What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?

The setting of the arena in the Quarter Quell really made for an interesting and suspenseful setting. The arena was designed to look like a clock. Every hour something would happen in a section of the arena. The arena was a very small circle that was split into 12 sections, each for a different hour of the day. In the center of the island of the arena was the Cornucopia surrounded by vast amounts of salt water. Then there was a jungle on the outer ring of the arena.

It didn’t take long for the tributes to figure this rhythm. I found this very creative and added suspense and suspicion because you were always wondering what was to come.   

This is the cycle of the clock.

§  12-1 - Bursts of lightning hitting a single tree.

§  1-2 - Blood Raining down from sky.

§  2-3 - Corrosive fog spreading though jungle.

§  3-4 - Orange Monkey-like mutts attack.

§  4-5 - Jabber jays torture Tributes with loved ones screams.

§  5-6 - unknown

§  6-7 - unknown muttation that rips one tribute into five pieces, named "Beast" by Peeta.

§  7-8 - unknown

§  8-9 - unknown

§  9-10 - unknown

§  10-11 - Tidal wave hits beach.

§  11-12 - unknown. From the sound of clicks, Katniss guesses that it is Insect-like mutts with pincers swarm.

This cycle was repeated periodically to match the time, with each hour triggering a new event, each event was carried out twice in one day.