are 3 questionable scenes of nudity. There are 5 scenes of sexual content but nothing too inappropriate.

             The Hunger Games take place in a country once known as North America, now Panem. Panem is split into twelve districts.  Each one is forced to produce a key industry.   Most of the people are poor and  barely have any food or shelter.  They often die of starvation and from the dangerous conditions of their jobs. President Snow (head leader of Panem), forces each district to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 to 18 to act as a tribute. Each tribute must enter  the Capitol's huge arena to fight to the death, on live television. The winner receives a life of luxury and ease while their district is showered with gifts.

            Warning: There are fifteen violent scenes. Fourteen scenes of sensuality, but nothing racy. As for language one of the characters says the H-ll word.  

       Most say  the Hunger Games is just about kids killing kids. However, the violence does play a key part in this book. One of the compelling components  is when  Katniss Everdeen, (the main character)  does not kill any of the players until they threaten her life. Katniss also becomes allies with a young tribute.  One of the conflicts are  that some of the tributes are quite eager to kill the pree-teen and teenager tributes. The whole theme is about  how desensitized the people of the Capitol are. The Games are nothing but entertainment.
 Katniss views the Hunger Games as a cruel and heartless thing to make kids do.  Katniss will be forced to play the Games, but she will not be forced to play by the Capitol's rules. Instead she will defy the Capitol by only killing in self-defense.

   The Hunger Games sold 800,000 copies, and has been translated into 75 different languages. The Hunger Games has won quite a few awards like the California Young Reader medal, the Publisher Weekly's Best Book award and the Golden Duck award. The Hunger Games is also on the Government's list of ten books you shouldn't read.  Mostly because the government does not like the idea of us considering government control negatively.  Especially the way our government is going right now.

            Warning: There are fifteen violent scenes. Fourteen scenes of sensuality, but nothing racy. As for language one of the characters says the H-ll word.