never love a wild thing

“real or not real?” is the absolute heartbeat of the series, not just for Peeta, but for everyone; it’s the center point around which all the discussion of media, morality, psychology, love, and war orbits … and for Suzanne Collins to make it the mantra of her two main characters, to conclude the book with those words whispered in the quiet hush of newly discovered intimacy … a masterclass I tell you

what is a love story if not falling to your knees and pressing your shaking hands to his wound, as if the desperation of your heart could stem the blood pumping out of his; and what is a love story if not holding out a sticky-sweet handful of death to the greedy cameras; and what is a love story if not your one wish being to send her home, with all the reasons why hanging golden around your neck like a willingly-worn noose; and what is a love story if not hitching yourself to the puppet strings of politicians in a last ditch attempt to save each other across the miles; and what is a love story if not the ever- unspoken mantra “take my life: take it, take it, take it” — and what is a love story if not the burned and blistered realization that offering up your life is not enough, not quite, but that offering your lover’s life back to them might just be? so you plant her primroses in the ash, and you mend his mind with the thread of new memories, and it isn’t pretty, but it is a love story — because what else could it be?

Katniss’s whole thought process about how she must thank Rue and Thresh is so powerful … see, Katniss and Peeta don’t try to be rebellious (at least, not initially) … but his kind generosity offering a portion of the winnings to the families and her humble, sincere gratitude … they’re just good people … and that’s radical.

You watch the hunger games trilogy and can actually feel a division between “team Peeta” and “team Gale” but when you read the books it doesn’t exist. It was always Peeta. Only him.