Mockingjay Tour: What's Up with District 13?

It's hard to believe that the wait is over and Mockingjay is finally here. Just in case you've been vacationing on another planet, I'll let you in on a little secret: Mockingjay was released last week--on August 24.

Today is the final stop on the month-long 13-District tour. The posts on this tour have been fabulous, and if you've missed any, you should go back and take a look. Information can be found on the official Hunger Games Facebook page.

For those of you who have not yet read Mockingjay this post is spoiler free for the third book, but not necessarily so for the first two.

The Mysterious District 13

When I was asked to be the District 13 representative, I was wondering what I could reveal about my district. As you know, we got tired of being controlled by the Capitol and openly rebelled. Yay for us for being brave, but perhaps we weren't so smart.

We were known for our nuclear power technology, graphite mining, and well . . . um, you see, after our rebellion, the Capitol destroyed our entire district. Really. If you don't believe that, just take a look at that footage of the barren wasteland that they're always showing on the screens. (Just ignore that mockingjay that flies by in the corner. Nothing for you to be concerned with.)

The real question is whether any of us still exist. Okay, so maybe that's not a huge question because, after all, I'm here, aren't I? Of course, I'm hiding in an undisclosed location, so maybe I'm not in District 13 at all.

Gale and Katniss are always trying to get around the Capitol's rules, although Peeta is more obedient and perhaps even a bit of a goody-goody. When Katniss meets Bonnie and Twill in the woods by the lake in District 12, she and Gale begin to think the unthinkable. If Bonnie and Twill are correct, then District 13 survived the bombing seventy-five years ago, and it is now harboring rebels from around the country.

Twill insists that we in District 13 were clever enough to hide underground. And the mere thought that people can escape the Capitol and live free intrigues Katniss and Gale. Unfortunately, when Katniss finds herself in the arena again, she must put aside her dreams of District 13 and concentrate on surviving.

Katniss, however, is always a step ahead of the Capitol--the living embodiment of the mockingjay. When she, wearing her famous gold pin, finds a way to breach the arena's outer defenses, a hovercraft, with Gale and Haymitch onboard, plucks her out of danger. And just who owns that hovercraft? District 13!

So now what do you think about the situation in my district?

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For all you anti-establishment folks out there, show your defiance and your love of freedom and independence by wearing your very own gold metallic mockingjay button. Yes! Like Katniss, you can let others know just where you stand. Are you with the Capitol or against it? The gold-colored mockingjay pin will make your allegiance shine forth.

The particulars: There will be 50 lucky winners of these exclusive gold metallic mockingjay buttons. All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is to fill out the following form.

This giveaway is available to U.S. mailing addresses only (P.O. boxes are just fine). Multiple entries will be discarded. Winners will be contacted via email on Wednesday, September 8. Because there will be 50 winners, I will not post the names.