The Hunger Games Chapters 13-15

Roses are red.
Blood is also red.
Happy Hunger Games!
::thwap:: Now you’re dead!
I wrote you that for Valentine’s Day, which it still is while I’m typing this up.

The cast of Survivor. These people would not survive the Hunger Games

Chapter 13
I totally just realized this was in 1st person present.  I’m kind of slow, but the line, “My first impulse is to scramble from the tree, but I’m belted in,” just struck me as odd, so I had to flip back through some of the other chapters.  Yep.  Present tense.  Most of what I read is either 1st or 3rd person past – I felt, I went rather than I feel or I am going.
The Gamekeepers and their fire launchers just seems cheap, but I’m getting Katniss’s perspective, not that of the viewers in the capitol.  (Side note – when I first heard about the show Survivor, I thought it would be more like this.  Not contestants killing each other, obviously, but a bunch of people dumped in an area with cameras all over it, trying to survive.  The last person to tap out won.  Yeah.  It wasn’t like that at all.)
Oh man, do I feel for her with the burns.  When I was… 8 maybe?  I was taking my mom coffee on Mother’s Day and I spilled it all over my chest.  My Dad had to rush me to the emergency room where I was treated for second degree burns.  My nightgown had melted to my skin.  It was pretty bad.  Until the next day when I got to go to school and show everyone my bandage.  It was like a gauze tube top and therefore awesome.
Peeta… you’re confusing me.
Rue is back!  Except, I don’t want to see her because I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall in love with her.

Chapter 14
Tracker jackers?  Ok.  There are zombie wasps and wasps that turn other insects into zombies, so why not?
Two deaths from a nest of wasps… ok.  That’s fourteen down and only ten kids left.
Peeta’s back and he was trying to protect her the whole time, which isn’t really a surprise, but is a nice confirmation.
Also, Katniss is seriously tripping.

Chapter 15
These hallucinations are pretty terrible.
Katniss thinking about Peeta and Gale and could we PLEASE let go of the love triangle sub-plots?  Because I don’t love them.  Sure, it was ok back when I was reading Laurell K. Hamilton in high school, but that’s all anyone seems to do anymore in YA and in urban fantasy (with the exception of Seanan McGuire, thanks Seanan!) and I’m really, really tired of it!  Ok, rant over.
I respect that she takes the time to clean her weapons.  I may have read too much fantasy literature that hammered home the importance of maintenance.
Yay alliance with Rue!  I love Rue.
The bird is called a groosling.  Did anyone else think of the Groosalugg from Angel?  Oh, was that just me?
It’s probably terrible of be, but I’m glad that Katniss is about to go on the offensive against the Careers.  I get that it’s an honor to be the tribute from their district and all and it’s a major advantage to your home district if you win, but… yeah, I kind of hate them.
Also, Cinna and Cato?  And gladiatorial games.  And I know they release the creepy mutation version of lions at some point.  The lapsed Latin scholar in me is digging the Roman references.

As an aside (and shameless plug)  I’ve put a custom necklace up for auction over on Con or Bust.  If you’re not familiar with them, they’re a great organization that helps fans of color make it to SFF conventions.  The auction is running until February 23, so there’s still plenty of time to bid or pass the word on to your friends.  I’ll make you a necklace (in the style of the open I made for Mary Robinette Kowal to wear to the Hugo’s) in the colors you pick out!  So please, have a look and spread the word!  Thanks.