After they arrive at the Training Center, Katniss and Peeta meet their stylists. Katniss is pleasantly surprised when she meets Cinna, a young man who dresses simply and wears very little makeup compared with the other stylists. In a strategy that has never been used before, Katniss and Peeta are presented as a pair during the opening ceremonies. They race through the Capitol in a chariot holding hands, their outfits blazing in fake flames, earning Katniss her nickname "girl on fire." Their entrance becomes the highlight of the opening ceremonies.

After the ceremonies, the tributes begin their training. Haymitch coaches Katniss and Peeta together, per their request, and instructs them to keep their biggest strengths a secret from the other tributes. For Katniss, this means staying away from archery. After many years of hunting game in the woods, her prowess with the bow and arrow are unrivaled. The Gamemakers reward her skills, and her feistiness, with a score of 11 out of 12 during her private session with them. Peeta's biggest asset is his strength, so he stays away from weight lifting while he's around the other tributes. Haymitch tells them to remain together at all times, too. They are to appear inseparable, which, as the training goes on, becomes increasingly tiring for Katniss, who can't decide whether Peeta's kindness and compliments are genuine or simply a part of a scheme for winning the Games.

Then, just before their interviews, Peeta asks Haymitch to coach him separately. This angers Katniss, who feels betrayed, but decides that she and Peeta aren't friends and the sooner they stop pretending they are, the better things will be. At the interview, however, Peeta professes his love for Katniss, and the audience believes they are star-crossed lovers, trapped in an arena where their love cannot survive. Katniss is furious with Peeta for making her look weak in front of the audience and the other tributes. Haymitch and Cinna, however, assure Katniss that Peeta has given her an advantage, making her appear desirable.

The 74th Hunger Games begin with the tributes rising up from below ground. They stand in a circle around the metal Cornucopia, a giant golden horn that holds supplies and weapons, meant to lure the tributes in for a bloodbath. Haymitch has instructed Katniss not to run toward the Cornucopia, but to run as far away as she can and find water immediately. Upon seeing a bow and quiver of arrows, however, Katniss questions Haymitch's advice and readies herself to retrieve them from the Cornucopia, but as she does so, she sees Peeta shaking his head at her, which distracts her long enough to make her miss the opening gong that releases the tributes. She runs in just far enough to retrieve a single backpack and then takes off into the woods, where she is most comfortable. She runs all day, placing as much distance as she can between herself and the other tributes, while taking stock of her surroundings. The woods calm her, but she's unable to find water.

That first night, while sleeping in a tree, she sees that the Careers, the tributes from the wealthier districts, have formed an alliance and are hunting the weakest tributes together. She is shocked to see that Peeta is a part of their group and decides that she can't trust him after all, that he distracted her at the Cornucopia on purpose, and that he has been misleading her all along. When she sets out the next day, she still can't find water and is close to death when she finally discovers a small pond. While in the arena, Katniss constantly has to battle hunger, dehydration, the other tributes, and the Gamemakers, who are able to send violent fires and explosions through the woods.

One night, the Careers and Peeta pin Katniss in a tree. Rue, the young tribute from District 11 hiding in a nearby tree, silently points out a tracker jacker nest to Katniss. Katniss cuts the nest loose, dropping it on the Careers and Peeta early the next morning. The tracker jackers kill the girl from District 4 and Glimmer, the beautiful tribute from District 1. Katniss gets stung a few times herself but is able to escape.

As she's running, she remembers the bow and arrows that Glimmer had. She goes back to retrieve them before the hovercraft comes to take away Glimmer's dead body. Hallucinating from the tracker jacker venom, Katniss has a hard time concentrating, and she can hear the footsteps of the Careers returning. It's Peeta who finds her and tells her to run. He stays to fight off Cato, the violent boy tribute from District 2, and saves Katniss' life, again making her question Peeta's motives and wonder whether his feelings for her are true or simply an act for the audience.

Katniss forms an alliance with Rue, who reminds Katniss of her little sister Prim. Rue says she knew she could trust Katniss because of her mockingjay pin. Rue loves mockingjays and their songs, and Katniss and Rue decide to use the mockingjays in the arena to communicate while they carry out their plan of destroying the Careers' food supply down at the Cornucopia. Katniss sets off the Careers' own booby traps, destroying most of their food and causing Katniss to lose hearing in her left ear, but when she returns, she can't find Rue.

Following Rue's screams, Katniss appears in time to see the boy from District 1 spear Rue to death. Katniss kills him. Then she sings to Rue until she's dead and then decorates her friend's body with flowers. This memorial to Rue is seen as an act of rebellion by the Capitol; tributes from opposing districts are supposed to kill each other, not form true friendships during the Games.

With just six tributes remaining, including Katniss and Peeta, Claudius Templesmith, the Games' announcer, declares a new rule to the Games. This year, two tributes can win so long as they come from the same district. Katniss immediately sets out to find Peeta, whom she knows has been injured badly by Cato. She finds him camouflaged in mud and in bad shape. The gash on Peeta's leg from where Cato struck him has become severely infected. Katniss takes him to a cave where he can heal in safety and, while there, she works hard to give the audience what it wants, which is romance, knowing that satisfying them will earn their support in the form of gifts. She knows, too, that if she plays the audience right, Haymitch and any sponsors he can find will deliver the very necessary gifts at the right time. She kisses Peeta and talks sweetly to him. They continue to flirt in the cave, but Peeta gets blood poisoning and Katniss knows that he won't live much longer without medication.

Claudius announces that there will be a "feast" at the Cornucopia at dawn and that there will be backpacks for each district containing something that those tributes desperately need. Katniss is sure that her backpack will contain medicine for Peeta, who says he won't let Katniss risk her life for him. Haymitch sends Katniss sleeping syrup, which she uses to put Peeta into a deep sleep while she makes her way to the Cornucopia. As she races to get her backpack, she is caught by Clove, the girl tribute from District 2, who is skilled with knives. Clove pins her to the ground, but before she can carve Katniss' face, Thresh, the boy from District 11, kills Clove and frees Katniss. Thresh lets Katniss go — just this once — because of what she did for Rue, who was the other tribute from his district. Katniss thanks Thresh, retrieves her backpack, and runs back to the cave.

The medicine in the backpack attacks Peeta's infection and he slowly regains his strength. Katniss and Peeta hunt and gather in the woods, and Katniss can't help but think of Gale and how she misses him. She wonders what Gale thinks of Peeta and how she kisses him, but then doesn't like to think of Peeta and Gale at the same time because her feelings are so complicated. When the only remaining tributes are Katniss, Peeta, and Cato, Katniss knows that the Gamemakers will soon drive them together for their final battle.

True enough, the streams and ponds dry up, forcing the remaining tributes to head for the lake near the Cornupia for water. Katniss and Peeta go to the Cornucopia to wait for Cato. Cato emerges from the woods being chased by muttations, creatures made by the Capitol. These particular creatures are wolf-like and can balance on their hind legs. They also each represent one of the dead tributes, possessing their eyes and hair color. Peeta, Katniss, and Cato climb up the Cornucopia, trying to get out of the creatures' reach. Cato grabs Peeta, who received a deep bite and is bleeding profusely. Katniss shoots Cato in the hand, which causes him to fall to the ground where the muttations attack him. The animals gnaw on Cato through the night; Katniss shoots him with an arrow the next day to end his, and their, suffering.

Katniss and Peeta believe the Games are over, but then Claudius Templesmith's voice announces that the new rule that was previously established about two tributes winning has been revoked. Only one tribute can win. Katniss realizes this has been the Gamemakers' plan all along, to end with the star-crossed lovers and watch one of them sacrifice his or her life for the other. Katniss, however, comes up with a plan. She and Peeta both prepare to eat poisonous berries, which makes Claudius take back his most recent announcement, stating that two tributes can indeed win, declaring Katniss and Peeta as this year's Hunger Games winners.

Back in the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta are nursed back to health, their scars and burns polished smooth, though Peeta loses his leg. They will be reunited in front of an audience, but before they take the stage, Haymitch warns Katniss that the Capitol isn't happy with her. They believe that her stunt with the berries made them look like fools. Haymitch says that she must convince them that she's so madly in love with Peeta that she can't be held responsible for her actions. As Katniss takes the stage with Peeta to watch the video replay of the Games, she's aware that the most dangerous part of the Games has only just begun. During the video showing, as well as during her interview with Caesar Flickerman, Katniss is quite convincing. Peeta is as well, but he doesn't require any coaching. Katniss, thus far, has preferred to believe that Peeta is simply a more natural actor. She wonders, though, if he might truly love her.

The novel ends with Katniss and Peeta on their train ride back to District 12 as heroes. The closer she gets to home, the more confused Katniss becomes about her feelings for Peeta and about her true identity. She knows that pretending to love Peeta has saved her life and that she must continue to pretend to love him so that the Capitol doesn't punish her for her final act in the arena. Still, her mind centers on Gale and how she can't wait to be reunited with him. When Peeta finds out that Haymitch was coaching Katniss even after their return, he feels betrayed. He wants to know what has been true between them and what things will be like once they've returned to District 12. Katniss can feel him distancing himself from her and knows that she is losing him. At the novel's end, Katniss isn't sure who she is now that she's a victor in the Hunger Games. She also doesn't know whom she loves, Gale or Peeta, or where her life will go from here with the Capitol's eyes closely upon her.

Thema

Het thema is oorlog, omdat het Capitool alle twaalf districten onderdrukt. Dit doen ze door te laten zien dat ze machtiger zijn dan de districten, door de Hongerspelen te organiseren en de mensen dwingen om deel te nemen en te vechten tot de dood.

Personages

Hoofdpersoon: Katniss Everdeen
Katniss is zestien jaar oud en woont samen met haar moeder en haar zusje Primrose in het armste gedeelte van district 12, de Laag. Toen haar vader overleed bij een ongeluk in de mijn besloot ze om illegaal te gaan jagen en het vlees te verkopen op de zwarte markt, zodat ze kon zorgen voor haar moeder en zusje. Gale helpt haar hierbij.
Wanneer haar zusje wordt gekozen voor de Hongerspelen, neemt Katniss haar plek in. Zo komt Katniss samen met Peeta in de 74ste editie van de Hongerspelen.
Katniss is een intelligent en sterk meisje. Ze is geen stereotiep meisje; haar karakter weerhoudt haar er niet van haar concurrenten te vermoorden.

Hoofdpersoon: Katniss Everdeen
Katniss is zestien jaar oud en woont samen met haar moeder en haar zusje Primrose in het armste gedeelte van district 12, de Laag. Toen haar vader overleed bij een ongeluk in de mijn besloot ze om illegaal te gaan jagen en het vlees te verkopen op de zwarte markt, zodat ze kon zorgen voor haar moeder en zusje. Gale helpt haar hierbij.
Wanneer haar zusje wordt gekozen voor de Hongerspelen, neemt Katniss haar plek in. Zo komt Katniss samen met Peeta in de 74ste editie van de Hongerspelen.
Katniss is een intelligent en sterk meisje. Ze is geen stereotiep meisje; haar karakter weerhoudt haar er niet van haar concurrenten te vermoorden.

Bijfiguur: Peeta Mellark

Peeta is de zoon van de bakker. Hij neemt samen met Katniss deel aan de Hongerspelen.Peeta is al jaren verliefd op Katniss maar dit wordt pas duidelijk tijdens de Hongerspelen.
Peeta is een intelligente jongen die het vooral moet hebben van zijn kracht.

Bijfiguur: Gale Hawthorn

Gale was in het begin de vriend van Katniss en tevens ook de persoon die haar hielp met het illegaal jagen. Katniss en hij hadden plannen om er samen vandoor te gaan, maar door zijn jaloezie jegens Peeta groeien hij en Katniss uit elkaar.

Bijfiguur: Haymitch

Haymitch is een alcoholist vanaf het moment dat hij de Hongerspelen heeft gewonnen. Hij is de coach van Peeta en Katniss en tevens degene die met het idee kwam dat ze hun liefde gingen faken om zo cadeau's te krijgen van de sponsoren tijdens de Hongerspelen.

Bijfiguur: Rue

Rue was een deelneemster van District 5 en was twaalf jaar oud. Zij was in het begin tijdens de gevechten de compagnon van Katniss, maar werd ongeveer halverwege de Spelen vermoord door iemand uit District 1.

Perspectief en verteller

Het boek wordt compleet verteld vanuit Katniss' oogpunt, vanuit een ik-perspectief.

Tijd

De complete verteltijd van het boek is 435 bladzijdes, en dit is opgedeeld in 27 hoofdstukken. Het aantal uren om dit te lezen verschilt natuurlijk per lezer.
De vertelde tijd in het boek was ongeveer 2 maanden. Dit is echter niet precies te zeggen, omdat er ook een heleboel flashbacks zijn tussen het gewone verhaal door.
Er waren bijna geen tijdsprongen in het boek, slechts een paar keer.

Ruimte

In het begin speelt het verhaal zich af in District 12. Vandaaruit gaat Katniss met de trein naar de arena, waar bijna het hele verhaal plaatsvindt.

Stijl

• De auteur gebruikt veel lange zinnen;
• De auteur gebruikt veel bijvoeglijke naamwoorden;
• De auteur gebruikt voornamelijk makkelijke woorden, maar er zitten soms pittige woorden tussen;
• De auteur schrijf voornamelijk met nieuwe woorden (neologismen);
• De auteur gebruikt opvallende stijlfiguren;
• De auteur geeft snelle en korte beschrijvingen van de omgevingen, maar wel vaak.

Ik vond het een leuk en interessant boek, omdat de auteur goed beschreef wat er wanneer gebeurde en hoe de omgeving eruitziet.

Waardering

Ik had verwacht dat er duidelijke verschillen waren tussen de film en het boek, maar die waren er niet. Ik vond het boek een goed gevulde inhoud hebben en ik zou het zeker aan anderen aanraden. Ik vond de Katniss wel een goede personage voor de hoofdrol en vond Peeta's karakter een geweldige aanvulling op dat van Katniss. De gebeurtenissen kwamen geloofwaardig over, want dit zijn wel dingen die mogelijk zijn in onze huidige tijd. Ik vond het verhaal spannend maar moest mijzelf wel dwingen om door te lezen, omdat ik de film jaren geleden al heb gezien. Ik vond het taalgebruik passen bij het boek.