When they are shorn of all the Hollywood razzamatazz that goes into the film versions, the Hunger Games novels are gritty coming of age stories that, to me anyway, force us to look at the way we treat other people and, in some instances, voyeuristically consume them. This book takes the characters of Haymitch and Effie and shows us how they became the mentors we see in later novels:- Haymitch, the bitter alchoholic victor and Effie, the out-of-place people-pleaser. It’s heartbreaking to see their aspirations erode, knowing what lies ahead for them. In some ways Haymitch’s story parallels that of Katniss Everdeen: he tries very hard to protect the younger, frailer children from less advantaged districts while doing his best to take down the Capitol’s machinery.
Haymitch is a much more sympathetic character than I’d expected in many ways. Although he would rather distance himself from the young girl he becomes entangled with in the arena, he is noble enough to take on the role of protector and the end result provoked a few tears. It will be a gut-wrenching moment when the film is made.
Although we don’t currently force young children to fight for our entertainment, I hope that this book will cause at least a few readers to consider whether voyeuristic reality shows are really worth watching when they cause emotional damage to the participants.
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