BLOGGING THE HUNGER GAMES, pt. 11: The Clash At Demonhead

And now everything starts. OK, so I know we've been reading for like 150 pages, but this still feels abrupt, somehow. Maybe it's BECAUSE we've gone 150 pages instead of diving right into the Games; when I first started reading I assumed we'd have gotten here earlier. But you have to have something going on other than a bunch of kids killing each other in a forest—from a writing standpoint, I mean—otherwise what separates a novel from an arcade game? So we developed this complex relationship between Katniss and Peeta (which gets—wait for it—even more complicated), met a bunch of other characters with varying and shifting motives, and did a little (but not much!) world building. Now, we get down to the business at hand.

And in the end, waiting this long achieves a pretty cool effect. Katniss is standing there and genuflecting (about Peeta, mostly) and genuflecting some more, and suddenly: BOOM. KILLING.

Previously: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Chapter 11

The Hunger Games starts with all of the tributes coming up from underground a few hundred yards away from a huge stockpile of provisions and weapons (with some other supplies strewn about). They can go grab the swag and risk fighting with all the others in close quarters (not unlike a gifting suite at an awards show) or they can bail. Haymitch has advised Katniss to run and find water, but she's tempted by a gleaming bow and arrows she sees in the pile. While this is happening, everyone is standing on platforms and waiting for the go signal; Katniss says if you move too early, landmines blow your legs off. Shit, my Mario Kart 64 training would not have served me well in The Hunger Games (if you tap the gas right before the green light you get a speed boost you know what never mind). Also, that seems a little extreme, Gamemakers. Land mines?

(And if you're keeping track of the new tech/old tech balance, put another check in the old tech column. This chapter features bows, arrows, land mines, and... disappearing hovercraft!)

Katniss starts thinking about charging into the “bloodbath” that always results around the "Cornucopia," but catches a glimpse of Peeta possibly shaking his head at her. It gives her enough pause that the buzzer goes off and she doesn't make a move fast enough. Story of my life, right? So she lunges for a nearby backpack with plans to grab it and run, leaving the bow for some n00b she'll have to kill later, I'm sure.

(That's actually a question I've had for a long time: will Katniss actually KILL anyone? Or will she find some way around it? Don't answer that.)

But some jabroni starts fighting her for the backpack like an idiot (don't mess with Katniss “Eleven” Everdeen, kid!) and then coughs blood all over her face. Interesting attack strategy, buddy. “Ha! Now you might catch type II diabetes too!” Actually, it turns out someone threw a knife into his back (symbolic) and he's dead. Whoa! Already with the dead children and the blood coughing, eh? Katniss runs from the knife throwing bitch, who is coming after her now, and uses the backpack to block a knife from, you know, going into the back of her head. I'm a little squeamish, you guys. Am I going to be OK in future chapters?

Katniss gets out of the clearing and runs until she's sure she's not being followed. She spends the rest of the day getting as far away as possible, but eventually starts to stress over her inability to find water. There was a lake near the starting point, and she's worried that's all there is. Did you start to get thirsty when you read this? I did. And I'd left my metal water bottle thingy in the car that day. It was really bad timing. I had to walk all the way to the water bubbler in the lobby of my office. But enough about MY problems! Katniss climbs a tree and sets up a sleeping bag from the backpack in some branches. Turns out they project the names and faces of the dead into the sky (which might be an actual sky or might be like, a Truman Show type deal) at the end of each night, which surely gives our contestants nice dreams. Anyway, Katniss is relieved when she sees that Peeta is not dead yet, and then she feels weird about that relief.

A few hours later, she wakes up to the sound of someone setting up a fire nearby. She's furious at whatever idiot is attracting attention to their area and plots killing them in the morning (what happens next really triggered my “is Katniss going to kill anyone” nerve-center) but soon hears approaching footsteps. Then she hears (this is quite the radio play, really) a girl screaming in pain followed by the sound of several people laughing. Yes, in true reality show fashion, an alliance has been formed. AND HERE'S THE KICKER: The group gets closer to Katniss's tree and then wonders why they haven't heard cannon fire, indicating the death of their most recent victim. After they argue for a while, someone speaks up and says he will go back and finish the girl off and then catch up. GUESS WHO IT IS? Seriously, guess. PEETA! AHHHH! Party foul, bro.

Stray Notes & Questions:

• Survival tip: Katniss doesn't want to eat the provisions in her backpack yet, so she eats the inner bark of a pine tree. Did you know you can do that? CAN YOU do that? Should I take the survival tips in this book with a grain of salt or should I save my salt to preserve any fish I might catch (what)?
• Eleven tributes die on the first day. ELEVEN! Also, is that going to be a significant number? Is this an illuminati thing? HOLY SHIT THIS IS PART ELEVEN OF THIS SERIES! I'm part of the problem.
• They're streaming the new St. Vincent album, Strange Mercy, over at NPR. Go listen to it, it's great! Annie Clark's music gives me the WEIRDEST chills ever. Also, check out the great/creepy/funny video for “Cruel.” Also, check her out covering Tom Waits at SPIN. Annie Clark doing a mild Tom Waits impression is basically the sexiest thing that has ever happened.