Summary

Part 1

In the first part of The Hunger Games, the main character, Katniss Everdeen is introduced.  She’s teenager who is a brave hunter and she gets her family food because where she lives people are starving.  Her father died in a coal mining accident and she lives with her mother and sister Prim in District 12 in Panem.  She hunts with a friend named Gale. She has learned many things about hunting with him.

Every year in Panem , there is an event called the Hunger Games where two tributes- a boy and a girl- are chosen from each of the twelve districts to be brought to an arena and to fight to their death. Only one person can survive. This is to remind all the people in the country not to go against the Capitol ever again. The second reason why there is a game is that people love a good show. This year Katniss' little sister is chosen for the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to take her place instead because Prim is only 12 and Katniss is 16. Peeta Mellark was also chosen from their district as a tribute too. He is a baker’s son.

After the draw at the reaping, Katniss and Peeta are taken away to the Capitol to prepare for the Games and to get ready to be on live t.v.). They meet Haymitch (a former Hunger Games winner and also a drunk), Effie, Cinna and Portia who get them ready to be on t.v.

At the opening ceremonies, Katniss and Peeta are dressed in flames and they are a hit with the audience.  When they are in the training session Katniss shows how good she is with archery. She shows this to the Game makers and scores 11 out of 12 but she isn’t sure if she is in trouble because she shoots an arrow at the Gamemakers to get their attention. Peeta gets a lower score and asks to be coached independently. Peeta also tells everyone in an interview that he has a crush on Katniss. Katniss is shocked but she learns that Haymitch wants them to act like they really like each other.

Part 2

               All the 24 tributes are taken to the arena to begin the games. Katniss is on her own at first, but then she finds out that Peeta has teamed up with the Career Tributes who are the strong kids from the rich districts in Panem . They practice and prepare for the games for a long time before they may get to them. The group finds Katniss in a tree, but she drops a tracker jacker (killer wasp) nest on them with the help of another tribute named Rue. She gets a bow and arrow because of this.

 Katniss teams up with Rue, a small girl from District 11 who reminds her of her sister Prim. The two of them steal the Career Tributes food supply. This makes their leader, Cato really mad. Katniss finds out that Peeta isn’t with that group anymore and Katniss thinks he must be really hurt. Her friend Rue is killed by one of the Tributes and Katniss puts flowers on Rue’s body to be covered.  The announcer says that the rules of the game are now changed- he says that two people from a district can now win. Katniss yells out Peeta’s name without thinking that Cato may hear her.

Part 3

                Katniss begins searching for Peeta and she finds him seriously wounded but camouflaged in the muddy bank of a stream. She gives him some of the medicine she had for burns and wasp stings and she is helping him get better. She starts playing up the romance between them just like Haymitch would want. They get more medicine and food from the sponsors.

                 After they have rested and have hunted they are still facing Cato- the third last tribute. Katniss and Peeta know they have to fight him but all of a sudden they are chased by mutations that are big and strong and have long claws. Katniss shoots Cato in the head and he dies. An announcer comes back on and says the rules have changed back: only one winner is going to be allowed. Katniss and Peeta decide they can’t kill each other, so they take out the poisonous berries they had saved for Cato and were about to eat them and kill themselves.  Before they can kill themselves, the announcer stops them and announces they have both won.

                Katniss and Peeta continue the show of them being in love for the post-games reunion and the interview. Katniss figures out that Peeta really is in love with her and he never was acting at all. He figures out that she only pretended and this makes him sad. The story ends with the two winners of the games going back to District 12 to be with their families and to live a new life in the houses they are going to be given. Katniss is confused about how she really feels for Peeta.