The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Research Part 1 of "The Hunger Games"
Research Part 2 of "The Hunger Games"
The Tributes: The story basically starts during the reaping, where everyone gathers in the square once a year to see who is drawn to be the male and female tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. This year, it is (unlucky) Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. They spend a few nights at the Capitol, experiencing the wonders, only to give it up in the end (if you know what I mean). Until their last final remarks at the ritual, where Peeta admits his crush on Katniss.
The Games: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... at the end of the countdown, 12 tributes are already dead, trying to aim torwards the crates of goods stacked in the middle. Luckily, Katniss and Peeta were not one of them. But meanwhile, a wildfire sweeps past the trees Katniss was heading torwards, leaving a burn on her thigh; only to be cured when Haymitch sends out medicine for her in the tree where she was hiding from the alliance at the bottom. Next morning, a small tribute names "Rue" showed her an opportunity to kill them by cutting down a Tracker Jacker nest, exploding on all the people below. But it did cost Katniss a few days, out cold, while Rue took care of her, not knowing she would die later in the Games.... So an announcer comes to bring the romance back on by saying that two contestants are allowed to be winners
The Victor: Later on, Katniss met Peeta down by the river, realizing that he was hurt. She nurses him back to health and realizes that by playing up the romance angle, they can get gifts from sponsors. Eventually, they meet the last remaining contestant, Cato, after being persued by Wild Dogs, until he finally is knocked down into the pack. But it wasn't over yet, as the announcer comes back on and says that there can only be one. Which leaves then no choice but to kill each other - with deathberries. Fortunately, the announcer come back with a depressing voice, saying they won.
Katniss and Peeta keep up the star-crossed lovers routine for the post-games reunion and interview, knowing that this is the only way to keep from being punished by the Capitol for the rebellious trick with the poisonous berries. Eventually Katniss figures out that Peeta really is in love with her – he wasn't acting at all – and he figures out that she wasn't ever in love with him. As for the ending, the train pulls into District 12, they put on a happy face for the camera, take each other's hands and step onto the platform.