What are your thoughts about the epilogue? Specifically this sentence :
It took five, ten, fifteen years for me to agree. But Peeta wanted them so badly.
How do you interpret it?
Disclaimer : this question is for textual analysis, it's not meant to incite fandom war. please DNI if you don't like this topic.
Thank you so much.
@curiousnonny
I love, love, love the epilogue. I raced through Mockingjay the first time I read it because I needed to know what happened to Peeta, and especially Katniss and Peeta together. "So, after" into the epilogue DELIGHTED my teenage self lol. Everlark is the first fictional couple I've shipped.
I'm of the belief that they only had the two children mentioned in the epilogue. So for me, I see five, ten, fifteen as stages in Katniss' journey to feel comfortable having kids.
Five: still doesn't feel ready or comfortable, but isn't completely against it anymore. I don't see her saying this to Peeta but rather, keeping it to herself. Five years of peace vs her first 18 years of instability would've started to break down her walls but she still has a long way to go.
Ten: Still hesitant but can see her and Peeta having children together. Not immediately, but not that far away either. Maybe this is when she opens up to Peeta that her mind is in the process of changing. Peeta doesn't pressure her. Ever. He's happy to have kids whenever she's ready.
Fifteen: She's ready and they start trying, or already pregnant when they hit the 15 year mark. She would've been 17/18 by the time the war ends, so she's spent almost the same amount of time living in a post-war world.
As for "Peeta wanted them so badly", I posted some thoughts a few weeks ago.
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What's your first impression or thought after finished the book?
What's the most shocking or aha! moments for you?
What's your opinion of
1. Haymitch
2. Other District 12 people
3. Katniss' ancestry
4. Capitol people (Effie, Plutarch, Drusilla etc)
5. Many past victors.
What was revealed about THG universe that you liked/disliked?
In your opinion, please rate this book with 1-10 scale (and you can give reason why do you give those rating).
Thank you so much (;
@curiousnonny
So this book put me through the 5 stages of grief. Right after finishing I was in denial about how bad it was. Like, surely I was just overly critical because I had my own ideas about how this should go and once I adjusted I'd be fine? But uh, no. I hate it even more now than I did when I finished it.
Haymitch did not feel like Haymitch. Even when accounting for the fact that he's not the same bitter old man we meet, I just read SOTR like "okay is THIS when he's the Haymitch we know? What about now? NOW?" Reading the epiloge: "For the love—!!!!"
The new D12 people were the one bright spot of SOTR. Loved Maysilee and Wyatt, liked Louella but she was little bit...made to die, kind of like Prim, so didn't get too attached to her. Although I hate the name, Asterid March is very much personality-wise like I imagined her. Did not care for Burdock being Haymitch's BFF. I thought Lenore Dove was underwritten and more akin to a first draft than a final draft. Haymitch didn't seem to understand her at all, which meant we as readers didn't either.
3.
4. Effie was nothing but fan service and made her OG character worse, and was Elizabeth Banks-ified. Drusilla was perfectly hateful and I don't remember any other Capitol people. Oh yeah Plutarch was also awfully him and Snow was like, a fanfiction version of himself (negative).
5. I liked that Mags and Wiress were the mentors, but didn't like that their conditions in CF were explained. Like...couldn't stuff have happened between the two QQs? The extent of Beetee's rebellion made it so that it didn't make sense to keep him around, either. Like dear Snow:
Liked: Maysilee. Mr. Mellark's name. That the D9 tribute was named Ryan. More names just in general because I'm fascinated by that.
Disliked: Just about everything else.
As a prequel, 2/10. If this was its own standalone book, might be more of a 5/10.
What's your first impression or thought after finished the book?
What's the most shocking or aha! moments for you?
What's your opinion of
1. Haymitch
2. Other District 12 people
3. Katniss' ancestry
4. Capitol people (Effie, Plutarch, Drusilla etc)
5. Many past victors.
What was revealed about THG universe that you liked/disliked?
In your opinion, please rate this book with 1-10 scale (and you can give reason why do you give those rating).
Thank you so much :D
@curiousnonny
Thanks for the ask!!
What's your first impression or thought after you finished the book?
I enjoyed it, but not as much as the original trilogy. When I finished it I felt like it was incomplete for some reason, maybe because some of the questions I had hadn't been answered. I still loved it though.
What are the most shocking or aha! moments for you?
I think my most shocking moment was when Wellie got decapitated at the end. I knew she was gonna die, but Jesus. One of the most aha! moments for me was when it was revealed Mags and Wiress were Haymitch's mentors, and Beetee being around too. Basically any moment when there was some sort of connection to the THG.
What's your opinion of...
Haymitch: He was always one of my favourite characters, and I loved seeing his personality as a teenager. It felt awful knowing what was going to happen in the end, because I just wanted to see him happy. I've seen a lot of people say that he was mischaracterized in this book, but I'm not sure I agree, because people can change over 24 years, especially under such horrific circumstances. He's definitely not the Haymitch we got to know in THG, but it was still interesting to see him as a teenager.
Other District 12 people: I loved Maysilee Donner, even when Haymitch didn't really know her and said she was mean I knew we'd eventually get to see a different side of her and understand her. Also her insults to Drusilla where hilarious. Louella McCoy was another one of my favourite characters, even if she died too soon, we still got to know her a little thanks to Haymitch spilling every detail on everyone he even remotely knows. His family was also lovely, it was so nice seeing that despite living in absolute poverty and having to deal with plenty of grief they still took care of eachother, and Haymitch and Sid relied on their mother, as things should be. It was cool reading about all the parents too, and getting to know a bit about Burdock and Asterid's story.
Katniss' ancestry: I don't think she is closely related to the Covey. Yes, her dad might be Lenore's cousin, but it's likely that it's distant, and that they don't share any blood. I kind of like that she isn't Covey, because Snow being tormented by Covey girls until his death, while funny, would be too much of a coincidence. Her being District 12 was bad enough for him anyways, and it's also a big part of Katniss' identity, so I think that it's better this way. I think the Covey were unfortunately long gone by the time she was born, or she would have at least mentioned them when she talked about the songs his dad taught her.
Capitol people (Effie, Plutarch, Drusilla etc): It was such a treat seeing Effie and learning at least a little bit about her background. Plutarch, while being of of my favourite characters in THG, was different in this book imo. Again, it's been 24 years so it makes sense that he's changed, and I still loved that he was in this book. Drusilla I hated, but we got some funny moments thanks to her. The small moments we got to see of the general Capitol people felt different than the ones in THG. They were more obvious in their brutality, less compassionate to the kids in the Games, less refined in general. It's an interesting (even if barely noticeable) shift, and it shows what living under Snow's government for longer eventually did to the Capitol citizens.
Many past victors: Mags was by far my favourite, she was so sweet and understanding, especially to Haymitch. It was interesting to see how with the ones we got to know, even though the Games affected them, still remained compassionate and were able to help their tributes. This is obviously because they went through the some of the same things, but a lot of the Victors in Catching Fire let the horrors they'd lived make them more brutal and less understanding. Yes, the circumstances were different, but it's just interesting to read, and it shows how good Katniss' instincts were when choosing allies in the Quarter Quell.
What was revealed about THG universe that you liked/disliked?
Liked: More information about these Games in general, during and before. The history and origins of the mockingjay pin. The fact that the rebellion had been going on for decades, and that Katniss was probably working on the shoulders of countless people who had given their lives to the cause.
Disliked: Katniss' possible relation to the Covey. Like I said, it just doesn't make much sense and it's more meaningful if their rebellion is not a consequence of genetics but of who they are and what they stand for.
Countdown to Sunrise on the Reaping (SotR) book release 🔥
What's the burning questions about Haymitch you hope is answered in this book?
What are your predictions about Katniss' family or ancestry in SotR?
Were you shocked about Haymitch's life story in the chapter preview that's been released?
Any other thought about SotR?
Thank you :)
@curiousnonny
Hey there @curiousnonny! Haven't seen you in a while.
I don't know that I have any burning questions about Haymitch. I'm just super curious to see how he gets to where we already know he's going.
As for Katniss and her family, I'm actually hoping we don't see a lot of them. Maybe a brief mention of her father since he's Seam like Haymitch, and possibly something about her mother in the aftermath of Haymitch's games since Haymitch tells us in Catching Fire that they used to take whipping victims to Mrs. Everdeen, specifically to her, not her family. Maysilee might mention her friends in the lead up to the Games as well.
But to me, this is meant to be Haymitch's story and one of the missing pieces about the long simmering rebellion that finally ignites with Katniss. To spend too much time on her family will distract from Haymitch's story. However, given that Suzanne seemed to delight in dropping us reminders about the future in Ballads -- it's too early for katniss, the show's not over until the mockingjay sings, the brief glimpse we get of the baker in 12, etc -- I am fairly confident we'll see something of her parents and maybe even Peeta's.
That being said, I really don't want it confirmed that Katniss is somehow descended from the Covey, which I know is an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it. To have Katniss come from the Covey, to me, gives her too many "chosen one" vibes. She's supposed to be "a random girl plucked from the masses." Her deep connection to both District 12 itself and the way her connection grows to encompass her caring for all of Panem is pretty much the complete opposite of Lucy Gray's "I'm Covey, not District" stance and the way Snow uses that to differentiate her from everyone else for as long as it suits him to do so. Making Katniss Covey implies that only someone cut from the same cloth as Lucy Gray could bring down Snow. It diminishes the courage it took from the people of the districts, as well as the sacrifices and contributions they made to the overthrowing of the Capitol. Whereas, if Katniss is truly just a random girl, a part of those teeming masses, then her courage and acts of kindness serve to reflect those of her people, rather than setting her apart from them as some sort of "destiny."
I wouldn't say that I was shocked by what's already been revealed. We already knew that Haymitch's dad was likely already dead by the time he went into the Games because when he lists the people who were dead two weeks after he was crowned, Haymitch only mentions his mother, his brother, and his girl. I was surprised by the mention of him going into the woods "for work" in the first excerpt, but given the reference to Hattie (his "boss"?) and "the bottle" in the the second excerpt, my theory is that Hattie is his generation's Ripper. In other words, I think Haymitch works for someone who has a still out in the woods, making alcohol.
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i fell in love with this series when i was 10 or 11 years old!! that was roughly around the time when mockingjay (book) was released. in anticipation of the first movie, a friend of mine watched every single josh hutcherson movie up to that point. we were extremely jealous of vanessa hudgens and on a school spirit day, we made t shirts with bubble paint that said team edward team jacob team peeta and thought we were SOOO cool. my dad also got me a little bow with very not sharp arrows and my crowning achievement was getting one to stick in a tree.
another family friend was extremely excited about the movies when they were coming out, so we went to the midnight release. my mom (who is a baker) made bread filled with nuts and berries (but could not bear to burn the crust, for which i can’t fault her) that we used (alongside a bed of wild rice) to sop up lamb stew with dried plums. for dessert, we found a recipe for these “lumps of coal” chocolate cookies which we dipped in shiny black sprinkles and covered the top in red, yellow, and orange sprinkles!! they had a cayenne kick for the “fire” and they were. amazing. needless to say that was one of my favorite childhood memories and not a crumb was left on a single plate!!
i’ve seen the movies a bunch since then (but tbosas only twice). but the books…god at this point i probably have these books memorized. and i don’t get tired of them. every single time i’ve learned something different. truly, these books (among a few others) defined my worldview as a child and it’s a delight to be able to go back and put into words what made me connect so well with them ideologically. and now that i’m an adult, i can understand why so many of my english teachers considered them an instant classic.
Countdown to Sunrise on the Reaping (SotR) book release 🔥
What's the burning questions about Haymitch you hope is answered in this book?
What are your predictions about Katniss' family or ancestry in SotR?
Were you shocked about Haymitch's life story in the chapter preview that's been released?
Any other thought about SotR?
Thank you :)
@curiousnonny
Wooo! Cannot wait!!!
I don't necessarily have a specific question as I am curious to Haymitch's personality when he was younger. I know in the interviews he was described as cocky and confident, maybe even a bit arrogant, but that isn't necessary who he really was. I mean from Katniss' interviews she was a giggly little girl but in reality she was hard and cold. So I'm hoping we get a chance to see what he was really like when he was alone and with the people he was comfortable with. I also hope we get a real chance to learn more about his family and that special girl at home.
I don't have many predictions but I do like the idea of learning more about Katniss' mother. If only we can do it by looking through the eyes of her friend. In honesty, I'm actually a teeny bit more interested in learning about Madge's family, haha!
I. Have not actually read it! XD I tend not to read previews. I like to get the whole story in one go whenever I can and teasers just get me worked up so I'm holding back and waiting for the full release.
Just that I cannot wait. Unfortunately I have to wait longer than everyone else X'D I originally preordered but my own sense of aesthetic and tightness with money had me cancel. I'm waiting for the paperback to go with my others. Just hope it doesn't feel like a long wait, haha!
Do you think it’s significant that the Reaping Day is on USA's Independence Day?
Do you think Reaping of 74th Hunger Games is rigged? Yes/No? Why?
If the reaping could be rigged. Who do you think participate in this collaboration?
Thank you :)
@curiousnonny
Ahoy! Thanks for asking.
I headcanoned the Reaping to be on July 4 so many years before Ballad just because I thought it would be spooky. Getting that in canon and so explicitly stated in Ballad, then doubled down on in Sunrise, had its pros and cons. I think it is likely that certain significant dates would continue to have value to the society of Panem, even hundreds of years after the USA, depending on how things went down, and the cataclysm that led to the dissolution of the nations we know and the rise of Panem. How they went from the USA's Independence Day to the day beginning an annual spectacle weaponizing the Districts' lack of independence is interesting. It makes me wonder if that date was a different holiday in pre-DD Panem. I find it significant in the questions it raises and the opportunities for speculation, but I don't think it adds significantly to the social commentary.
No. The point is that it was random. We are all living in a field of random events dotted with intentional choices. Anyone, even if their name is only in the ball once, can be Reaped because in a system like that, no one is safe. It was that particular randomness that put Katniss in her position.
Some Reapings might be rigged, like what happened to Lucy Gray. I think who is involved depends on the reason for the rigging, and I don't think it's common.
