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Description
dark beginning 2 booster box Yugioh OricaThis Series Booster Pack includes all the cards you see in the pictures (You can check a full cardlist as well. You can choose between 8 different card backing styles. These cards cannot be played in official tournaments and have the only purpose to be collectibles, or they can be used as tokens. The size is exactly as the official cards, common rarity. Every card will have its own sleeve, and they will be shipped in a bubble envelope to avoid
This Series / Booster Pack includes all the cards you see in the pictures (You can check a full cardlist as well.
You can choose between 8 different card backing styles.
These cards cannot be played in official tournaments and have the only purpose to be collectibles, or they can be used as tokens.
The size is exactly as the official cards, common rarity.
Every card will have its own sleeve, and they will be shipped in a bubble envelope to avoid damages.
Shipping is from Italy
Cardlist:
DR2-EN002 Ojama Black
DR2-EN003 Soul Tiger
DR2-EN004 Big Koala
DR2-EN005 Des Kangaroo
DR2-EN006 Crimson Ninja
DR2-EN007 Strike Ninja
DR2-EN008 Gale Lizard
DR2-EN009 Spirit of the Pot of Greed
DR2-EN010 Chopman the Desperate Outlaw
DR2-EN011 Sasuke Samurai #3
DR2-EN012 D.D. Scout Plane
DR2-EN013 Berserk Gorilla
DR2-EN014 Freed the Brave Wanderer
DR2-EN015 Coach Goblin
DR2-EN016 Witch Doctor of Chaos
DR2-EN017 Chaos Necromancer
DR2-EN018 Chaosrider Gustaph
DR2-EN019 Inferno
DR2-EN020 Fenrir
DR2-EN021 Gigantes
DR2-EN022 Silpheed
DR2-EN023 Chaos Sorcerer
DR2-EN024 Gren Maju Da Eiza
DR2-EN025 Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
DR2-EN026 Drillago
DR2-EN027 Lekunga
DR2-EN028 Lord Poison
DR2-EN029 Bowganian
DR2-EN030 Granadora
DR2-EN031 Fuhma Shuriken
DR2-EN032 Heart of the Underdog
DR2-EN033 Wild Nature's Release
DR2-EN034 Ojama Delta Hurricane!!
DR2-EN035 Stumbling
DR2-EN036 Chaos End
DR2-EN037 Yellow Luster Shield
DR2-EN038 Chaos Greed
DR2-EN039 D.D. Designator
DR2-EN040 D.D. Borderline
DR2-EN041 Recycle
DR2-EN042 Primal Seed
DR2-EN043 Thunder Crash
DR2-EN044 Dimension Distortion
DR2-EN045 Reload
DR2-EN046 Soul Absorption
DR2-EN047 Big Burn
DR2-EN048 Blasting the Ruins
DR2-EN049 Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell
DR2-EN050 Tower of Babel
DR2-EN051 Spatial Collapse
DR2-EN052 Chain Disappearance
DR2-EN053 Zero Gravity
DR2-EN054 Dark Mirror Force
DR2-EN055 Energy Drain
DR2-EN056 Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End
DR2-EN057 Giga Gagagigo
DR2-EN058 Mad Dog of Darkness
DR2-EN059 Neo Bug
DR2-EN060 Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness
DR2-EN061 Terrorking Salmon
DR2-EN062 Blazing Inpachi
DR2-EN063 Burning Algae
DR2-EN064 The Thing in the Crater
DR2-EN065 Molten Zombie
DR2-EN066 Dark Magician of Chaos
DR2-EN067 Gora Turtle of Illusion
DR2-EN068 Manticore of Darkness
DR2-EN069 Stealth Bird
DR2-EN070 Sacred Crane
DR2-EN071 Enraged Battle Ox
DR2-EN072 Don Turtle
DR2-EN073 Balloon Lizard
DR2-EN074 Dark Driceratops
DR2-EN075 Hyper Hammerhead
DR2-EN076 Black Tyranno
DR2-EN077 Anti-Aircraft Flower
DR2-EN078 Prickle Fairy
DR2-EN079 Pinch Hopper
DR2-EN080 Skull-Mark Ladybug
DR2-EN081 Insect Princess
DR2-EN082 Amphibious Bugroth MK-3
DR2-EN083 Torpedo Fish
DR2-EN084 Levia-Dragon - Daedalus
DR2-EN085 Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness
DR2-EN086 Cannonball Spear Shellfish
DR2-EN087 Mataza the Zapper
DR2-EN088 Guardian Angel Joan
DR2-EN089 Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands
DR2-EN090 Getsu Fuhma
DR2-EN091 Ryu Kokki
DR2-EN092 Gryphon's Feather Duster
DR2-EN093 Stray Lambs
DR2-EN094 Smashing Ground
DR2-EN095 Dimension Fusion
DR2-EN096 Dedication through Light and Darkness
DR2-EN097 Salvage
DR2-EN098 Ultra Evolution Pill
DR2-EN099 Multiplication of Ants
DR2-EN100 Earth Chant
DR2-EN101 Jade Insect Whistle
DR2-EN102 Destruction Ring
DR2-EN103 Fiend's Hand Mirror
DR2-EN104 Compulsory Evacuation Device
DR2-EN105 A Hero Emerges
DR2-EN106 Self-Destruct Button
DR2-EN107 Curse of Darkness
DR2-EN108 Begone, Knave!
DR2-EN109 DNA Transplant
DR2-EN110 Robbin' Zombie
DR2-EN111 Trap Jammer
DR2-EN112 Invader of Darkness
DR2-EN113 Gogiga Gagagigo
DR2-EN114 Warrior of Zera
DR2-EN115 Sealmaster Meisei
DR2-EN116 Mystical Shine Ball
DR2-EN117 Metal Armored Bug
DR2-EN118 The Agent of Judgment - Saturn
DR2-EN119 The Agent of Wisdom - Mercury
DR2-EN120 The Agent of Creation - Venus
DR2-EN121 The Agent of Force - Mars
DR2-EN122 The Unhappy Girl
DR2-EN123 Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower
DR2-EN124 The Kick Man
DR2-EN125 Vampire Lady
DR2-EN126 Stone Statue of the Aztecs
DR2-EN127 Rocket Jumper
DR2-EN128 Avatar of The Pot
DR2-EN129 Legendary Jujitsu Master
DR2-EN130 Gear Golem the Moving Fortress
DR2-EN131 KA-2 Des Scissors
DR2-EN132 Needle Burrower
DR2-EN133 Sonic Jammer
DR2-EN134 Blowback Dragon
DR2-EN135 Zaborg the Thunder Monarch
DR2-EN136 Atomic Firefly
DR2-EN137 Mermaid Knight
DR2-EN138 Piranha Army
DR2-EN139 Two Thousand Needles
DR2-EN140 Disc Fighter
DR2-EN141 Arcane Archer of the Forest
DR2-EN142 Lady Ninja Yae
DR2-EN143 Goblin King
DR2-EN144 Solar Flare Dragon
DR2-EN145 White Magician Pikeru
DR2-EN146 Archlord Zerato
DR2-EN147 Opti-Camouflage Armor
DR2-EN148 Mystik Wok
DR2-EN149 Enemy Controller
DR2-EN150 Burst Stream of Destruction
DR2-EN151 Monster Gate
DR2-EN152 Amplifier
DR2-EN153 Weapon Change
DR2-EN154 The Sanctuary in the Sky
DR2-EN155 Earthquake
DR2-EN156 Talisman of Trap Sealing
DR2-EN157 Goblin Thief
DR2-EN158 Backfire
DR2-EN159 Micro Ray
DR2-EN160 Light of Judgment
DR2-EN161 Talisman of Spell Sealing
DR2-EN162 Wall of Revealing Light
DR2-EN163 Solar Ray
DR2-EN164 Ninjitsu Art of Transformation
DR2-EN165 Beckoning Light
DR2-EN166 Draining Shield
DR2-EN167 Armor Break
DR2-EN168 Mazera DeVille
DR2-EN169 Gigobyte
DR2-EN170 Mokey Mokey
DR2-EN171 Kozaky
DR2-EN172 Fiend Scorpion
DR2-EN173 Pharaoh's Servant
DR2-EN174 Pharaonic Protector
DR2-EN175 Spirit of the Pharaoh
DR2-EN176 Theban Nightmare
DR2-EN177 Aswan Apparition
DR2-EN178 Protector of the Sanctuary
DR2-EN179 Nubian Guard
DR2-EN180 Legacy Hunter
DR2-EN181 Desertapir
DR2-EN182 Sand Gambler
DR2-EN183 3-Hump Lacooda
DR2-EN184 Ghost Knight of Jackal
DR2-EN185 Absorbing Kid from the Sky
DR2-EN186 Elephant Statue of Blessing
DR2-EN187 Elephant Statue of Disaster
DR2-EN188 Spirit Caller
DR2-EN189 Emissary of the Afterlife
DR2-EN190 Grave Protector
DR2-EN191 Double Coston
DR2-EN192 Regenerating Mummy
DR2-EN193 Night Assailant
DR2-EN194 Man-Thro' Tro'
DR2-EN195 King of the Swamp
DR2-EN196 Emissary of the Oasis
DR2-EN197 Special Hurricane
DR2-EN198 Order to Charge
DR2-EN199 Sword of the Soul-Eater
DR2-EN200 Dust Barrier
DR2-EN201 Soul Reversal
DR2-EN202 Spell Economics
DR2-EN203 Blessings of the Nile
DR2-EN204 7
DR2-EN205 Level Limit - Area B
DR2-EN206 Enchanting Fitting Room
DR2-EN207 The Law of the Normal
DR2-EN208 Dark Magic Attack
DR2-EN209 Delta Attacker
DR2-EN210 Thousand Energy
DR2-EN211 Triangle Power
DR2-EN212 The Third Sarcophagus
DR2-EN213 The Second Sarcophagus
DR2-EN214 The First Sarcophagus
DR2-EN215 Dora of Fate
DR2-EN216 Judgment of the Desert
DR2-EN217 Human-Wave Tactics
DR2-EN218 Curse of Anubis
DR2-EN219 Desert Sunlight
DR2-EN220 Des Counterblow
DR2-EN221 Labyrinth of Nightmare
DR2-EN222 Soul Resurrection
DR2-EN223 Order to Smash
DR2-EN224 The End of Anubis
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4.3 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
WOW
Format: Hardcover
EDITED below to add my comments in response to another review as requested by comments here.
The most powerful book in the series, Collins dives straight in to the realities of rebellion and war. At times hard to read, Mockingjay unflinchingly portrays war as it is... characters fighting over how far is to far in war, loss of innocence and innocent lives, knowing which side you are fighting for, along with the role media propaganda plays. Collins set out to tell kids in a way they can understand, the realities of war behind the images we see on TV. She succeeded... and even more so she succeeded without a particular left or right wing slant to the book, which is rare for these types of works. It is dark for YA, but it is also real and in that reality is it's value as a read for teens, who in 5 or less years could be on frontlines themselves.
What makes this book so powerful is the characters that Collins creates. Over the course of the 3 books you grow to know and love them, so seeing bad things happen to them, or them make bad decisions or grow apart hurts. But this speaks to the mastery of the work. If it wasn't so good, you wouldn't care so much. In a story about war the relationships will be tested, people will be lost, and yes, people will be broken. It could not have been any different and still be the story about the realities of war that Collins wanted to tell.
Highly recommend this entire series.
***************** Below my comments in response to Suzanne G's great review (link below): *****************
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1R6D1DAM9L0ZF/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg2?ie=UTF8&asin=0439023513&cdForum=Fx229UU4T33F95N&cdPage=2&cdThread=Tx2F3UH15I2LUG3&store=books#wasThisHelpful
I think your review is one of the most coherent and thoughtful of the negative reviews, but I still can't bring myself to agree entirely with it.
One of the more minor reasons is your use of the phrase "anti-war." This book is anything but anti-war. It is clearly laid out in the two preceding books all the reasons there must be a war, that war is the only option. Life in Panem is greatly improved after the war. A true anti-war piece of literature would have found other options besides war, or would have made post war life bleaker as a result of war. I think to reduce the message to "anti-war" or "war is awful" cheapens it.
Instead this book examines the realities of war, not just that war is awful but things such as the moral relativism that occurs in times of war. Gale's idea for the nut is a great example of this. For me this is where Gale crossed the line, but it could also be equally well argued that the Nut had to be either captured or destroyed for the rebels to ever win the war and since capture was impossible, Gale's plan was the only way to prevent further loss of lives and protect against the Capitol's rule. You can see this as well in the argument of the double bomb when Katniss is questioning Beetee and Gale about "playing from the Capitol's handbook" (at what point do we become the evil we fight against), but you also see her rationalizing it post-argument and wondering why she is so against it if it can defeat the Capitol. You made a comment about there being too much talk of strategy but I think in the strategy discussions is where you saw so much revealing info about who Katniss was and why, why Coin wasn't the solution, and why Katniss and Gale couldn't be together.
The dynamic between Gale and Katniss is so interesting in this book because they have such different perspectives upon entering the war. One of the reasons Katniss is so impotent for part of this book (drugged, hiding, crying) is because she is terrified to make any decision at all. This is well in line with what I would expect of any character who had every decision she made in HG and CF backfire to unintended consequences that only hurt those around her. This puts her in stark contrast to her longtime friend, Gale who is not afraid of making tough decisions but has never had to live with the results of them (until the end of MJ).
Gale has had to fight hard for the survival of his family, he has been forced to work in the mines he hates, been beaten and whipped. He has had to watch as the girl he loved fell for another because of the Capitol's games. Yet he has never been given the opportunity to know any Capitol people closely or to truly fight back and likewise has never had to feel the ramifications (particularly as they affect others) of his actions against them.
Katniss, on the other hand, has had the opportunity to know what it is like after you kill. She understands the ramifications of her actions. She knows that your actions don't always bring about the intended consequences. She has had the chance to know, and come to care for people in the Capitol, thus humanizing her enemy. You said something about Katniss being in no position to judge Gale, but I never thought she was judging him. She understood his decisions even when she didn't agree with them (and found herself wondering why she didn't agree). I think she would have made the same decisions as Gale had she not had the experiences she had, that led her to understand things Gale could not (such as how it felt having to live with those tough decisions). But she did have those experiences, and having had them she couldn't ignore them.
You said in one of your comments that you expected to see the bond between Gale and Katniss, and I think that bond was there in the way they felt comfortable challenging one another (something they had always done and that Katniss didn't do with those who didn't have her trust) and in Gale's knowledge of how Katniss worked. But here is a relationship that was built from day 1 on survival of their families, where they always differed in their extremeness against the Capitol (Gale always being the more vocal, more extreme). And now they are placed in an environment where food and daily survival are a given for their families (who are not actively engaged in the rebellion, and are receiving food and care regardless of if Gale and Katniss provide it), and where the battle against the Capitol is their primary concern. So their reasons for being together are less, and the things that separate them are more noticeable, all their tender moments together are based on past memories, not current feelings. In battle they are partners, because that's what they've always been, partners protecting each others backs. But when Katniss needs someone she seeks out Finnick or Haymitch, because they (having experienced what she has) will get it. Here again is where I think Gale and Katniss were always a tragic love story. Because, if not for Katniss' time in the arena, they may have grown to love each other equally over the years in district 12, but they still couldn't have been together because without the time in the games and the rebellion, Katniss (firm in her decision to never marry or have children) would have never allowed herself to succumb to the love and actually be with Gale.
Another complaint of yours, I think, was the treatment of Peeta and that Katniss barely fought for him. One, I think the fact that Peeta was hijacked (while making the book harder to read because it contained less of the tender moments from the previous 2) was what made Katniss truly come to appreciate Peeta. It gave her the opportunity to want the Peeta she had so often taken for granted and we see this in Katniss' feelings as they travel on their mission throughout the Capitol. Two, As far as why she didn't fight harder to get him back... well Katniss wasn't the most emotionally self-aware person. In HG on the train back to 12 she breaks Peeta's heart. And in the beginning of CF we find her wanting to be close with him again but not doing a damn thing about it, although everything in Peeta's nature says he would have forgiven her. So basically she spends 6 months letting Peeta mope, wanting him and doing nothing until Peeta makes the move to rebuild their relationship. Throughout CF we see her repeatedly pulling from him, because she doesn't think she deserves to have him since she will never fully commit to him (with the exception of the beach scene when she lets herself go but only to try and persuade him to save his life, and only temporarily giving in to her emotions). So no, I don't really find it out of character for her to not fight for him in MJ. I think it is completely her character. She thinks because she has decided on a life without a partner she has no right to fight for him. When hijacked Peeta confronts her about who she really is (you're a piece of work, aren't you"), she agrees with his assessment. So as much as she misses and wants the old Peeta who loved her and didn't see her cold, manipulative side, she can't find it within herself to particularly disagree with everything he sees in her now or to fight against that.
This too is an interesting aspect of the story for me. Because yes pre-hijack Peeta loved her in a very self-sacrificing way. But what did he truly know of the real Katniss? He had loved her since the first time he saw her, without ever having an actual conversation with her, and by the time he got to know her, he was blinded to her faults by his love for her. Katniss only knew Peeta in terms of his loving her. She recognized his steadiness, and the hope and tenderness he brought to things, but it was always a given, she never sought to be good enough to earn it. Post-hijacking Peeta saw everything about Katniss her good, and her bad. Katniss couldn't take Peeta for granted anymore. So when they "grew together" IMO they grew to a much deeper love than they could have otherwise experienced.
As far as Katniss's decision Peeta or Gale being made in the last 4 pages... to me it was clear from HG on that Peeta was always the choice... She felt things when kissing him she never felt with Gale, any moment of inhibition (sleep medicine, or semi-consiousness, etc) she found herself wanting Peeta, even after she so-called "chose" Gale in CF she was trying to talk herself out of wanting Peeta. So maybe that wasn't played out in the text officially until the last pages, but it is weaved throughout the books. I think from the moment you read the line referencing the meadow and "a place where Peeta's child would be safe" it is clear that the book will end with Peeta's child in a meadow. So even if it passed quickly in MJ it's was foreshadowed long before. I've read a lot calling it a "default ending" because Peeta was the one who came back. And true I don't think she would have ever chased him down. It wasn't her nature to chase a man, or to feel like she deserved a man like Peeta after all she had done.
But after a time of healing ("slowly I came back to life"), and in particular healing alongside Peeta she is ready. I don't think anywhere is it evident that she is dead inside. For me, when she declares she loves Peeta that is her victory, her declaration that the war has ended. Because she never would allow herself to admit to love or have a partner under the Capitol's rule. It meant she had healed enough to allow herself to love and be loved and to have forgiven herself enough to have been deserving of love. She waited 15 more years to have kids because experience taught her that the incoming power may not be better than the old power. And to me I imagine those 15 years as the time it took to rebuild, and fully demolish the arenas and build the memorials (look at how we are 10 years past 9-11 with the memorial still under construction, rebuilding still happening, and the after effects still being fought, I think 15 years is realistic). Dead inside, means no emotions good or bad. Instead, Katniss very realistically has good days and bad days. She says "when the bad days come" (meaning that there are good days in between). She talks about the terror of being pregnant with her daughter (which is very real for someone having lost so many people she cared about), but she also talks about the joy of holding her daughter in her arms.
Anyways, those are just my thoughts. I enjoyed your review and your comments a lot because it made me really examine why I felt the way I did about the book.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2010
★★★★★ 3
I LOVED this series, I mean LOVED it, but this ending SUCKS
Format: Hardcover
If you love the slow budding, complicated and raw relationship between Peeta and Katniss and you just can't wait to read the ending that Suzanne Collins would write, because you just KNOW that she'll do right by them and give them the kind of ending that two people who have been through so much hurt, and pain, and hardship deserve, well- you won't find it here! The ending of a three book series consists of a five page wrap up. WTF Suzanne Collins... WTF. I sincerely hope whatever writers get hired to do this movie have a better understanding of your own audience then you do! With a story this complicated a wrap up is NOT the kind of ending your audience was looking for.
I wrote my own ending, if you'd like to read it go for it:
Continuing from where Katniss says, she gave all her bacon to Buttercup….
The days start to go by, somehow. Life continues. It's funny like that. Even when everything you love has disappeared from the face of the Earth, never to be seen again, their laughter never to be heard again, their smiles never to be seen again… life does go on in the cruel way that it does. What I had thought was impossible begins to happen without my knowledge- it crept up on me. I slowly started to accept the fact that the lives lost, the ones I cared for, are gone. I will have to continue my life without them here with me. At least not physically. Sometimes I would talk to them when I had no one else to turn to- after Greasy Sae left for her own makeshift home where the Hob used to be. It seems weird to admit it to myself, but I begin to crave human company. After being constantly surrounded by people, the solitude that I was used to before the madness of the Hunger Games seems so foreign to me now that I’m home. That's when I talk to Prim about random things that I see throughout the day, or to Cinna, describing to him the colors that I see around me, or to Finnick, telling him about how Annie was doing according to the letters she sends faithfully every month.
One late afternoon I muster up the energy and set off to the meadow, place my bow down next to me and throw aside my shoes to try to find a grain of peace here that my home can never give. The grass and leaves are lush and green- soft under my feet, I try to recount the good things that once happened here gail, my father, even the crew members from 13. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, willing myself not to think of the staggering loss that threatens the corners of my mind. I recite in my head the phrases I so often replayed in my mind, my meager attempt to hold on to my sanity: my name is Katniss Everdeen. I am eighteen. I live in District Twelve. I am the Mockingjay. I was the Mockingjay. The Capitol is gone. Gale, my best friend, is now in District Two. He is safe. I don't know where I stand with Peeta but Peeta is safe. I'm back home in District Twelv., I am finally safe. I let out a deep breath as I open my eyes and stare at the sky, lying down in the Meadow where the new buds of life cushion my body from the soil underneath. The sun has just begun to set and the sky was magnificent, painted in shades of light pinks, dull yellows, brilliant reds, and soft hues of orange. Orange. Seeing his favorite color painted all across the endless sky triggers an influx of memories. Its so hard having him live so close and yet knowing how far away we really are. I find myself longing for the feeling of his hand in mine- the way his eyes used to light up just for me. The way he always double knotted his shoelaces, the relief and the surge of warmth that I felt when we kissed. Really kissed. That relief and surge of happiness that I was too afraid to admit to myself was present when he was finally safe, when he was finally near, back at district 12. The feeling of elation when he wrapped his arms around me as we fell into the soft pillow of snow as one. That seems so long ago.
I closed my eyes, imagining his beautiful blue eyes which used to bring such warmth, trying not to forget them and the way they pierced into mine in the gentlest way possible, filled with undeniable love. The way he used to look at me never has fully returned since the Capitol hijacked his memories. Their plan did not prevail, but in some ways, the Capitol and Snow had their victory before their downfalls. Although Peeta was not successful in killing me physically, they took the only sure thing I knew. Peeta loved me, he loved the heartless girl who doesn't trust a soul in the world other than herself. It killed me to know that although he was pronounced "recovered" by Dr. Aurelius, he never truly will be. The light that always shined in his eyes is gone and replaced with something hollow. And that is how Snow and the Capitol took their final revenge.
Peeta and I haven't spoken since he planted the primrose bushes. He somehow managed to finish planting the bushes before I woke up in the morning and as a result my house in the Victor's Village is now surrounded with primrose bushes, waiting for summer to breathe in a breath of life. In the mornings I would wake up to the sweet aroma of bread wafting through the house and find downstairs a fresh cheese roll every day left on the counter. Even though the gesture was simple, it hit me every time with a pang of longing mixed in with a bit of sadness. It reminds me of the way he used to care for me, of memories long ago, how I would wake up from my nightmares and feel safe to be in his arms, and how ever since I got back home I would wake up screaming only to be comforted by the soft kitten mews of Buttercup instead. I relished his company and the way he protected me just as he did with Prim, yet it was nothing compared to waking up and feeling secure in the strong arms of Peeta. The one who understood.
I closed my eyes, blocking out the hues of orange in the sky that reminded me so much of him, and whispered to no one in particular his name. Peeta. It felt good to say his name out loud and not hear it revolve in my head with the list of others I’ve hurt. As I let another quick breath out, my experienced hunting senses felt the vibration of someone's footsteps ever so gently shaking the Meadow. The footsteps stopped next to where my bow was, and not bothering to open my eyes I asked, "Done recovering from your latest hangover, Haymitch?"
The voice that answered me back wasn't what I had been expecting at all.
"Last time I checked, I wasn't intoxicated out of my mind, but to answer your question, probably not. I went into his house to bring him some fresh bread this morning and he was completely out of it. But Greasy Sae's doing a nice job of keeping his house clean. I hardle recognize it without all the mold and clutter."
My eyes snapped open. The view that greeted me was such a surprise, his body so close to mine, his voice finally sounding the way it did before the Capital got him. Its taken months for even minor healing, but this is the greatest improvement of all. To hear his voice, the voice of reason, of comfort, the voice that could change the world. His eyes were a clear yet smoky blue, staring at me with hesitation of what my reaction would be seeing him here- yet I did nothing. My eyes stared into his searchingly, looking for the piece of Peeta I longed for to come back. And it was there. Almost completely. The care that I was so used to seeing, the love that I had taken for granted. He was almost there.
I couldn't believe it at first. The fact that he was standing there, in front of me, as if we didn't ignore each other for the past two months. As if we didn't secretly keep track of where the other went so that we wouldn't bump into the other despite being neighbors. Yet he was still there after I closed my eyes briefly to make sure that I wasn't imagining it. Sometimes I would see Prim next to me, with her shirt untucked, making her look like a little duck. But he was still there after I opened my eyes. This was real. He had finally come for me.
"Hi Katniss" he says. His tone full and sounding steady, and at that moment I wanted to melt into his arms as if nothing happened, and just tell him all the things that only he can understand- things like nightmares about the arena, the fear and paranoia of the Capitol and Snow somehow reappearing back in power. The constant flashbacks that haunt my mind. Resisting my urge to dig my way into his arms, feeling the hollow places of my body crying out for him. I managed to choke out a "Hi yourself".
He sat down next to me in the grass, looking not at me, but up at the sky. Then he closed his eyes and sighed.
"You were right, this kind of orange is my favorite color. My memories are starting to come back. My real memories. It's like the effects of the hijacking are finally wearing off and my brain can distinct what is real and what is not more easily than it could before. Some days everything seems fake and I can't remember what's real at all, but I somehow manage to get through it and the truth comes back."
I hear him rambling, searching for the right things to say- things that won't bring up sensitive topics that will hurt me, cause me to run. But I don't. I go back to closing my eyes and soak in the sound of his voice and let it soothe me. Its been so long since we’ve talked like this. To have him so near me, his hand so close to mine without touching- it feels strange. Wrong, in some way. I couldn't remember a time where we were talking like this and not touching him in some way. I craved the soft touch of the skin on his hands- the smell of spices.
In a moment of weakness, I can’t fight it anymore and tentatively reach out my hand, closing the space that was between. I felt my fingers find his, and fill in the spaces between his fingers, wrapping mine around his. I felt him stiffen, and for a brief moment, I opened my eyes in fear that he would pull away, revolted by my touch. His eyes were squeezed shut and he seemed to be in battle with himself. Yet the battle was over as soon as it had begun. He muttered something under his breath… something that sounded like the word "always". Then he opened his eyes and looked right into mine for few glorious seconds before flitting away. As he stared into the sky once more, I gave his hand a squeeze, remembering the first moment his fate intertwined with mine. And for the first time ever, a memory associated with the Hunger Games brought a smile upon my face- remembering the reassuring squeeze he gave me that very first day. He was there for me even before I knew I needed him.
Peeta closed his eyes and gave a small sigh. Then, he squeezed my hand back and I saw a smile slowly unfolding across his face, reminding me of the Peeta I knew. The yellow dandelion in the spring, representing all that is good and hope for the future. We lay in the Meadow until the sky turned into night, revealing a magnificent myriad of stars spreading infinitely across the sky, hand in hand, then arm in arm until he’s holding me just as before. Just lying there, grateful for the other's company. As we begin to drift off he whispers, “ You love me real or not” and after all we’ve been through and wrestled with I know I can finally say “Real.” He nestles his face in my neck and we both drift in to a peaceful sleep.
Epilogue.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2013
★★★★★ 5
books
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Picking Daisies on Sundays* is a beautifully written, emotional story that lingers long after the final page. It’s the kind of book that quietly wraps around your heart and doesn’t let go.
The characters feel genuine and deeply relatable, and their journey is told with such tenderness and honesty. Every emotion is carefully woven into the story, making the moments of love, loss, hope, and healing feel incredibly real. The writing is gentle yet powerful, capturing both the beauty and the ache of everyday life.
What I loved most is how this book embraces the small, meaningful moments—the ones that often go unnoticed but shape us the most. It’s reflective, heartfelt, and full of soul, reminding you of the importance of connection, growth, and finding light even on the hardest days.
If you enjoy emotional, character-driven stories that make you pause, reflect, and feel deeply, *Picking Daisies on Sundays* is absolutely worth reading. A truly touching and memorable book.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2026
★★★★★ 4
a sweet romance read
“I’ll buy you flowers every day for the rest of my life if it makes you this happy.”
if you're looking for something sweet and hopelessly romantic with yearning, look no further.
i enjoy a fake dating trope, but combine it with a longtime reunion w a former best friend who was an unrequited love and set it in nyc, and i'm eating it up.
The Lover and the Archer, they’d call it. The girl who kept falling in love, and the boy who could receive love from whomever he aimed his heart at.
i liked how dani was at school for fashion bc it took me back to my fashion construction class days in high school (honestly was SO lucky to have that) - it's a fun industry to explore as a career/study for fmc that i haven't really seen much. sometimes dani did have that "not like glamorous girls, i'm into vintage and different" thing going but it wasn't overwhelming.
I’d be lying if I said I never thought about where my hands would take me across your body.
levi was definitely a soft boy mmc, it was so clear he was head over heels for dani but it made them being ridiculous about each other funny and the tension heightened. also he writes POETRY in FRENCH?? hello, dreamboat!!! i do think the plotline of him and the ex bella could've been stronger esp as it fizzles out a bit but i didn't care for her character much anyways to begin with, so i'm not complaining lol.
“Because when you find out the person you’ve been in love with for your entire life loves you back, you’ll spend the rest of your life making up for lost time.”
there is a bit of grief dealt with as both dani and levi have lost their fathers, but it's not a main focus and doesn't overshadow the love story.
“You intoxicate me, Daisy. The scent of flowers lingers on you everywhere you go, and I always want to follow”
overall, it was a sweet romantic read and perfect for spring! ✿
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Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2025
★★★★★ 3
Cute cover, good read but considering giving it away.
Love the cover! It was a nice read, but I don’t think I would read it again fot certain reasons.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2025