YA Bachelor: Peeta from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Today our next bachelor is getting introduced. The sweet Phanee of funny wool is hosting Peeta Mellark of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. She's going to kick off the second day of YA Bachelor Month!

(This post probably contains spoilers for those who haven’t read any of The Hunger Games books, so proceed at your own risk!)

So, Amber had been posting all these forms, so that we could vote for our Top 20 YA bachelors these past couple of months, and, of course, I decided I just HAD to take part in some way! When she finally asked for hostesses for the actual Top 20 bachelors, I sent her an e-mail, to ask her if I could participate and, lo and behold, I got Peeta!!!!

You cannot imagine what my face looked like when Amber sent me back an e-mail telling me that Peeta was free!! Free, I tell you! I saw sure he would be one of the first to be taken! And now, I have to write a post about him!

And then panic starts to arise... What in the name of all that is Panem AM I going to say about him?? (You liked my phrase, huh? *wink, wink*) Everyone loves him, but how am I going to make this post stand out in some way and make my love for Peeta evident? But then, I realised. I’m going to keep it simple.

For starters, we ALL know that Peeta is one of the main characters in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series. My edition of the book is the UK edition, but it’s the blue one with Peeta on it! (Not that I knew that when I bought it, but whatever!) Here are the three covers (including my one!), though I think they have a new cover out in the UK now, sans Katniss or Peeta.

So. Now, onto the serious stuff.

Peeta is the baker’s son from District 12. He’s definitely had a wealthier life than Katniss, but not much better, as his family can, at best, be described as cold and distant, with his mother being the worst of the lot.

So, as you can see from the cover, Peeta is blond. In the book, there is a description of him right at the beginning, just after his name comes out of the bowl during the Reaping. A 16 year old boy of medium height and a rather stocky build, with ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead and striking blue eyes, that ineffectively try to mask his fear.

But it’s not his looks that are his winning asset. (Though they don’t hurt either!) Nope. His best feature is by far his personality. Peeta is one of the sweetest characters in YA today. Well, at least out of the ones I have read, which might not be many, but are still enough to judge by. But he’s not soft. He is foisted into a really bad situation (a.k.a. The Hunger Games), where he is made to kill other children so as to be able to survive. And he manages to come out alive in the end. Twice.

Peeta is shown to be rather bold, especially in that scene where he just announces to the world that he is in love with Katniss. He is really good with coming up with strategies to use in the actual Games, as well as to win over the public’s affection, as he seems to be able to choose the exactly right words to cause a sensation (see above scene with the love thing). He is willing to go to great extremes so as to ensure that Katniss survives, even if that means that he will die in the end, which makes him brave, selfless and very loving of those close to him. Peeta knows exactly what to say when you’re feeling low, so as to cheer you up and make you laugh, even when things don’t look too positive.

Just to give you some examples of things Peeta has said that make me smile when I read them:

“What about you? I’ve seen you in the market. You can lift hundred pound bags of flour,” I snap at him. “Tell him that. That’s not nothing.”

“Yes, and I’m sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people.” 

“Tomorrow’s a hunting day,” I say. 

“I won’t be much help with that,” Peeta says. “I’ve never hunted before.” 

“I’ll kill and you cook,” I say. “And you can always gather.” 

“I wish there was some sort of bread bush out there,” says Peeta.

I love Peeta for all the reasons above. I love the way he treats Katniss in the first book. All the innuendo and the looks and kisses are so sweet, and they all gave me the sort-of bubbly feeling you get when you know two characters are so good together. I love how he didn’t force his presence on Katniss in the second book, when it was evident she wasn’t at all sure about her feelings. I didn’t like the way he became in Mockingjay, which was not his fault, but I absolutely loved the fact that he managed to drive himself back onto the right path and finally become his own self again.

Quite a few authors tend to use ‘bad boy’ characters that attract the main female character, and, if one thing is for sure, Peeta is definitely NOT someone who falls into that category. He is the quintessential good guy, the one who will show you and tell you how he feels, but will not pressurise you in any way if he thinks that you’re not sure of yourself and your feelings. He is not a show-off and uses a lot of self-deprecating humour in the hopes of making you laugh a little.

Now for the dreaded part: how I picture him in my head.... I have to start by saying that I am absolute rubbish at casting characters (ie choosing actors that I think could play the part). When I read, each character has a sort of blurry form. I focus more on the storyline the characters are involved in, rather than the actual characters... So, I’m just going to have to go with what the rest of the people seem to have pictured as Peeta...

As practically everyone knows, the first book is being filmed into a movie as we speak. Before they cast the actors who are going to appear in them, there was quite a bit of speculation going on as to who would portray Peeta. I believe that one of the names ‘on the table’ was Alex Pettyfer (on the left) and another one was Max Irons (on the right) (if I’m not mistaken!)

While I think Alex’s face would be very nice for Peeta, I am not so sure about his height and physique. Isn’t he rather tall?? And lean?? As for Max Irons, I think would make a lovely Peeta! I can’t explain why; I just do!

In the end, though, the actor who was actually cast for the part of Peeta was Josh Hutcherson.

While I will admit to being a bit dubious in the beginning about that particular choice, Josh Hutcherson has been growing on me and I think that, with a bit of a hairdye, he will make a wonderful Peeta! There is something about his face that makes me think that... We shall have to wait and see!

To end this post, I kept my favourite scenes from the Hunger Games, which, of course, are about Peeta and Katniss.

Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home. 

Peeta hesitates, then gives an unconvincing shake of his head. 

“Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what’s her name?” says Caesar. 

Peeta sighs. “Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping.” 

Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love they can relate to. 

“She have another fellow?” asks Caesar. 

“I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her,” says Peeta. 

“So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?” says Caesar encouragingly. 

“I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning . . . won’t help in my case,” says Peeta. 

“Why ever not?” says Caesar, mystified. 

Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out. “Because… because… she came here with me.”

“You have a ... remarkable memory, ” I say haltingly. 

“I remember everything about you, ” says Peeta, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re the one who wasn’t paying attention. ” 

“I am now, ” I say.

What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that. 

So after, when he whispers, “You love me. Real or not real?” 

I tell him, “Real.”

In addition to everything else Amber is doing for this event, she is also going to be holding a voting session, where you will get to choose your favourite bachelor to fit a certain category! Of course, Peeta is in the running for quite a few of them, so what I’m going to try and do here is give you reasons for you to vote for him.

Numero 1: Sweetest Nice Guy

Well, he is! To me, he is the embodiment of sweetness and niceness in a guy. He is kind and understanding. It is blatantly evident how much he loves Katniss and he is genuinely upset when he finds out, at the end of The Hunger Games, that half of what Katniss was doing was an act for the sponsors. He draws away, leaving Katniss to sort out her feelings, and you never do that if you don’t really love a person.

He fights for her to survive and I believe he would do it time and time again. However many times Katniss might be in danger, he will always be there to try and save her, to try and get her to survive, even if he doesn’t. Self-sacrifice makes him sweet and nice, doesn’t it? As well as insanely brave?

Numero 2: Favourite Regular Guy

Peeta has no superpowers, so he’s not going to come out and do something that will dazzle you, such as start conjuring up magic or flying. Nope, from that aspect he is completely regular. But he does have abilities that are necessary in the times and place he lives in. He has a lot of strength, a wonderful mind for coming up with strategies that actually work and a way with the crowd! And if that wasn’t enough, he is just yummy to look at and he’s got a lovely heart made out of gold. You see why you HAVE to vote for him??

Numero 3: Best One Liner

I do have a problem with paying close attention to specific lines in books, but this one just made me sigh when I read it. It made me want to say ‘Awww...’ out loud, which would have been rather awkward if anyone heard me.

‘’I remember everything about you,’’ says Peeta, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. ‘’You’re the one who wasn’t paying attention.’’

Numero 4: Best Fighter

I wasn’t so sure about nominating him for this category, but then I really thought about it, I realised I should. He might not be the world’s most indestructible fighter and he definitely doesn’t have the superior strength. It’s not that he has never been injured while in battle, seeing as that’s how he ended up with a ‘new leg’. But he is definitely a good strategist and is great at keeping his mind level and ready to think of all possible outcomes. He is a brave, not completely fearless (as that would make him reckless) and genuinely cares for what happens to others. He doesn’t sacrifice them so that he can stay alive. And, sometimes, that’s what makes the best fighter; being able to make the proper decisions for the welfare of a group.

Numero 5: Change My Mind

I can’t pitch Peeta for this one really... It’s completely up to you. Though know that if you don’t vote for Peeta, there will be consequences......

*cue ominous music*

Numero 6: Overall favourite

He’s good looking, he’s smart, he knows exactly what to say to make you laugh when you’re feeling down and is capable of loving you to pieces (well, you if your name is Katniss). He’s sweet, strong, loveable, patient, calm ..., well, he’s just plain wonderful. That’s why you know he’s your favourite!

And just because I want to spread some Peeta love, I will be doing a giveaway on my blog of the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay! Head over here to find out more!

 A big thanks to Phanee from funny wool for hosting Peeta! Make sure you stop back when voting opens and cast your votes! The more categories you vote for, the more entries you'll get for a chance to win one the voter's giveaway at the end of this entire event. For the schedule and more info, check out The Master Poster here!