What was the gist of the book Hunger Games?

Answer 1

Katniss Everdeen is a girl from District 12, one of the least wealthy Districts in Panem (the country of The Hunger Games - future n. america). Panem's capital is aptly named The Capitol. 74 years before the events of the film, a war broke out between the Capitol and the 13 districts, which resulted in one district (d.13) being blown up. Every year since then, 24 children aged 12-18, have been selected to take part in the Hunger Games - a battle to the death with one surviver. Katniss' sister, Prim, is 12 and has her name in the Reaping bowl once. Prim is chosen to enter the Hunger Games, but Katniss volunteers to take her place. Peeta Mellark is chosen in the boys' category and he has had a long-time crush on Katniss. The two tributes are taken to the Capitol and are interviewed and paraded before the citizens of the Capitol, who are sponsors for the Games (they can send the tributes life-saving gifts in the arena). Katniss and Peeta make a great entrance as their stylist gives their outfits the illusion of being on fire.

The Games start after a few days of training and begins with a bloodbath, during which many less skilled tributes are killed as they run for supplies at the Cornucopia. Peeta runs away, whilst Katniss grabs a backpack before running off and narrowly missing being stabbed by an axe and a throwing knife. Many events are forced upon Katniss such as dehydration to the point of almost death, fireballs singeing her leg and being stung multiple times by specialised wasps known as tracker jackers, which can cause hallucinations with the possibility of death. She allies with the little girl from District 11; however the little girl is killed by one of the Career tributes (the tributes that have trained illegally for the games for most of their lives).

Katniss tries to find Peeta after the gamemakers announce that there can be two winners this year, instead of one, if both tributes are from the same District. She finds him, but he has been wounded by one of the Careers, she helps him clean up and he comes down with a fever that night as he sleeps. The gamemakers announce that there will be a feast, and each tribute can collect a package that they desperately need. Katniss goes to get the pack, even though Peeta asks her not to. She secures the pack at the feast, but is hindered by one of the Careers who throws a knife at her brow. Just as the girl is about to kill her, the male from District 11 kills the career and spares Katniss' life because she helped Rue (the girl from 11).

Now, only a few tributes remain and the gamemakers unleash deadly mutts, which are designed to kill the tributes and are made to look like the tributes who died during the Games. Only Katniss, Peeta and Cato (the remaining Career) make it to the safety of the Cornucopia, where they battle to keep alive. Peeta is wounded by one of the muttations. Cato puts Peeta in a headlock and threatens to break his neck, resulting in Katniss shooting an arrow at his hand to make him let go of Peeta. Peeta then throws him over the edge of the horn and down to the mutts below. They begin to tear at him, and after hours of his screams, he still has not died so Katniss shoots him out of pity to end his agony. Peeta is bleeding profusely from the wound he obtained from the muttation and Katniss uses an arrow as a tourniquet to try and stench the flow of blood. Katniss and Peeta are the last remaining tributes from the same District and wait to be picked up. The hovercraft does not arrive to rescue them, and they are told that the earlier rule change has been revoked - there can once again only be one winner. Peeta tells Katniss to kill them, but Katniss refuses, stating that they should die together because they love each other. They prepare to commit suicide by swallowing poisonous berries, but are stopped at the last minute. The President of Panem is outraged by their actions, and kills the head gamemaker for allowing this outcome to be possible. Peeta has to have his leg amputated as a result of Katniss' tourniquet damaging his lower leg, but he has a prosthetic replacement. That's pretty much it for the first book.

Oh, and Katniss tells Peeta that she doesn't really love him, and that she only put it on for the Games, to survive.