The 40th Hunger Games is the backstory on Thorburn Chlodowech on her childhood and how she won this year's Games in 40 ADD. She becomes the 5th victor of District 5, where she's from. Along the way, she mentions other mentors and victors of past Games, including other tributes that competed to win in her own hear. The story is made out of 16 chapters. The story was written by Devin J. Naqvi.
Background[]
Thorburn was born in a family of 3 (if you include her) with her mother and father. 12 years after her birth, she had a little brother, Wesley, who would be a loving a caring sibling. They get a long for the most part. We also get to know at this time that she is very smart, always calculating odds and such. She is more of a thinker than a fighter. She also lost two of her friends in previous Hunger Games, which were the 35th and the 37th. Its also known that she was in a summer camp about survival.
Reaping[]
Thorburn has never signed up for tesserae since she was never poor. Her little brother at this time is too small to be reaped, so she doesn't have to worry about that either. When she is picked, it surprises her, since the chances of that happening were astonishingly low. No-one volunteered for her, so she was forced to be this year's female tribute for District 5. Her male counterpart that was picked was a boy named Jack Simmons, a jock at her school. He is rather happy to be in the Hunger Games. They are escorted by Adiar Caesar, a person who loves the Hunger Games more than anyone else in her district. While being taken in the custody of the Capitol, she sees the Mayor and his family.
Going to the Capitol[]
When she's in the Justice Building, she's greeted by her grieving family. Her mother is so sad she stays silent and has to take Wesley, who's crying uncontrollably. However, her father tries to give her some last minute advice, since she knew how to survive since she was in a survival summer camp, as mentioned above. While going on the train, she sees Jack's family pass by. When the tributes get on the train, they are greeted by their mentors, which are Venture Allardyce and Gliese Dugald, previous victors from her district. Thorburn, Jack and the mentors talk on how to survive in specific arenas. Later, they all watch a previous Hunger Games that happened 8 years before the story would start, which were won by a girl named Laurel Flamsteed.
Tribute Parade[]
This year was very interesting when it came to the outfits the stylist gave their tributes. During this time, Jack and Thorburn meet their stylists, which were Alexis, a woman about in her 20's with pink curly hair and golden eyelashes. Then, there's Brady, a man with spiky indigo blue hair and a neon green suit. Lastly, there's' Adeline, a woman with golden long hair with a silver dress. They all look very weird to the pair of tributes since the Capitol's fashion is much more different from what they had back home. Jack and Thorburn wear a black outfit with a lightning bolt in the shape of the letter "V" on the middle of their chest. Needless to say, the crowd loved their outfits. The tributes from 1 are dressed like gems, which looks ridiculous according to Thorburn. The pair from 2 are dressed in suits that make them look like brick houses. District 6's tributes look like robots, with them earring a suit with car parts draped over them. The pair from 7 are dressed like trees, as usual. The pair from 10 are dressed like cows, which according to Thorburn, are the worst costumes she's seen out of all of them this year. District 12's tributes are dressed in big, black blocky outfits resembling coal. When all of the chariots have reached the mansion of Corlana Snow, the president of Panem at the time, she wishes the tributes a happy Hunger Games. Later, when the tributes are out of their costumes and at the apartment they have to stay in until they're in the Games, the socialize and meet each other. Thorburn makes friends with the boy from 12, Beckham, the name she would later know of him, and the girl from 3, named Jessica.
Tributes[]
As expected, the careers looked the biggest and the mightiest, almost reaching 7'0 ft tall. Thorburn also talks to a handful of other tributes that year. When she goes up to the balcony since the careers are making fun of everybody for their appearance, they spot her at the last second and join her up on the balcony. When they're up their, they tease her to the point when she attacks them. Obviously, this wasn't a good choice. She runs in the elivator just in time so the careers didn't catch her. When she reaches the door to her room, the careers finally catch up with her. When they're about to pull her back and beat her up, Thorburn's mentor, Venture, steps in the way and commands them to go away. They leave, infuriated. This action by Venture makes Thorburn her favorite victor, and they would later become friends. Venture later talks about how the careers during her year were jerks too.
Training and Private Sessions[]
During training, Thorburn hangs around her two friends. She's not so good at the survival stations, unlike her allies. She also hangs around the fighting stations too. Jack is seen at the combat stations. She goes at the gauntlet. The careers go through it easily. However, Thorburn trips and busts her lip open. The careers are trying their absolute best to hold in their laughs, just to annoy her. Once the timer tings, the tributes are forced in a room and get called for their private sessions. Thorburn gets to use her spear throwing skills. She also sees that the Head Gamemaker this year is still Romulous Jackson. She later receives an 8, a pretty high score, and her male counterpart, Jack would receive a 7. Also, her odds of winning were 9-1. The scores they received made their mentors and stylists very happy, since their expectations were blown out of the water, except for Venture, since she knew Thorburn could get a good score. After this, Thorburn watches some more Games. One of these is Terra Kinnimonth's. After the Games she watched, she takes a nap, so when she wakes up, she's ready to go get interviewed.
Interview[]
During her interview, she gets interviewed by Julius Flickerman. They have a somewhat good conversation with each other. When she sees the careers get interviewed, she notices that the boy from 4's mother was a previous victor, which was Muscida Selkirk, winner of the 31st Games. She see's that the boy from 12 is pretty funny. In fact, he's so funny that Julius can't even say goodbye when the timer rings.
The 40th Games[]
Before she's sent into the glass tube, she is escorted by Venture, obviously meaning that her district partner was escorted by Gliese. She tries desperately to give her some last minute life saving advice. When she gets brought up to the arena, she didn't except that the arena was a swamp. When the gong sounds, she frantically runs to the cornucopia.
The bloodbath is described with detail, "The gong rings. Chaos ensues. It happened so fast, like it was just a blur. I rush through the thick swamp water, with the careers already killing people. I counted 2 bodies being slaughtered before I was at the cornucopia. I grab a spear and a knife, which I stuff down my pocket. I try to sneak in another knife just in case, when a body hits, sending me flying on the ground. The body is so mutilated that I can only tell that its a girl, I take a closer look at it for a split second that I realize that its Jessica's. (girl from 3) I see the career who did it, which was the boy from 4, Brook. Im so mad that I throw my spear at his chest, hitting him in the abdomen. My throw was so hard that my arm begins to hurt, which is not the right time for my arm to start aching.
I hear careers voices calling my name, with them yelling, "KILL HER!!!", though I can't place who said it, as theyre all talking at the same time, with them energized on adrenaline. The boy Jackson comes to me in the swamp, but is dragged in by something in the water, something I can't place. I don't dare to see what happens to him, while the careers try to help him, but that only attracts more of those monsters. Theyre definitely mutts. The careers fight them off, while I run away. I still hear fighting in the distance around the cornucopia, signaling that the bloodbath hasn't ended yet. Not suprise, as its only been like 3 mins. However, I saw 2 careers die at that time, along with poor Jessica, and maybe like 6 others, meaning theres 11 dead if I counted right. I see some tributes running in the distance, with supplies, and thats when it hits me. I didn't get a bag."
After the bloodbath, she tries to rest for the night, but see's the careers murdering a girl no so far away from her. It was the girl from 10, a tribute she didn't really know herself. She also sees the death portraits in the sky, "I see the pair from 3, Brook, the District 12 female, Jackson, the pair from 6, the District 8 boy, the District 9 Boy, the District 11 female and the District 10 boy. I also see the girl from 10 is there, meaning that the girl I just saw die was the female form 10."
This means that the District 12 Male is still out there surviving. During day two, she is chased by the remaining careers; all of the career girls, and the boy from 1. However, the careers are about to get attacked by a big water snake mutt until another mutt, about the size of the cornucopia takes the snake and killed one of the girls from it. The monster takes the two other girls and eats them, leaving the boy from 1 to escape. Thorburn hides in the cornucopia the hole time. Later, the runs into the boy from 12. They see that there are a handful of horses near them. To be safe, the boy touches one of the horses with his bag, but it sticks on the horse. When the District 1 Male runs into them, Thorburn and her friends realize what they must do. They're able to push him on on the horse, making him stick there. The horse then proceeds to walk in deeper swamp water, eventually drowning the last career. The two eventually make a small alliance. They look in the sky and see the career's faces up there, eliminating all of the biggest threats in the arena.
3 days later, Thorburn and the boy (later found out to be called Beckham) are very starving, since their supplies were destroyed by the horses. They don't want to go to the cornucopia, since they now that theres that beast there. After scavenging for supplies, they run into the girl from 8, another tribute Thorburn doesn't know. However, Beckham does know her, so if they were to kill her, that would'nt make him too happy. However, a group of snapping turtles comes by. They spit a red substance at her, causing her to collapse into a seizure, killing her swiftly. They later return to the sight they saw her die, and her body is picked up by a hovercraft. However, the two take her supplies, which consists of food. While trying to find other tributes, they feel like they're getting followed.
This is also described, "We both try to find the others for what seemed like an eternity, but theres no sign of luck, even though I hear sounds in the swamp behind us all of the time, making me feel like theres another undiscovered mutt, or someone trying to taunt us."
However, they still manage to get some rest.
On day 8, things get very weird. She tries finding people only to realize that Beckham has gone missing. She's beginning to think that the other tributes are planning an attack on her. A cannon fires and she starts to panic. After that another fires. She also hears those sounds behind her again at this time. She later finds out that one of the tributes that died during that time was the girl from District 9. She also see's that the other tribute dead was Beckham. This upsets her so much that she goes back to her place and cries for a very long time. After that, she eventually cries herself to sleep, ending fay 8.
On day 9, she notices that she hasn't eaten since day 7. She also realizes that his district partner that has found her is about to fight her. However, when he's about 3 feet away, the thing that was stalking her emerges, "I don't run into anyone, but I hear those damn noises behind me. I try to look for it, but theres nothing I can see. Its probably camouflaging, but I can't see it. I even double check, but theres nothing I could find. I see something in the distance that looks like a spec but its getting bigger. I think its running at me. Thats when I recognize that its Jack. He doesn't look like he wants to make friends with me, so I prepare for the fight. Right when he's about 3 feet from me, I hear something behind him emerge from the floor of the swamp. Its the thing that kept stalking me. It has moss and soil all over it, and I don't know who it is, but its not human. Theres just something about its pale face that didn't look quite right."
At this point, they both start to run. However, the thing watches up and kills her district partner. After the thing has had it's food for the day. She tries to go to sleep after that, but she can't, so she stays up for day 10 as well. However, nothing happened that day. For the next two days, nothing else happens.
On day 13, the last day of the Games, Thorburn hears some commotion behind her. She realizes that the remaining tributes except for her are running from mutation panthers. She notices claw marks on the tributes's bodies. When she runs with them, she tries to trip the district 11 male, but he jumps over it, hitting the leg of the boy from 7, tripping him, getting him mowed down my the mutts. The remaining tributes are forced to go the cornucopia, so they have to go on top of it. However, a panther jumps up high enough to sweep the girl from 7's legs off of the cornucopia, making her fall down into the pit of mutts. For revenge, the boy from 11 tries to push Thorburn off, except that she dodges it, and sweeps his leg so that he trips and falls off the platform, resulting in hid death, which is getting mowed down by the mutts. This crowned Thorburn the victor.
To the Capitol[]
Once she's picked up by the hovercraft, she is given aid for any injuries. After she is treated, she meets her stylists and mentors, "After I'm treated, I get to see my mentors and my stylists. They're so happy to see me. The stylists except Alexis are crying of joy. When I see Venture, I just give her a long hug, and we both don't say anything. I think she was very worried about me, since her face is paler than usual. I greet Gliese and he seems pretty happy, so thats not a problem"
After getting on a train to get interviewed once again, it will take her 2 days to arrive to her destination. Because of this, she occupies herself on watching some more Hunger Games. She watches Raff's first. After she watches his, she watches Rummages. After that, she watches Sabille Bosehearty's', After the Games she has watched, she falls to sleep on the bed in the train. She misses on how comfortable it is.
Meeting the other Mentors[]
Once arriving at Corlana's mansion, she welcomes him and the others. She also offers him to talk to the other victor's that mentored that year. They also prepare a big feast too. Thorburn talks to all of them. The mentors this year were:
- Struve Ballantynn and Velorum Lathmore (District 1)
- Leonis Elestren and Zenobia Rivendell (District 2)
- Beetee Latier and Fawn Odinshoot (District 3)
- Muscida Selkirk (District 4)
- Gliese Dugald and Venture Allardyce (District 5)
- Ivo Lockhearst (District 6)
- Sabille Bosehearty and Eero Nitya (District 7)
- Indigo Weaver and Savera Inchcape (District 8)
- Laurel Flamsteed (District 9)
- Greir Rollo (District 10)
- Wolfmark Redpath and Fallstreak Ivory (District 11)
- Rummage Lorman (District 12)
Last Interview []
For his last interview with Julius, they first watch a re-run of the games, as a sort of highlight. Thorburn doesn't like it since it shows so many horrible deaths. Julius and her talk about the careers, allies, etc. After the interview, Thorburn goes to her new house in Victor's Village, and celebrates the celebration in District 5.
Main Characters[]
- Thorburn Chlodowech - the victor that year and the one telling the story
- Gliese Dugald - one of her mentors and the winner of the 3d Games
- Venture Allardyce - her favorite mentor that mentored her and the winner of the 20th Games
- Adiar Caesar - District 5's escort at the time
- Jack Simmons - Thorburn's district partner
- Beckham - Thorburn's friend that is from District 12 and participates with her in the Games
Side Characters[]
- Jessica - Thorburn's friend that is from District 3 and participates with her in the Games
- Thorburn's mother
- Thorburn's father
- Wesley - Thorburn's little brother
- Mentors - mentors that mentored this year
- Julianus Flickerman - Master of Ceremonies this year
- Romulous Jackson - Head Gamemaker this year
- Didius Templesmith - Announcer this year
- Corlana Snow - President of Panem art the time
- Raff Lockhearst - Previous victor
- Tributes (including careers)
- Brady - One of District 5's stylists
- Adeline - One of District 5's stylists
- Alexis - One of District 5's stylists
- Isabelle Morrein - Head Trainer
- Struve Ballantynn - winner of the 23d Games and is a mentor this year
- Velorum Lathmore - winner of the 24th Games and is a mentor this year
- Leonis Elestren - winner of the 21st Games and is a mentor this year
- Zenobia Rivendell -winner of the 26th Games and is a mentor this year
- Beetee Latier - winner of the 39th Games and is a mentor this year
- Fawn Odinshoot - winner of the 19th Games and is a mentor this year
- Muscida Selkirk - winner of the 31st Games and is a mentor this year
- Ivo Lockhearst - winner of the 15th Games and is a mentor this year
- Sabille Bosehearty - winner of the 28th Games and is a mentor this year
- Eero Nitya - winner of the 34th Games and is a mentor this year
- Indigo Weaver - winner of the 38th Games and is a mentor this year
- Savera Inchcape - winner of the 9th Games and is a mentor this year
- Laurel Flamsteed - winner of the 32d Games and is a mentor this year
- Greir Rollo - winner of the 35th Games and is a mentor this year
- Wolfmark Redpath - winner of the 4th Games and is a mentor this year
- Fallstreak Ivory - winner of the 16th Games and is a mentor this year
- Rummage Lorman - winner of the 5th Games and is a mentor this year
Mentioned Characters[]
- Thorbrun's friend that died in the 35th Games
- Thorburn's other friend that died in the 37th Games
- Terra Kinnimonth - winner of the 22d Games
- Random Avox - Avox that picked up a mess Thorburn accidentally made
- Marcellus Snow - father of Coriolanus Snow and husband of Corlana Snow
- Mayor Smith - Mayor of District 5 at the time and a father
- Raff Lockhearst - winner of the 14th Games
- Gaius Flickerman - Master of Ceremonies from 1 ADD-38ADD
- Iuvartus Templesmith - Head Gamemaker from 66 ADD-69ADD