rvivor rewarded with fame and wealth. This year's arena is a vast wilderness area. In District 12, 12-year-old Primrose Everdeen is chosen in her first Reaping. Katniss, her older sister, volunteers to take her place. Peeta Mellark, a baker's son who once gave Katniss bread when her family was starving, is the other district tribute. Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, accompanied by their frequently drunk mentor and past victor, Haymitch Abernathy. He warns them about the "Career" tributes who train intensively at special academies and almost always win. During a TV interview with host Caesar Flickerman, Peeta unexpectedly reveals his love for Katniss. She is outraged, believing it to be a ploy to gain favor, as "sponsors" may provide in-Games gifts. However, she discovers Peeta meant what he said. The televised Games begin with half of the tributes killed in the first few minutes. Katniss barely survives ignoring Haymitch's advice to run away from the tempting supplies and weapons strewn in front of a structure called the Cornucopia. Peeta forms an uneasy alliance with the four Careers. They find Katniss and corner her up a tree. Rue, the young girl from District 11, is hiding in a nearby tree and draws her attention to a deadly tracker jacker nest. Though stung, Katniss drops the nest onto her sleeping besiegers. They scatter, but Glimmer is stung to death. Katniss, disoriented by the venom, is told to run away by Peeta. She eventually collapses. She wakes up to find that Rue has taken care of her for two days. Meanwhile, the alliance has gathered up all the supplies. Katniss has Rue draw them off, then destroys the stockpile by setting off the mines planted around it. Furious, Cato kills the boy assigned to guard it. Katniss finds and frees Rue from a trap. She dodges a spear thrown by Marvel, which strikes Rue. Katniss kills Marvel, then comforts the dying Rue. Afterward, she arranges flowers around the body. When this is televised, it sparks a riot in Rue's district. Panem President Snow summons Seneca Crane, the Gamemaker, to express his displeasure. The contest is intended to be a safety valve for social unrest; these Games are having the opposite effect. Haymitch convinces Crane to make a rule change to avoid further trouble. It is announced that tributes from the same district can win as a pair. Katniss then searches for Peeta and finds him with an infected leg wound. When an announcer proclaims a feast where the thing each survivor needs most will be provided, Peeta begs her not to risk getting him medicine. Katniss promises not to go, but after he falls asleep, she heads to the feast. Clove ambushes her and pins her down. When Clove gloats about killing Rue, however, she is slain by Thresh, the other District 11 tribute. He spares Katniss for Rue's sake. The medicine works, keeping Peeta mobile. Foxface, the District 5 girl, dies from eating Nightlock berries that she stole from Peeta, neither being aware they are poisonous. Without warning, Crane darkens the arena and unleashes a pack of hound-like creatures to speed things up. Katniss and Peeta flee to the roof of the Cornucopia, where they have to fight Cato. Katniss wounds Cato with an arrow and Peeta hurls him to the creatures below. Katniss shoots Cato to spare him a prolonged death. With Peeta and Katniss apparently victorious, the rule change allowing two winners is suddenly revoked. Peeta tells Katniss to shoot him. Instead, she gives him half of the Nightlock. Before they can commit suicide, they are hastily proclaimed the victors of the 74th Hunger Games. Haymitch warns Katniss that she has made powerful enemies with her display of defiance. She and Peeta return home, while Crane is locked in a room with a bowl of Nightlock. President Snow ponders the situation.

... Read more >>