The Hunger Games – Chapters 4-6

Three more chapters of The Hunger Games down.  Overall, I’m interested, but not compelled yet.  Granted, I’m now only six chapters and eighty-five pages in.  I’d keep reading even if I weren’t doing these blogs, but I’m not at a point yet where I’m having trouble stopping after three chapters.

Chapter 4
There are worldbuilding things I’m confused about – her mother’s book was written on parchment?  They’ve got enough money for a toy wagon and a tv?  Although, maybe the tv is state mandated since everyone is required to celebrate and, presumably watch, the Hunger Games?
Haymitch isn’t totally lost to the bottle.  I guess it’s a chicken/egg thing – did the District 12 tributes do poorly because their mentor was a drunk or did Haymitch start drinking because the kids kept dying?
Is Peeta devious or just determined?  Hmm…

Chapter 5
I love the description of her prep team as multicolored birds.  I’ve really only seen images of Effie, but she does look a little like a bird.  Or an easter egg.
Ok, the outfit for the chariot scene sounds goofy.  I’m not a big unitard person, generally speaking.  In Style had several designers do concept sketches before the movie came out.  The one here was designed by Christian Cota.  It’s very… dominatrix-y.  I went and youtubed how they did it in the movie just to see.  The film versions come off much more as leather armor, maybe it’s the sort of dragon scale look of the fabric.  (As a sidenote, I HATE Katniss’s hair in that scene.)
I find it interesting that holding hands is Cinna’s idea.  He seems very different from the usual stylists from his appearance to his ideas.  I know he becomes an important figure (because gifs on tumblr are a thing), but I’m very curious about him at this point.
I’m feeling some sympathy or Peeta right now, probably because Katniss is trying so hard to figure out all the angles.  I’m want to believe that she’s wrong about Peeta and he really is just a nice guy who wants to live through this.

Chapter 6
The training center is going to be interesting.  And I’d love a machine that magically got all the tangles and frizz out of my hair.
Who is the Avox and will she be relevant again later?
The conversation between Peeta and Katniss is interesting.  He’s still coming across as sweet and she’s still prickly and suspicious.  I know we’re supposed to bond with protagonists, but Katniss is so sharp-edged, that I’m second guessing all of her perceptions.