YA Book Club Not Just For Teens! discussion

Here is some questions to start off the discussion.

1. How does Katniss feel about the country of Panem?
2.Why does she need to make her face "an indifferent mask" and be careful what she says in public?

3. How does the fact that the tributes are always on camera affect their behavior from the time they are chosen? Does it make it easier or harder for them to accept their fate?
4. How are the "career tributes" different from the others?

5. When Peeta declares his love for Katniss in the interview, does he really mean it or did Haymitch create the "star-crossed lovers" story? What does Haymitch mean when he says, "It's all a big show.
It's all how you're perceived."

6.Why do they need to impress sponsors and what are those sponsors looking for when they are watching the Games?

7. Before the Games start, Peeta tells Katniss, " . . . I want to die as myself . . . I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not." What does this tell you about Peeta? What does he fear more than death? Is he able to stay true to himself during the Games?

8. Why does Peeta join with the Career Tributes in the beginning of the Games? What does he hope to gain? Why do they accept him when they start hunting as a group? Why do groups form in the beginning when they know only one of them will be able to survive?

9. Discuss the ways in which the Gamemakers control the environment and "entertainment" value of the Games. How does it affect the tributes to know they are being manipulated to make the Games more exciting for the gamblers and viewers? Does knowing that she is on live TV make Katniss behave differently than she would otherwise?

10. When does Katniss first realize that Peeta does care for her and is trying to keep her alive? When does she realize her own feelings for him? Did Haymitch think all along that he could keep them both alive by stressing the love story? Are they actually in love?

5. I think Peeta has always loved Katniss. He just was saying outloud for the first time at the interview. I really think that most of what Peeta says is honest.

7 & 8. I wish Peeta had stayed true to himself. I hated that he joined the careers, even if it was just to save his and Katniss's life... The careers act like animals not humans and by joining he became part of the pack, but I feel that wasn't staying true to himself. (He did regain everything later though...)

10. I am not going to answer this since I've read the whole trilogy :P

This novel disturbed me. It was well-written and quite suspenseful, but when I thought about it, I lost the fantasy concept and thought about how this is kids killing kids on TV. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was quite disturbing.

The concept of the career tributes really bothered me. People that trained to be a part of these games was horrifying. It seemed that they came from districts that had much more than Katniss and Peeta. Of course, it added quite a thrill that they lost.

I was conflicted about Peeta. I want to believe he was honest and I am still not a hundred percent sure. I haven't read the next book yet, so I don't know where this goes. Though I feel he was being honest, I don't believe he was completely true to himself. I do agree with Kelle that he did gain a few points back throughout the novel.

1.) she is unhappy with the government and the fact they expect tributes from different districts
3.) the tributes act different while on camera. And Katniss uses this to get people to appreciate her more.
5.)I think Peeta does show he cares for in the first book. He shows how much she cares for Katniss.
7.) I think Peeta wants to not change how he is. He doesn't want to become a hard cold killer. I think he never really changes. And he shows how he cares for Katniss throughout the novel.
8.) Peeta joins the career so he can help Katniss out and he feels he has a better chance with the careers. The tributes form groups so they can better stay alive and hunt others down. It helps them stay alive longer then they might by themselves.

I thought this was a great book. And I highly recommend it. The second book is better than the first. I won't give anything away.