the main reason i struggled to connect with the haydove storyline was because so much of it was tell not show. haymitch recalling past interactions with his tRUe loVe at random moments throughout the book was less romantic and more irritating as a reader. i understand in the circumstances, there wasnβt the time to have them develop over time or see the course of their love, so when we just continually get told they love each other like all-fire itβs likeβ¦. okay? but like.. iβm still not that invested.
thatβs why i was immediately drawn into his dynamic with maysilee. itβs all happening in the present. heβs had these long held views about who she is and what she does β sheβs the most stuck up girl in town, she flounces around in nice dresses and nail polish, nicknames him itchy itchy haymitchy, supposedly looks down on everyone else in town β but he soon learns thereβs a lot more to her than he realised. his perceptions of her are challenged, and he comes to not only really respect her, but genuinely like her. they form a trusting bond despite their initial dislike/mistrust of each other. they have a mutual disgust of the capitol and youβre lying if you think they donβt find it admirable and attractive, that the other doesnβt back down in the face of adversity and stands up to anyone who disrespects them, which could and does often result in disastrous consequences (haymitch placing louellaβs body directly in front of snow, maysilee slapping drusilla right back, haymitch actively trying to dismantle the arena, maysilee attacking the gamemakers who are trying to fix the berms etc). and yes, we hear that lenore has done some of this too back in 12, but again i feel less connected to it because itβs all tell and not show. maysilee and haymitchβs acts of defiance are shown, not told.
not just that, but they actually get along? their little chats in the training room, the way they joke around together a lot in the arena (miss donner! mr abernathy!), the way they look out for each other and care about each other. thatβs a gOOD STORY. that dynamic is so engaging and fun to read, and ultimately so tragic when they have to split up, and he ends up losing the girl he swore he didnβt give a stuff about? and he holds her as sheβs dying, pinky swearing to tear down the capitol brick by brick. like??? him seeing her twin sister back in district 12 and running to her, screaming her name?? only to realiseβ¦ itβs not her. but her face will haunt him forever. LIKE. my HEART. none of his reminiscing of lenore or their two three-page scenes managed to hit as hard as these two.
even his interactions with effie??? like i was SEATEDDD. i loved how she was still kind, empathetic and respectful, despite being brainwashed. she was still a good person, who had been completely indoctrinated into a set of ideals by her government. but clearly had the empathy from the beginning to change perspectives as the story goes on. the way they come to trust each other. the βiβm not going to hurt youβ βi knowβ like???? nothing about their relationship gave romance (yet), but their interactions were so damn lovely, and knowing she stuck by him all those years afterwards, just adds to the sweetness.
in conclusion, sc shouldβve made maysilee his love interest. she set it up perfectly. he didnβt need to have the girlfriend back home (she was like lucy baird 2.0 likeβ¦.. weβve seen it already) when the tension with his fellow tribute served so hard. him and maysilee basically acted like parents to half the tributes like are we SEEING THIS!!!! and the story still set up effie to be his second chance at love. like the slowest of slowburnnnnn. i need ten more books on that. itβs what i deserved and what the narrative shouldβve followed through with, because those relationships were the pumping heart of the book (aside from louella/loulou).
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