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Editorial Reviews
Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Related Reviews
And you thought the Capitol couldn't get any more twisted...
I wish I could give it 10 stars!!!
When I read the Hunger Games, I read it straight through the night, from 1AM til 5AM. Couldn't stop reading even though I had to pee badly. After I finished it, I was dying for the sequel. DYING!!!! When I found out the ARC would be available in the spring, I bribed everyone I could think of to get me one. And yes, I got it. The day I got it, I couldn't look at it until 1AM again. This time, I promised myself, I would only look at the first chapter and then put it down. Riiiiight. It was 4:30AM when I finished reading and immediately began plotting to find out when the next book ARC would be available.
I thought the first one was fantastic. In the back of my mind I felt that the sequel just couldn't be as good. How could it? Boy was I wrong! It was even better! My heart was racing the whole time I was reading it and I simply couldn't put it down. I believe Ms. Collins is the MASTER of the pageturner. Every chapter ends with almost a cliffhanger feeling. It compels you to keep reading. It physically traps you into the book so that you just can't put it down. If you can't read this book in one sitting, then I urge you not to even look at it until you can. Like the first one, you will not be able to put it down. The house could have been on fire and I doubt I would have noticed.
Since we got to know Peeta and Katniss so well from the first one, what the sequel does is invest us even more deeply into their emotional well being. I won't give any other spoilers than what has already been said. So the book starts with Katniss as the face of the rebellion because of her act of defiance in the first book. As rebellion grows, the President sets up his revenge - and when I found out what it was, I literally sat up in bed and shouted "Oh NO! I can't believe they are doing this to them!!!" Yes I was talking to my book. That's how deeply this book sucks you into this amazing and disturbing dystopian world. It makes you want to grab up a weapon and join the rebellion.
One thing I have to say, I was deeply satisfied with the ending of this book. The first book ended in such a way that I was bothered by it and itchy for the next book. With the end of Catching Fire, I felt it was absolutely right and thrilled with the conclusion. But I'm still DYING for the third and final book of this amazing book series.
I thought the first one was fantastic. In the back of my mind I felt that the sequel just couldn't be as good. How could it? Boy was I wrong! It was even better! My heart was racing the whole time I was reading it and I simply couldn't put it down. I believe Ms. Collins is the MASTER of the pageturner. Every chapter ends with almost a cliffhanger feeling. It compels you to keep reading. It physically traps you into the book so that you just can't put it down. If you can't read this book in one sitting, then I urge you not to even look at it until you can. Like the first one, you will not be able to put it down. The house could have been on fire and I doubt I would have noticed.
Since we got to know Peeta and Katniss so well from the first one, what the sequel does is invest us even more deeply into their emotional well being. I won't give any other spoilers than what has already been said. So the book starts with Katniss as the face of the rebellion because of her act of defiance in the first book. As rebellion grows, the President sets up his revenge - and when I found out what it was, I literally sat up in bed and shouted "Oh NO! I can't believe they are doing this to them!!!" Yes I was talking to my book. That's how deeply this book sucks you into this amazing and disturbing dystopian world. It makes you want to grab up a weapon and join the rebellion.
One thing I have to say, I was deeply satisfied with the ending of this book. The first book ended in such a way that I was bothered by it and itchy for the next book. With the end of Catching Fire, I felt it was absolutely right and thrilled with the conclusion. But I'm still DYING for the third and final book of this amazing book series.
The Biggest Problem with Trilogies . . .
. . . is that darn book in the middle! You know how it goes - the first book is dynamite, because it's all new and there's so much to discover. The last book is explosive too, since we find out what happens "in the end." But the book in the middle . . . well, it's sort of like treading water. It's a place holder, filler maybe, a way to stall the reader until the good stuff can start.
Hunger Games was exiting and compelling; we found out about Katniss's world slowly, which drew us into it completely. My guess is, the final book will be equally engaging - after all, we'll learn all about District 13, we'll find out which of her two suitors Katniss will finally choose, and we'll get a glimpse of what lies in store for the Capitol and its totalitarian government. But Catching Fire is a disappointment. Nothing much happens. The plot can be summed up very succinctly - unrest grows slowly in the aftermath of Katniss and Peeta's Hunger Games victory. That's it. Katniss can't make her mind up about Peeta and Gale, she can't make her mind up about whether or not to rebel, and she can't make her mind up about who to really trust. In the end, not only is there no resolution, but little progress has been made toward one.
The biggest problem with Catching Fire is its pacing. The first third of the novel is really told in summary - Katniss explains what happened when she and Peeta came home, what happened on their tour of the Districts, what happened when she talked to Gale, etc. By telling it all in long paragraphs of summary, Collins removes the reader from the immediacy of the action - and it's both disappointing and disengaging. I wanted to experience Katniss's first meeting with Gale after she returned from the Games. I wanted be part of her trying to get her life together after her horrific experiences. But that's not the way this story is told. Then, about midway through the novel, things start to feel very much like Hunger Games revisited. From the moment it's announced that Katniss will be thrown back into the arena it all starts to feel very much like a re-run. What was exciting and new in the first book, is expected and redundant in the second book. It's not that the final section isn't exciting - it is. There's plenty of action in the last chapters of the novel. But it just wasn't as gripping. I found myself reading to get to the end, rather than to find out what was going to happen.
As with most "middle books," Catching Fire was written to set up the final part of its trilogy. There will be a rebellion. And there will be a love triangle. The sparks of the rebellion are there, although the reader is kept away from the actual embers. Collins put more time into Katniss's confusion over which boyfriend to pick - I found myself wishing for something, anything to happen to make that rather silly conflict moot. Katniss, as written by Collins, seems very, very young. It's hard to imagine her actually "torn between two lovers." Additionally, Gale plays such a peripheral role in this novel that it's hard to really know him. Peeta is present in almost every chapter - the sweet, loving, doting boyfriend who will be eternally true to Katniss. Gale, however, appears in only a few brief scenes, and never says more than a few words. Book 3 may give us a better picture of what these two young men really meant to Katniss; Catching Fire does not.
Actually, I think the title accurately reflects what this novel is all about - things in Katniss's world begin to catch fire. They don't actually CATCH fire - it just begins; it's "catching," so to speak. The conflict was set up in Hunger Games. The actual conflagration will play out in the third and final installment. Here, in Catching Fire, we just see the striking of the match. It's not a bad read, and fans of the first novel will enjoy this one. I just found myself wishing for more - more of an understanding of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta; more of an understanding of the totalitarian government they live under; and more of a connection to a story that won me over brilliantly in Hunger Games. This time, I felt a little lost.
Hunger Games was exiting and compelling; we found out about Katniss's world slowly, which drew us into it completely. My guess is, the final book will be equally engaging - after all, we'll learn all about District 13, we'll find out which of her two suitors Katniss will finally choose, and we'll get a glimpse of what lies in store for the Capitol and its totalitarian government. But Catching Fire is a disappointment. Nothing much happens. The plot can be summed up very succinctly - unrest grows slowly in the aftermath of Katniss and Peeta's Hunger Games victory. That's it. Katniss can't make her mind up about Peeta and Gale, she can't make her mind up about whether or not to rebel, and she can't make her mind up about who to really trust. In the end, not only is there no resolution, but little progress has been made toward one.
The biggest problem with Catching Fire is its pacing. The first third of the novel is really told in summary - Katniss explains what happened when she and Peeta came home, what happened on their tour of the Districts, what happened when she talked to Gale, etc. By telling it all in long paragraphs of summary, Collins removes the reader from the immediacy of the action - and it's both disappointing and disengaging. I wanted to experience Katniss's first meeting with Gale after she returned from the Games. I wanted be part of her trying to get her life together after her horrific experiences. But that's not the way this story is told. Then, about midway through the novel, things start to feel very much like Hunger Games revisited. From the moment it's announced that Katniss will be thrown back into the arena it all starts to feel very much like a re-run. What was exciting and new in the first book, is expected and redundant in the second book. It's not that the final section isn't exciting - it is. There's plenty of action in the last chapters of the novel. But it just wasn't as gripping. I found myself reading to get to the end, rather than to find out what was going to happen.
As with most "middle books," Catching Fire was written to set up the final part of its trilogy. There will be a rebellion. And there will be a love triangle. The sparks of the rebellion are there, although the reader is kept away from the actual embers. Collins put more time into Katniss's confusion over which boyfriend to pick - I found myself wishing for something, anything to happen to make that rather silly conflict moot. Katniss, as written by Collins, seems very, very young. It's hard to imagine her actually "torn between two lovers." Additionally, Gale plays such a peripheral role in this novel that it's hard to really know him. Peeta is present in almost every chapter - the sweet, loving, doting boyfriend who will be eternally true to Katniss. Gale, however, appears in only a few brief scenes, and never says more than a few words. Book 3 may give us a better picture of what these two young men really meant to Katniss; Catching Fire does not.
Actually, I think the title accurately reflects what this novel is all about - things in Katniss's world begin to catch fire. They don't actually CATCH fire - it just begins; it's "catching," so to speak. The conflict was set up in Hunger Games. The actual conflagration will play out in the third and final installment. Here, in Catching Fire, we just see the striking of the match. It's not a bad read, and fans of the first novel will enjoy this one. I just found myself wishing for more - more of an understanding of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta; more of an understanding of the totalitarian government they live under; and more of a connection to a story that won me over brilliantly in Hunger Games. This time, I felt a little lost.
I got a galley at the BEA Conference this year. Before I started to read, I was terrified that Suzanne Collins couldn't possibly live up to my expectations after the extraordinary Hunger Games. I'm thrilled to say that she did not let me down. I don't want to give anything away as it would only ruin the rollercoaster ride of a read, so suffice it to say that all of our favorite characters are back to join Katniss as the spark of revolution catches fire. Collins is masterful. The story is at once personal to Katniss, Peeta & Gale, but it also makes social statements that can apply to society at large. Characters show the best and the worst of humanity. And at several points, I found myself finishing a chapter, stunned at the turn of events. Collins kept me on the edge of my seat. I hope she's writing quickly, because I can't wait for the concluding volume of this amazing trilogy.
Against staggering odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark of District 12 have somehow won the annual Hunger Games. But the fruits of triumph are bittersweet. Success in the arena means a life without want in the Victor's Village, but extravagant food and a nice place to sleep can only provide so much comfort when an increasing amount of one's life must be faked for the protection of those one loves. That's exactly Katniss's predicament, because she when she held up the poisonous berries in the arena, it was interpreted as an act of defiance against the Capitol rather than Katniss's strong will to life. And now the girl on fire has become the spark for rebellion--a rebellion the Capitol is determined to stamp out at any cost.
I must commend Collins for writing such a phenomenal sequel to The Hunger Games as Catching Fire is. It's everything I hoped for and even more than I expected. Katniss's legend lives on in this action packed, suspense filled drama in which one's friends are nearly indistinguishable from one's enemies and ambiguous meanings make life into one giant maze. Collins takes her portrayal of a dystopian future to the next level in this novel by highlighting the extent of the power the totalitarian Capitol wields and the beginnings of long suppressed dissent. Catching Fire is such an engrossing read, thanks to Collins's well written and executed plot, vivid and realistic characters, and the resulting sense of revolutionary fear. It's so easy to lose track of time while reading this novel, because the story just flows from the page so fluidly; I really enjoyed the many plot twists and the development of each character. The only times I had to pause while reading were due to the multitude of names and minor characters that are somewhat difficult to remember. But overall, Catching Fire is a story so overwhelmingly incredible, no reader will want to put it down.
Catching Fire and its prequel The Hunger Games are must reads for all readers not just because they are such interesting stories but because they show the nasty side of politics and culture not enough of us are aware of. This trilogy will be especially enjoyed by fans of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, Cherry Heaven by L.J. Adlington, Shift by Charlotte Agell, Daylight Runner by Oisín McGann, and the Poison Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder. I know that I, along with throngs of others, can't wait for the conclusion to this trilogy.
I must commend Collins for writing such a phenomenal sequel to The Hunger Games as Catching Fire is. It's everything I hoped for and even more than I expected. Katniss's legend lives on in this action packed, suspense filled drama in which one's friends are nearly indistinguishable from one's enemies and ambiguous meanings make life into one giant maze. Collins takes her portrayal of a dystopian future to the next level in this novel by highlighting the extent of the power the totalitarian Capitol wields and the beginnings of long suppressed dissent. Catching Fire is such an engrossing read, thanks to Collins's well written and executed plot, vivid and realistic characters, and the resulting sense of revolutionary fear. It's so easy to lose track of time while reading this novel, because the story just flows from the page so fluidly; I really enjoyed the many plot twists and the development of each character. The only times I had to pause while reading were due to the multitude of names and minor characters that are somewhat difficult to remember. But overall, Catching Fire is a story so overwhelmingly incredible, no reader will want to put it down.
Catching Fire and its prequel The Hunger Games are must reads for all readers not just because they are such interesting stories but because they show the nasty side of politics and culture not enough of us are aware of. This trilogy will be especially enjoyed by fans of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, Cherry Heaven by L.J. Adlington, Shift by Charlotte Agell, Daylight Runner by Oisín McGann, and the Poison Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder. I know that I, along with throngs of others, can't wait for the conclusion to this trilogy.
Let's put Suzanne Collins and Stephanie Meyer in an arena.
Where the Hunger Games was a dystopian, nail-biter replete with a good balance of wish-fulfillment, action, romance, and drama that even the Greeks would be proud of, Catching Fire rests on Hunger Games' laurels and takes a huge bite of soap to fill in the gaps.
There are chapters and chapters of Katniss tearing her hair out, asking herself the same questions over and over, flip-flopping between love interests, dressing up, all the while lamely disinterested and loathful of everything in the process. It wears thin, and after a while the anguish is infectious in the worst possible way. After pages and pages of question marks, we finally get to the action and what Katniss does best: surviving... and it's short, thin on descriptions, and, at this point, lugging around the love triangle like a dead weight.
It's almost as if towards the ending of the first book, the editors ordered up two more books so long as author Suzanne Collins inserts more Twilight into the sequels -- you know, to take a piece of that prized demographic -- and she complied, and complied, and then Katniss wanted to scream and wondered if she will ever see a question mark again?
I would be completely disappointed if it weren't for the great concept, scenes, and characters that keep me reading. Although, the strength and hunger in Katniss' character in the first book is drowned in woeful, overtheatrical nonsense in this one. Apparently those hits she took in the arena aren't enough to knock some sense in her. She is so teetering on the edge of neuroses all the time, cowering in fear and doubt, I can't help but spend my time wondering whether this mockingjay will ever fly again.
There are chapters and chapters of Katniss tearing her hair out, asking herself the same questions over and over, flip-flopping between love interests, dressing up, all the while lamely disinterested and loathful of everything in the process. It wears thin, and after a while the anguish is infectious in the worst possible way. After pages and pages of question marks, we finally get to the action and what Katniss does best: surviving... and it's short, thin on descriptions, and, at this point, lugging around the love triangle like a dead weight.
It's almost as if towards the ending of the first book, the editors ordered up two more books so long as author Suzanne Collins inserts more Twilight into the sequels -- you know, to take a piece of that prized demographic -- and she complied, and complied, and then Katniss wanted to scream and wondered if she will ever see a question mark again?
I would be completely disappointed if it weren't for the great concept, scenes, and characters that keep me reading. Although, the strength and hunger in Katniss' character in the first book is drowned in woeful, overtheatrical nonsense in this one. Apparently those hits she took in the arena aren't enough to knock some sense in her. She is so teetering on the edge of neuroses all the time, cowering in fear and doubt, I can't help but spend my time wondering whether this mockingjay will ever fly again.
Getting deeper and more complex
I, too obtained an ARC at BEA. I thought I was very lucky to get Catching Fire before September. I was so wrong! Now I have to wait longer than others to read the last book, and it's pure agony wondering what will happen next.
The Hunger Game was a great book, but Catching Fire is even better. The story is getting deeper and more complex. As another reviewer stated, it's a "rollercoaster ride of a read". You'll never be able to guess what happens next. And once you start, you can never stop until the end. Relationships between Katniss, Peeta , and Gale are also getting more complex. This separates the Hunger Games from other shallow YA romantic fantasy. Their relationships reflect social issues and humanities this trilogy deals with.
It's categorised as YA fantasy book, but I highly recommend it to adult Science Fiction fans. The Hunger Games trilogy should be and will be a classic like 1984, The Giver, and Fahrenheit 451.
The Hunger Game was a great book, but Catching Fire is even better. The story is getting deeper and more complex. As another reviewer stated, it's a "rollercoaster ride of a read". You'll never be able to guess what happens next. And once you start, you can never stop until the end. Relationships between Katniss, Peeta , and Gale are also getting more complex. This separates the Hunger Games from other shallow YA romantic fantasy. Their relationships reflect social issues and humanities this trilogy deals with.
It's categorised as YA fantasy book, but I highly recommend it to adult Science Fiction fans. The Hunger Games trilogy should be and will be a classic like 1984, The Giver, and Fahrenheit 451.
Repetitive, derivative and boring
I won't rehash all the comments made by those who didn't much care for this book--to do so would be repetitive--other than to say I agree with everything already pointed out in previous reviews. The author spends nearly ALL her time telling rather than showing, summarizing rather than actually moving forward with a plot--and then recycles what is, in essence, the same plot. Been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt.
I never bought that Katniss was 16 to begin with--she reads much more like a 13, 14 yo girl--and her narration this time around begins to degenerate into the petulant and whiny. While I thought HG was a terrific idea, there were big portions of that which were unnecessary and simply filler. OTOH, the writing was better and pulled you through. (Although, honestly, Katniss being SO oblivious about poor Peeta--what does he see in that girl--was just annoying.) Furthermore, you knew then--as you know now--that the only time Katniss would kill anyone would be in self-defense or revenge. She wouldn't be a heroine anyone would want to identify with if she actually were as devious and bad as her opponents.
The cliffhanger ending was very good--but, really--I slogged through this whole book just for that? Not worth it. This read was drudgery, through and through--and Katniss as the leader of a rebellion won't stand up if the author can't figure out how to make her someone we'd want to follow into battle. As of right now? Ain't happening.
I never bought that Katniss was 16 to begin with--she reads much more like a 13, 14 yo girl--and her narration this time around begins to degenerate into the petulant and whiny. While I thought HG was a terrific idea, there were big portions of that which were unnecessary and simply filler. OTOH, the writing was better and pulled you through. (Although, honestly, Katniss being SO oblivious about poor Peeta--what does he see in that girl--was just annoying.) Furthermore, you knew then--as you know now--that the only time Katniss would kill anyone would be in self-defense or revenge. She wouldn't be a heroine anyone would want to identify with if she actually were as devious and bad as her opponents.
The cliffhanger ending was very good--but, really--I slogged through this whole book just for that? Not worth it. This read was drudgery, through and through--and Katniss as the leader of a rebellion won't stand up if the author can't figure out how to make her someone we'd want to follow into battle. As of right now? Ain't happening.
In which the plot most definitely thickens
"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol..."
Ever since she pulled those berries out in the last minutes of the previous year's Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen has become an icon of defiance and rebellion to the Districts. She knows that the leaders in the Capitol are not happy that she outsmarted their plans, forcing them to accept two victors and saving her fellow tribute Peeta in the process. But she is unaware of the extent of their ire until she receives an unexpected visit from President Snow, complete with a death threat against Gale's life should she fail to quell the rising spirit of rebellion in the Districts.
Meanwhile, President Snow has his own plans to quash any inklings of revolution, and they happen to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games--also known as the Quarter Quell. As in the two previous Quells (taking place on the 25th and 50th anniversary respectively) the rules of the Games have been altered for the year to remind the Districts that even the annual massacre of their children in the regular games is not enough to atone for their previous attempt at insurgency. But what the Capitol has cooked up for the new Games results in something that nobody could have predicted, not even President Snow himself.
After reading the Hunger Games and being completely enthralled by the world that Suzanne Collins painted with her words, I was worried that Catching Fire might not be able to hold up to the high standard that the Hunger Games set. And while I did feel that some of the page-to-page action and detail suffered by comparison, it is more than made up for by the sharp upswing in overarching plot and the many twists that never failed to take me by surprise and made me wonder out loud: how did she think of that?! The love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale had me on the edge of me seat wondering who she was going to choose, whether it would be by choice or necessity, and who I would choose if I were in her shoes (definitely Peeta! Sorry, Gale.) In my opinion, it was not as polished or smooth a read as the Hunger Games. At the same time, however, I must acknowledge that the focus was entirely different from the first book, with a far more complex and ambitious plot, and I truly applaud Collins' creativity and ingenuity in weaving the bigger picture of corruption, manipulation, and rebellion within an entire nation into the same captivating first-person narrative of survival that made the Hunger Games such as success. I really enjoyed Catching Fire and cannot wait to get my hands on the third book to see what finally happens to our rebels.
Ever since she pulled those berries out in the last minutes of the previous year's Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen has become an icon of defiance and rebellion to the Districts. She knows that the leaders in the Capitol are not happy that she outsmarted their plans, forcing them to accept two victors and saving her fellow tribute Peeta in the process. But she is unaware of the extent of their ire until she receives an unexpected visit from President Snow, complete with a death threat against Gale's life should she fail to quell the rising spirit of rebellion in the Districts.
Meanwhile, President Snow has his own plans to quash any inklings of revolution, and they happen to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games--also known as the Quarter Quell. As in the two previous Quells (taking place on the 25th and 50th anniversary respectively) the rules of the Games have been altered for the year to remind the Districts that even the annual massacre of their children in the regular games is not enough to atone for their previous attempt at insurgency. But what the Capitol has cooked up for the new Games results in something that nobody could have predicted, not even President Snow himself.
After reading the Hunger Games and being completely enthralled by the world that Suzanne Collins painted with her words, I was worried that Catching Fire might not be able to hold up to the high standard that the Hunger Games set. And while I did feel that some of the page-to-page action and detail suffered by comparison, it is more than made up for by the sharp upswing in overarching plot and the many twists that never failed to take me by surprise and made me wonder out loud: how did she think of that?! The love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale had me on the edge of me seat wondering who she was going to choose, whether it would be by choice or necessity, and who I would choose if I were in her shoes (definitely Peeta! Sorry, Gale.) In my opinion, it was not as polished or smooth a read as the Hunger Games. At the same time, however, I must acknowledge that the focus was entirely different from the first book, with a far more complex and ambitious plot, and I truly applaud Collins' creativity and ingenuity in weaving the bigger picture of corruption, manipulation, and rebellion within an entire nation into the same captivating first-person narrative of survival that made the Hunger Games such as success. I really enjoyed Catching Fire and cannot wait to get my hands on the third book to see what finally happens to our rebels.
Engaging but not as much as Hunger Games
This second book in the trilogy kept me turning pages- I devoured it as quickly as I did the first one. But the return to the Hunger Games wasn't nearly as exciting as it was when it was a new idea. I wanted to know much more about the rebellions and much less about how Katniss was going to survive the games, because of course we knew she would. I wanted to know even less about her romantic decisions, partly because Gale's character is so underdeveloped. As a small point- the flashing of the Mockingjay watch was too obvious a clue- unless you are a young reader, I suppose. Which brings me to another point- why is this considered young adult fiction? I know the protagonist is 17, but it is a violent series with very adult themes. I found this book in the children's section of my local bookstore! I wouldn't give it to anyone younger than Katniss herself. Overall, I enjoyed this book- but mostly as a portal to what I hope will be an amazing final chapter in this creative series of speculative fiction.
I was worried there wouldn't be enough mortal peril . . .
but there's plenty.
I had read the early reviews and couldn't imagine how Suzanne Collins would top The Hunger Games. How could there be a bigger challenge than the games arena Katniss encountered in the first book? Rest assured that there is no shortage of creative physical threats and attacks on the major characters. Each plot twist is fresh but does not lead the book astray from the central conflict between the Capital and the people of the districts.
The character development in Catching Fire is also gratifying. We gain insights into Gale's life and thoughts, see Peeta emerge with new poise and presence; even Haymitch has new depth and complexity. For those obsessed with Katniss' love life, I won't give anything away except to say that she starts out still torn between the very different but worthy Gale and Peeta.
As a teacher of literature at the Middle School level, I saw lots of possibilities in this book - symbolism of birds, fire and bread throughout the novel; the continuing allusion to classical mythology (Just how long did it take Theseus to emerge from the labyrinth?); a discussion of the names Collins chose for her characters and their underlying meanings (Why is the evil President named Snow, but snow is a miracle cure for healing in the hands of Katniss' mother?).
On the other hand, the violence of the police state is more graphic than the bloodshed in the first book, so parents and teachers should recommend this book only to students who are mature enough to handle this aspect of the story.
Carolyn McCormick reads with appropriate expression, tone and clarity. Voices of the different characters are unique and recognizable. My one minor criticism is that Katniss' voice sounds too sweet sometimes. I'm not sure what I expect her to sound like - slightly more tomboyish, perhaps. She is still a young girl, however, and a hint of anxiety or indecision should be expected. The organization of the material on the 10 compact discs actually increases the suspense, as several cliffhangers occur at the end of a disc.
Highly recommended! Can't wait for the sequel. Long live the mockingjay!
I had read the early reviews and couldn't imagine how Suzanne Collins would top The Hunger Games. How could there be a bigger challenge than the games arena Katniss encountered in the first book? Rest assured that there is no shortage of creative physical threats and attacks on the major characters. Each plot twist is fresh but does not lead the book astray from the central conflict between the Capital and the people of the districts.
The character development in Catching Fire is also gratifying. We gain insights into Gale's life and thoughts, see Peeta emerge with new poise and presence; even Haymitch has new depth and complexity. For those obsessed with Katniss' love life, I won't give anything away except to say that she starts out still torn between the very different but worthy Gale and Peeta.
As a teacher of literature at the Middle School level, I saw lots of possibilities in this book - symbolism of birds, fire and bread throughout the novel; the continuing allusion to classical mythology (Just how long did it take Theseus to emerge from the labyrinth?); a discussion of the names Collins chose for her characters and their underlying meanings (Why is the evil President named Snow, but snow is a miracle cure for healing in the hands of Katniss' mother?).
On the other hand, the violence of the police state is more graphic than the bloodshed in the first book, so parents and teachers should recommend this book only to students who are mature enough to handle this aspect of the story.
Carolyn McCormick reads with appropriate expression, tone and clarity. Voices of the different characters are unique and recognizable. My one minor criticism is that Katniss' voice sounds too sweet sometimes. I'm not sure what I expect her to sound like - slightly more tomboyish, perhaps. She is still a young girl, however, and a hint of anxiety or indecision should be expected. The organization of the material on the 10 compact discs actually increases the suspense, as several cliffhangers occur at the end of a disc.
Highly recommended! Can't wait for the sequel. Long live the mockingjay!
A bad version of the first book
(This review contains a few spoilers - so beware)
After "The Hunger Games", I expected the book to pick up exactly where it left off. I wanted to see Katniss come home, I wanted to see her mother and sister's reactions. What had it been like for them, watching all those horrible things happen to her? And Gale? No. We get a summary flashback...and that sets the tone for the entire book. Collins can't rehash her first book, word for word - because that would be bad, right? So we get a summary of the preparations for the Quarter Quell, summaries of this, flashbacks of that, it's terrible.
My hopes lifted when Katniss found those two refugees in the woods that were searching for District 13. Yes! I thought, Katniss is going to go with them! They're going on an adventure to find District 13. What happened to those people? What have they evolved into? How did they survive? Her and Peeta and Gale will organize an uprising, will find a way to communicate with all the other districts....alas, this is the awesome book I envisioned. I thought "She wouldn't have the characters go back into the arena, that's just too predictable." That's exactly what happened.
It could have been so much better. If she had not done the games and focused instead on secret meetings, on trying to get district 12 organized to join a rebellion, on finding district 13, it would have been a great book. It's like she was overwhelmed with the idea of doing all that, so she had it happen in a way that we don't see it and she doesn't have to write it. The arena just seems gimmicky, there's a lot of pointless violence because we don't really care about any of them, not the way we cared about Rue in the first book.
Also, Katniss is incredibly unlikable. She's selfish and whiny (which others have described better than me) and just makes you want her to shut up already. She loves Gale...or does she? She doesn't love Peeta...or does she? We never see Gale, poor guy is nothing but a minor B plot character and yet we're supposed to believe this is a tortured love triangle.
Enough said. If the third book is more of the same, I'll definately feel like I wasted 20 bucks.
After "The Hunger Games", I expected the book to pick up exactly where it left off. I wanted to see Katniss come home, I wanted to see her mother and sister's reactions. What had it been like for them, watching all those horrible things happen to her? And Gale? No. We get a summary flashback...and that sets the tone for the entire book. Collins can't rehash her first book, word for word - because that would be bad, right? So we get a summary of the preparations for the Quarter Quell, summaries of this, flashbacks of that, it's terrible.
My hopes lifted when Katniss found those two refugees in the woods that were searching for District 13. Yes! I thought, Katniss is going to go with them! They're going on an adventure to find District 13. What happened to those people? What have they evolved into? How did they survive? Her and Peeta and Gale will organize an uprising, will find a way to communicate with all the other districts....alas, this is the awesome book I envisioned. I thought "She wouldn't have the characters go back into the arena, that's just too predictable." That's exactly what happened.
It could have been so much better. If she had not done the games and focused instead on secret meetings, on trying to get district 12 organized to join a rebellion, on finding district 13, it would have been a great book. It's like she was overwhelmed with the idea of doing all that, so she had it happen in a way that we don't see it and she doesn't have to write it. The arena just seems gimmicky, there's a lot of pointless violence because we don't really care about any of them, not the way we cared about Rue in the first book.
Also, Katniss is incredibly unlikable. She's selfish and whiny (which others have described better than me) and just makes you want her to shut up already. She loves Gale...or does she? She doesn't love Peeta...or does she? We never see Gale, poor guy is nothing but a minor B plot character and yet we're supposed to believe this is a tortured love triangle.
Enough said. If the third book is more of the same, I'll definately feel like I wasted 20 bucks.
Riveting, absolutely riveting! This was one of the most highly anticipated books on my "Must-Read" list for the year, and it didn't disappoint.
Just as in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins returns readers to a futuristic world that is vibrant, jarring, and scary--very scary. Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Gale, and many others are all back in this second installment. Not only is Katniss going to have to deal with the consequences of her actions from The Hunger Games, President Snow has some other surprises in store for her (and us). In fact, Catching Fire has so many twists and turns that you won't be able to anticipate what's going to be on the next page, let alone the outcome of the book.
What I can share with you, however, is that President Snow is understandably displeased with Katniss, blaming her for the unprecedented outcome of having two winners for the 74th Hunger Games. As for Katnisss, two boys (or rather, two men) and too much time are just the beginning of her troubles as she starts off on a Victory Tour where she'll be put on display for all twelve districts--including the homes of the tributes she and Peeta killed. Back under the careful eye of the Capitol, it's only a matter of time before Katniss finds herself, and those she loves, in danger again.
My one complaint? I'm going to have to wait at least a year before I can read the next book.
Just as in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins returns readers to a futuristic world that is vibrant, jarring, and scary--very scary. Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Gale, and many others are all back in this second installment. Not only is Katniss going to have to deal with the consequences of her actions from The Hunger Games, President Snow has some other surprises in store for her (and us). In fact, Catching Fire has so many twists and turns that you won't be able to anticipate what's going to be on the next page, let alone the outcome of the book.
What I can share with you, however, is that President Snow is understandably displeased with Katniss, blaming her for the unprecedented outcome of having two winners for the 74th Hunger Games. As for Katnisss, two boys (or rather, two men) and too much time are just the beginning of her troubles as she starts off on a Victory Tour where she'll be put on display for all twelve districts--including the homes of the tributes she and Peeta killed. Back under the careful eye of the Capitol, it's only a matter of time before Katniss finds herself, and those she loves, in danger again.
My one complaint? I'm going to have to wait at least a year before I can read the next book.
Just tell me when book 3 is coming! ARGH! Yes, okay, it was fantastic--just as good as The Hunger Games. But OBVIOUSLY it's not over, and I want to know when I get to read the rest.
To all you readers waiting for a second book, this won't disappoint. You get to see many of your favorite characters in a new light. The action is jam-packed, moment after moment of excitement. The book, to me, felt to go by very fast, meaning I'll have to reread it.
Suzanne Collins did a wonderful job keeping up the momentum of the second book of this series, and I utterly think she will keep it up. I wish I could tell you more. All I can say is... You will not want to put this book down.
Only die-hard fans of The Hunger Games will think this sequel does much more than repeat the action of the first book (and really, who else would read it? - so I'm sure my opinion is very unpopular). The protagonist Katniss once again finds herself and Peeta in a televised fight to the death, but this time she is the unwitting symbol of the resistance movement. Almost all potential for character development or plot advancement is used up in violent action sequences.
Like many, many (MANY) sequels, I was left feeling that the first book should have been left alone. For a great story about an unwitting revolutionary leader, read Moving Mars: A Novel.
Like many, many (MANY) sequels, I was left feeling that the first book should have been left alone. For a great story about an unwitting revolutionary leader, read Moving Mars: A Novel.
I loved Hunger Games, and this was simply more of the same. It's like meeting someone new and thinking they've got a great personality, then seeing them the next day and having the same conversation. I felt like I was reading the same stuff. Hunger Games was so unique and different. No way I'll be reading the third book.
While I did like this, it seemed as though this WHOLE book really could have been condensed into the first two or three chapters of a second and final piece rather than this being a trilogy...It was probably an editor (re: publisher) wanting more product at the expense of the art.
I will not detail the plot/storyline, the story is one that should be read, but be forewarned, it is in NO WAY nearly as engaging as the first and as I hope the last to be.
A necessary book to read as the overall story is a good one, but complete fluff fills the binding...(pretty predictable route the story is taking too...)
I will not detail the plot/storyline, the story is one that should be read, but be forewarned, it is in NO WAY nearly as engaging as the first and as I hope the last to be.
A necessary book to read as the overall story is a good one, but complete fluff fills the binding...(pretty predictable route the story is taking too...)
"When you're in the arena...you just remember who the enemy is"
"When you're in the arena...you just remember who the enemy is"
Katniss Everdeen has survived the 74th Hunger Games, but that doesn't mean life is a walk in the park. The 75th Hunger Games mark the Quarter Quell, a special anniversary of the Hunger Games, and Katniss, as a victor, is expected to make her rounds to the Districts to promote the games. That means continuing her charade of being madly in love with Peeta, avoiding causing any more sparks of rebellion, and trying to keep on President Snow's good side. But things don't go as they seem as the 75th Hunger Games approaches
I Liked:
This book is fantastic! It isn't very often I read a sequel that is just as good or better than the original, but mark Catching Fire as one of the few that does!
Our characters return in all their glory. Katniss continues to seek out protection for her mother, her sister, Gale, and Peeta, thinking little of her own self in the process. She continues to be an intelligent, capable protagonist while also not becoming an omniscient Messiah figure in the process. Heck, most of the time, she tries NOT to a lead rebellion! Peeta continues to charm as the poor, "rejected" boy, having to use his words to cleverly make up for Katniss' brusque personality. Haymitch is back, guiding our victors through their trials, all the while barely staying sober It's so good and refreshing to read a sequel in which our favorite characters don't drastically change into some facsimile of what they were.
But what I found most impressive was how Catching Fire refused to repeat the same storyline as The Hunger Games. I've noticed in series (specifically for children or young adults) that this is the case. Not here. There is a Hunger Games that occurs, but it in no way is similar to the one in The Hunger Games. We have the starts of rebellion, Katniss must try to quell the rebellion to save those she loves, and absolutely no Romantic Triangle from hell (despite many claims to the contrary, there really is no Team Peeta/Team Gale). I'd love to detail more of what made this novel special, but I am afraid I would be leaving behind massive spoilers, and that would just ruin the surprise in the novel. And since this is a novel you should read, I wouldn't do that at all.
Closely tied in to above is how the book kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew where the book was going ("Oh, it's going to be a rebellion novel", "Oh, it's going to be a travel novel"), Collins took the book in a completely different direction. And that direction was both good and surprising and MADE SENSE.
I Didn't Like:
If there was one thing I didn't like, it was how dense Katniss was. There were numerous incidents displaying rebellion or some other plot point (that I can't tell you because of spoilers!) that were obvious to me, and I am certainly not the most astute reader in the universe. And yet, Katniss was completely oblivious. Does it keep with her character? Yes, but here, it is somewhat more annoying and definitely on a larger scale.
Also, it does take quite a bit of time for the real "action" to get going. The first part is more than a little bit slow and plodding as it sets up the last portion and even the third book.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Mild (PG).
Katniss and Peeta share a bed (rather chastely) on a few occasions. Finnick is said to be quite the Ladies' Man. Johanna walks around in the buff at one point.
Heavy. The whole point of the Hunger Games is to kill all 23 other candidates. Some of the deaths are off-screen, but others are pretty detailed and bloody.
Overall:
What are you doing reading this review? Go out, find this book however you can, and read it already! If you loved The Hunger Games, you won't regret it.
Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*
Katniss Everdeen has survived the 74th Hunger Games, but that doesn't mean life is a walk in the park. The 75th Hunger Games mark the Quarter Quell, a special anniversary of the Hunger Games, and Katniss, as a victor, is expected to make her rounds to the Districts to promote the games. That means continuing her charade of being madly in love with Peeta, avoiding causing any more sparks of rebellion, and trying to keep on President Snow's good side. But things don't go as they seem as the 75th Hunger Games approaches
I Liked:
This book is fantastic! It isn't very often I read a sequel that is just as good or better than the original, but mark Catching Fire as one of the few that does!
Our characters return in all their glory. Katniss continues to seek out protection for her mother, her sister, Gale, and Peeta, thinking little of her own self in the process. She continues to be an intelligent, capable protagonist while also not becoming an omniscient Messiah figure in the process. Heck, most of the time, she tries NOT to a lead rebellion! Peeta continues to charm as the poor, "rejected" boy, having to use his words to cleverly make up for Katniss' brusque personality. Haymitch is back, guiding our victors through their trials, all the while barely staying sober It's so good and refreshing to read a sequel in which our favorite characters don't drastically change into some facsimile of what they were.
But what I found most impressive was how Catching Fire refused to repeat the same storyline as The Hunger Games. I've noticed in series (specifically for children or young adults) that this is the case. Not here. There is a Hunger Games that occurs, but it in no way is similar to the one in The Hunger Games. We have the starts of rebellion, Katniss must try to quell the rebellion to save those she loves, and absolutely no Romantic Triangle from hell (despite many claims to the contrary, there really is no Team Peeta/Team Gale). I'd love to detail more of what made this novel special, but I am afraid I would be leaving behind massive spoilers, and that would just ruin the surprise in the novel. And since this is a novel you should read, I wouldn't do that at all.
Closely tied in to above is how the book kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew where the book was going ("Oh, it's going to be a rebellion novel", "Oh, it's going to be a travel novel"), Collins took the book in a completely different direction. And that direction was both good and surprising and MADE SENSE.
I Didn't Like:
If there was one thing I didn't like, it was how dense Katniss was. There were numerous incidents displaying rebellion or some other plot point (that I can't tell you because of spoilers!) that were obvious to me, and I am certainly not the most astute reader in the universe. And yet, Katniss was completely oblivious. Does it keep with her character? Yes, but here, it is somewhat more annoying and definitely on a larger scale.
Also, it does take quite a bit of time for the real "action" to get going. The first part is more than a little bit slow and plodding as it sets up the last portion and even the third book.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Mild (PG).
Katniss and Peeta share a bed (rather chastely) on a few occasions. Finnick is said to be quite the Ladies' Man. Johanna walks around in the buff at one point.
Heavy. The whole point of the Hunger Games is to kill all 23 other candidates. Some of the deaths are off-screen, but others are pretty detailed and bloody.
Overall:
What are you doing reading this review? Go out, find this book however you can, and read it already! If you loved The Hunger Games, you won't regret it.
Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*
"Catching Fire"...a fine sequel to book I.
"Catching Fire" is the second book in a trilogy of the "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. The hardcover copy is 391 pages long while the Kindle e-version is a 479 Kb download.
*SPOILER*
After winning the 'Hunger Games', Katniss and Peeta return home to district 12 as heroes and then soon depart on a victory tour of all the other remaining 11 Districts. However in doing so, they become aware of a growing discontent in the subordinate districts; discontent which was precipitated by some of their rebellious actions during the 'games'. To make matters worse, ( from a Capital viewpoint) the tour has only served to fan the fires of the slow smouldering resistance movement.
The leader of the Capitol region, President Snow, decides to come down hard on those districts that are causing trouble. And to show the rebels that he is in complete control, he elects to put previous 'Hunger Game' winners back in the arena for the Quell Tournament (a special 'Hunger Game' held every 25 years). Not surprisingly, Katniss and Peeta return once again for a second go-round in the dreaded arena. However, things do not go completely according to plans...neither for the President nor the previous winners.
*END SPOILER*
In a setting reminiscent of Orwell's "1984", Author Collins has done a masterful job of turning what superficially appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a Young Adult story, into a tense, emotional and violent tale that will appeal to all lovers of fantasy/action stories.
The main protagonist here is Katniss, a girl of about 17 years old. Collins develops her character by making the reader aware of almost every thought that Katniss is thinking...we see her likes, her immaturity, her fears and her growing distrust and hatred for 'the system' that is the government of the Capitol district.
We witness her personality change as she is thrust into unwanted situations; where she must grow up fast, make split-second life and death decisions...and do all this while being fully aware that all her actions are being watched by the authorities. Actions that could bring dire consequences to her family, friends and loved ones, should the insult be deemed great enough in the eyes of those in power.
Conclusion:
Truly a book I could hardly bear to put down. This second book ends with an obvious tie into the 3rd and final book. 5 Stars.
Ray Nicholson
*SPOILER*
After winning the 'Hunger Games', Katniss and Peeta return home to district 12 as heroes and then soon depart on a victory tour of all the other remaining 11 Districts. However in doing so, they become aware of a growing discontent in the subordinate districts; discontent which was precipitated by some of their rebellious actions during the 'games'. To make matters worse, ( from a Capital viewpoint) the tour has only served to fan the fires of the slow smouldering resistance movement.
The leader of the Capitol region, President Snow, decides to come down hard on those districts that are causing trouble. And to show the rebels that he is in complete control, he elects to put previous 'Hunger Game' winners back in the arena for the Quell Tournament (a special 'Hunger Game' held every 25 years). Not surprisingly, Katniss and Peeta return once again for a second go-round in the dreaded arena. However, things do not go completely according to plans...neither for the President nor the previous winners.
*END SPOILER*
In a setting reminiscent of Orwell's "1984", Author Collins has done a masterful job of turning what superficially appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a Young Adult story, into a tense, emotional and violent tale that will appeal to all lovers of fantasy/action stories.
The main protagonist here is Katniss, a girl of about 17 years old. Collins develops her character by making the reader aware of almost every thought that Katniss is thinking...we see her likes, her immaturity, her fears and her growing distrust and hatred for 'the system' that is the government of the Capitol district.
We witness her personality change as she is thrust into unwanted situations; where she must grow up fast, make split-second life and death decisions...and do all this while being fully aware that all her actions are being watched by the authorities. Actions that could bring dire consequences to her family, friends and loved ones, should the insult be deemed great enough in the eyes of those in power.
Conclusion:
Truly a book I could hardly bear to put down. This second book ends with an obvious tie into the 3rd and final book. 5 Stars.
Ray Nicholson
The tiniest spark can grow into an inferno!
Dystopia, Big Brother and post-apocalypse are themes that have been included in novels so often that it could well be a life's work for a librarian to prepare an exhaustive catalogue of titles. But, in terms of quality, the devil is in the details and Suzanne Collins has justifiably taken the world by storm. Suzanne Collins HUNGER GAMES trilogy, inspired by the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, is an innovative, dare I say unique, young adult twist on the recurring themes of violence, cruely, despair, privation and revolution that are the mainstays of these types of novels.
A distant future North America, now called Panem, is divided into 12 distinct economic districts ruled with an iron fist from the Capital located in the northwest Rocky Mountain region of the former USA. Every year, in a bizarre celebration called "The Reaping", the Capital "honours" each district by selecting two children that will be called "tributes", one boy and one girl, to participate in the Hunger Games. The 24 children are released into a wilderness arena and are expected not only to survive but to battle one another to the death. The last remaining child is returned to his or her district as a conquering hero.
The games, reminiscent of Rome's bloodthirsty gladiatoral combats, are televised as an extravaganza throughout Panem on a minute by minute basis. Carefully engineered from start to finish, the sculpted terrain of the "arena" might be anything from arctic or forest to desert or rugged mountains; an unknown supply of weapons and supplies are provided but will have to be fought for and "won" as part of the entertainment; the games are replete with intermittent technologically engineered disasters such as fires, teeming rainstorms, rogue waves, insect infestations or earthquakes; genetically engineered humans or animals called "muttations" are periodically released to provide extra challenge for the tributes or extra entertainment for the viewing audience.
Of course, the entire affair is intended to serve notice to Panem of the continuing absolute authority of the Capital over the Districts. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from the perennial underdog District 12, having acted in an entirely unforeseeable manner, survived against all odds as the first dual Games' winners in Panem's history. Although it wasn't their intention to embarrass the Capital and Panem's ruthless president, that unprecedented joint survival is now serving as a lightning rod for years of accumulated hunger, deprivation, slavery, anger and dissatisfaction in the country. Panem is a tinderbox and the firestorm of revolution is but one careless tossed match from ignition.
In an attempt to defuse the focal point of the growing rebellion, the Games' rules are arbitrarily changed to ensure that Peeta and Katniss are selected and forced to participate in a second Hunger Games. Clearly the fix is in! Katniss and Peeta are only too aware that they cannot be allowed to survive the Games. But it is also obvious that the engineers of the Games' challenges haven't considered the depth of ingenuity that results from an indomitable will to live or from love, honour, loyalty, friendship, courage and heroism. Knowing that this time around, there will definitely be only one winner, both Katniss and Peeta are determined to sacrifice themselves to ensure the ultimate victory of the other!
Readers and reviewers comment on the failings of the second book of trilogies so often that one almost comes to expect it. But, make no mistake, there are no such shortcoming in CATCHING FIRE! If I may say so, the title is an apt metaphor for the continuing effective plot and pacing of the trilogy. The story moves with lightning speed. Katniss and Peeta grow and mature into outward looking young adults, aware of their importance in the political changes that are happening in their country, aware of their responsibility for each other's lives and the lives of their friends and families. They grow increasingly confused about the depth, complexity and even the very nature of their feelings toward one another. They begin to embrace their leadership role in a revolution that is clearly picking up momentum and it is clear that the President of Panem is losing his iron grip on an increasingly hostile and dissatisfied populace.
And, as if the magnificent story of CATCHING GAMES wasn't enough to stand on its own, Suzanne Collins has ended it with a positively hair-raising one line cliff hanger that will ensure her readers gasp and move on to THE MOCKINGJAY still holding their breath!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
A distant future North America, now called Panem, is divided into 12 distinct economic districts ruled with an iron fist from the Capital located in the northwest Rocky Mountain region of the former USA. Every year, in a bizarre celebration called "The Reaping", the Capital "honours" each district by selecting two children that will be called "tributes", one boy and one girl, to participate in the Hunger Games. The 24 children are released into a wilderness arena and are expected not only to survive but to battle one another to the death. The last remaining child is returned to his or her district as a conquering hero.
The games, reminiscent of Rome's bloodthirsty gladiatoral combats, are televised as an extravaganza throughout Panem on a minute by minute basis. Carefully engineered from start to finish, the sculpted terrain of the "arena" might be anything from arctic or forest to desert or rugged mountains; an unknown supply of weapons and supplies are provided but will have to be fought for and "won" as part of the entertainment; the games are replete with intermittent technologically engineered disasters such as fires, teeming rainstorms, rogue waves, insect infestations or earthquakes; genetically engineered humans or animals called "muttations" are periodically released to provide extra challenge for the tributes or extra entertainment for the viewing audience.
Of course, the entire affair is intended to serve notice to Panem of the continuing absolute authority of the Capital over the Districts. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from the perennial underdog District 12, having acted in an entirely unforeseeable manner, survived against all odds as the first dual Games' winners in Panem's history. Although it wasn't their intention to embarrass the Capital and Panem's ruthless president, that unprecedented joint survival is now serving as a lightning rod for years of accumulated hunger, deprivation, slavery, anger and dissatisfaction in the country. Panem is a tinderbox and the firestorm of revolution is but one careless tossed match from ignition.
In an attempt to defuse the focal point of the growing rebellion, the Games' rules are arbitrarily changed to ensure that Peeta and Katniss are selected and forced to participate in a second Hunger Games. Clearly the fix is in! Katniss and Peeta are only too aware that they cannot be allowed to survive the Games. But it is also obvious that the engineers of the Games' challenges haven't considered the depth of ingenuity that results from an indomitable will to live or from love, honour, loyalty, friendship, courage and heroism. Knowing that this time around, there will definitely be only one winner, both Katniss and Peeta are determined to sacrifice themselves to ensure the ultimate victory of the other!
Readers and reviewers comment on the failings of the second book of trilogies so often that one almost comes to expect it. But, make no mistake, there are no such shortcoming in CATCHING FIRE! If I may say so, the title is an apt metaphor for the continuing effective plot and pacing of the trilogy. The story moves with lightning speed. Katniss and Peeta grow and mature into outward looking young adults, aware of their importance in the political changes that are happening in their country, aware of their responsibility for each other's lives and the lives of their friends and families. They grow increasingly confused about the depth, complexity and even the very nature of their feelings toward one another. They begin to embrace their leadership role in a revolution that is clearly picking up momentum and it is clear that the President of Panem is losing his iron grip on an increasingly hostile and dissatisfied populace.
And, as if the magnificent story of CATCHING GAMES wasn't enough to stand on its own, Suzanne Collins has ended it with a positively hair-raising one line cliff hanger that will ensure her readers gasp and move on to THE MOCKINGJAY still holding their breath!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
In Which Katniss is Not Sherlock Holmes
When last we left our heroine Katniss Everdeen, she was faced with a life of misery because she had to pretend to be in love with someone she kind of likes. She had angered the Capitol by not only surviving the Hunger Games, but bringing fake-boyfriend Peeta out alive as well. Such blatant disregard for the rules has not gone unnoticed, and now the twelve Districts are beginning to get ideas of rebellion.
And so President Snow orders Katniss and Peeta to tour the districts and pretend to be in love to defuse the situation. The Capitol seems to be a bit undecided as to what to do with the pair, because Katniss and Peeta are also thrown back into the Hunger Games for round two.
Catching Fire is a better, more rounded view of life in Panem, but the same problems from The Hunger Games return to haunt this book. This time around Katniss and Peeta tour the different districts, so we get to see just how put down and dystopian this society really is. We see more interaction between the Capitol and the Districts, making the Good Guys seem more good and the Bad Guys seem more Bad.
Unfortunately, for someone who narrates the entire story, Katniss seems to be completely oblivious to anything that goes on around her. She notices, quite clearly and on multiple occasions, the symbol of the mockingjay in relation to rebel activity. The mockingjay was her symbol in the Hunger Games. She was the one who sparked the rebellion. And yet Katniss fails to put two and two together to figure out that she is the one all the rebels look to as a symbol of hope.
No, instead she spends her time trying to deal with Peeta and Gale. Gale is of course her childhood friend, who hunts in the woods with Katniss. He got maybe a page and a half total in The Hunger Games, and yet is apparently Katniss' true love. We see more of him this time in Catching Fire, but his screentime is once again far overshadowed by Peeta. It 's a poor romance when the heroine spends most of her time mooning over someone we hardly know while snubbing the character the readers have come to know and identify with.
The ending is rather abrupt and has little closure for the story. Much the same as the ending to The Empire Strikes Back, Catching Fire is a blatant setup for the next book. It's mostly exposition to lay the groundwork for part three, with more Hunger Games thrown into the middle to keep us pacified. And through it all, I still have no idea if Katniss likes Peeta or not.
And so President Snow orders Katniss and Peeta to tour the districts and pretend to be in love to defuse the situation. The Capitol seems to be a bit undecided as to what to do with the pair, because Katniss and Peeta are also thrown back into the Hunger Games for round two.
Catching Fire is a better, more rounded view of life in Panem, but the same problems from The Hunger Games return to haunt this book. This time around Katniss and Peeta tour the different districts, so we get to see just how put down and dystopian this society really is. We see more interaction between the Capitol and the Districts, making the Good Guys seem more good and the Bad Guys seem more Bad.
Unfortunately, for someone who narrates the entire story, Katniss seems to be completely oblivious to anything that goes on around her. She notices, quite clearly and on multiple occasions, the symbol of the mockingjay in relation to rebel activity. The mockingjay was her symbol in the Hunger Games. She was the one who sparked the rebellion. And yet Katniss fails to put two and two together to figure out that she is the one all the rebels look to as a symbol of hope.
No, instead she spends her time trying to deal with Peeta and Gale. Gale is of course her childhood friend, who hunts in the woods with Katniss. He got maybe a page and a half total in The Hunger Games, and yet is apparently Katniss' true love. We see more of him this time in Catching Fire, but his screentime is once again far overshadowed by Peeta. It 's a poor romance when the heroine spends most of her time mooning over someone we hardly know while snubbing the character the readers have come to know and identify with.
The ending is rather abrupt and has little closure for the story. Much the same as the ending to The Empire Strikes Back, Catching Fire is a blatant setup for the next book. It's mostly exposition to lay the groundwork for part three, with more Hunger Games thrown into the middle to keep us pacified. And through it all, I still have no idea if Katniss likes Peeta or not.
Horrified, yet can't put it down.
I love it when I find a good series. This book may be a bit darker than I'd let my boys read right now, but for the teen crowd is appropriate. I love the characters and am rooting for them every step of the way. The book is impossible to put down and I hate that I have to wait a couple weeks for the next one to come out.
"Catching Fire" takes a long time to do exactly that.
Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" was a very good young adult novel, a dystopic near future vision of a country called Panem, the country that has apparently succeeded the United States. Panem is so corrupt that every year, in order to keep its populace amused and distracted, it holds what it calls the Hunger Games, where two contestants from each district (there are twelve in all) compete to win what's more or less a reality TV show, except _this_ particular reality TV show is to the death and there can be only one winner. The heroine of "The Hunger Games" is a teenage girl, Katniss; she's tough, strong, competent, but not always likable, and because she hunts and traps for survival, is at a major advantage in this game. Her love interest is a guy named Peeta, a friend of hers from District 12 (where they're from, the most impoverished district of the lot) -- he's a smart, competent teenager who's drawn to Katniss despite her flaws (or perhaps even because of them). And because he'd known her forever, knows the good in her, that helped balance out Katniss's cold, manipulative nature, and allowed the reader to root for Katniss and Peeta. This way, the reader could enjoy the "against the odds" ending where the two of them won the Hunger Games before going home to their impoverished district, which satisfactorily ended "The Hunger Games."
"Catching Fire" opens just after the previous novel, "The Hunger Games," and probably won't be understood without it. But if you've read thus far, you know Katniss and Peeta need to do a "victory parade" through the twelve districts, and the assumption from the first is that they will be safe for the rest of their lives. But we know that can't be right -- the rulers of Panem are vindictive and cruel, and they don't particularly like it that they were manipulated by Katniss into declaring both she and Peeta (an acknowledged love match) as the co-winners of the past Hunger Games. Which is why when a "new" version of the Hunger Games occurs -- one that "reaps" people from the past winners, and takes two from each district, we know both Katniss and Peeta are going back into the arena.
All the action, once we get to it -- about halfway to two thirds of the way in, I'd estimate -- is fine, and Collins has the characterization of Peeta and Katniss spot-on.
Other pluses? Well, I felt sorry for the downtrodden servants called "Avox" -- they've had their vocal cords ripped away by the brutal rulers of Panem because they were compassionate and spoke up. (We know this because at least one of them is a former peace officer Katniss knew while growing up, a particularly kind and thoughtful man.) I still believed in the halting romance between Katniss and Peeta, and I wasn't scandalized by the brutality of the arena as it makes sense in this type of dystopic milieu.
Yet something was missing from this book, something evanescent yet powerful, something so elusive it is nearly impossible to name. I can't say that hope is lost -- hope seems closer than ever despite the brutality of the rulers of Panem at the end of "Catching Fire" (which I refuse to spoil). I can't say that I don't care about what happens to Katniss, Peeta and the rest -- because I still do care, and want to read the third book, "Mockingjay," which will be out in another month as I write this.
But something isn't here that was present in spades in "The Hunger Games." I can't believe it's just that the novelty has worn off, and I don't believe it's that this book went further in-depth regarding the politics of Panem, nor that the book is slower to get ramped up than the previous (I can handle all of that).
My best guess at what's missing is the lack of perspective -- the ending is a major shock to Katniss's system, and because I can't really discuss that, I can't explain why I feel the ending seems rushed and unbelievable. Further, I don't know how Katniss could stay sane after the events of both the previous novel and "Catching Fire," nor do I understand a culture that televises something so brutal and heart-wrenching not being willing to discuss any other country besides itself. (This is the same criticism I had of the previous book, mind, but it comes into starker relief and is a bigger problem due to the ending of _this_ book.)
Because I find the ending unbelievable, and because I do not like the lack of perspective, I can give this novel only 3.5 stars -- and at that, I'm rounding _down_ rather than up for Amazon.com's purposes (something I usually don't do) because this book is closer to "it's OK, but I'll never read it again" than "a good novel, something I will re-read in the future" like I ranked "The Hunger Games."
In short, I like Suzanne Collins' writing. I like it a lot. But I don't think this story ended in the right place, and it makes me less likely to immediately seek out "Mockingjay" (though I do have plans to eventually seek it out due to the strength of the first book).
3.5 stars, rounded _down_ to three stars, with no recommendation either way.
Barb Caffrey
"Catching Fire" opens just after the previous novel, "The Hunger Games," and probably won't be understood without it. But if you've read thus far, you know Katniss and Peeta need to do a "victory parade" through the twelve districts, and the assumption from the first is that they will be safe for the rest of their lives. But we know that can't be right -- the rulers of Panem are vindictive and cruel, and they don't particularly like it that they were manipulated by Katniss into declaring both she and Peeta (an acknowledged love match) as the co-winners of the past Hunger Games. Which is why when a "new" version of the Hunger Games occurs -- one that "reaps" people from the past winners, and takes two from each district, we know both Katniss and Peeta are going back into the arena.
All the action, once we get to it -- about halfway to two thirds of the way in, I'd estimate -- is fine, and Collins has the characterization of Peeta and Katniss spot-on.
Other pluses? Well, I felt sorry for the downtrodden servants called "Avox" -- they've had their vocal cords ripped away by the brutal rulers of Panem because they were compassionate and spoke up. (We know this because at least one of them is a former peace officer Katniss knew while growing up, a particularly kind and thoughtful man.) I still believed in the halting romance between Katniss and Peeta, and I wasn't scandalized by the brutality of the arena as it makes sense in this type of dystopic milieu.
Yet something was missing from this book, something evanescent yet powerful, something so elusive it is nearly impossible to name. I can't say that hope is lost -- hope seems closer than ever despite the brutality of the rulers of Panem at the end of "Catching Fire" (which I refuse to spoil). I can't say that I don't care about what happens to Katniss, Peeta and the rest -- because I still do care, and want to read the third book, "Mockingjay," which will be out in another month as I write this.
But something isn't here that was present in spades in "The Hunger Games." I can't believe it's just that the novelty has worn off, and I don't believe it's that this book went further in-depth regarding the politics of Panem, nor that the book is slower to get ramped up than the previous (I can handle all of that).
My best guess at what's missing is the lack of perspective -- the ending is a major shock to Katniss's system, and because I can't really discuss that, I can't explain why I feel the ending seems rushed and unbelievable. Further, I don't know how Katniss could stay sane after the events of both the previous novel and "Catching Fire," nor do I understand a culture that televises something so brutal and heart-wrenching not being willing to discuss any other country besides itself. (This is the same criticism I had of the previous book, mind, but it comes into starker relief and is a bigger problem due to the ending of _this_ book.)
Because I find the ending unbelievable, and because I do not like the lack of perspective, I can give this novel only 3.5 stars -- and at that, I'm rounding _down_ rather than up for Amazon.com's purposes (something I usually don't do) because this book is closer to "it's OK, but I'll never read it again" than "a good novel, something I will re-read in the future" like I ranked "The Hunger Games."
In short, I like Suzanne Collins' writing. I like it a lot. But I don't think this story ended in the right place, and it makes me less likely to immediately seek out "Mockingjay" (though I do have plans to eventually seek it out due to the strength of the first book).
3.5 stars, rounded _down_ to three stars, with no recommendation either way.
Barb Caffrey
What little bit you thought was safe was ripped out from under you
I tend to find that the first book in a series is always the best, followed by the last book and the ones in the middle tend to be a lot of filler to drag it out (although they are often good entertaining filler). This is an extreme exception. The second book is just as fast paced as the first one and seemed to throw me for even MORE loops and plot twists. If anything, I would say that this book didn't have ENOUGH filler and I could easily have enjoyed this plot spread out over two books. I was even more incapable of putting this book down than the first one. My jaw dropped when an element from the first book, I won't say what element in so many words as it would be a major spoiler, which I thought was done and finished after the first book came back in the second one. What little bit you thought was safe was ripped out from under you.
Side characters in the second book were more fleshed out than in the first (though I still feel a little cheated about Gale still not being fully developed as a character) and that made it more enjoyable. It gave you a lot of different viewpoints from which to guess where the plot was going. While the end was slightly more predictable than I had hoped it would be, the plot twist in the middle was more than enough to make up for it.
I am extremely lad to have read these books, but I find myself wishing I hadn't gotten around to it until after the trilogy was completely out. I know the third book is only a month away, but the suspense for this series is killing me.
Side characters in the second book were more fleshed out than in the first (though I still feel a little cheated about Gale still not being fully developed as a character) and that made it more enjoyable. It gave you a lot of different viewpoints from which to guess where the plot was going. While the end was slightly more predictable than I had hoped it would be, the plot twist in the middle was more than enough to make up for it.
I am extremely lad to have read these books, but I find myself wishing I hadn't gotten around to it until after the trilogy was completely out. I know the third book is only a month away, but the suspense for this series is killing me.
Compelling but not quite as much as the first book
It's been about two and a half days since I picked up The Hunger Games and became completely consumed with these books. In that span, I have rabidly read both the first and the second novels and, were it possible to do so, I would already be starting on the third. I'm glad that I came into the series a bit late as I only have to wait until August to find out how the story concludes.
Catching Fire is something of a bridge and, as such, contains perhaps a bit less spark (pun intended) than the first. In all fairness, I'd rate it at 4.5 stars as I enjoyed it nearly as much as the first book, but just not quite. I have no desire to give the book away, so I'll speak in what are hopefully broad terms here when I say that I thought the biggest problem with this book is that the Capitol just gets too sadistic. Now, that's not to say that they weren't sadistic in the first, just that their extreme reaction to Katniss and Peeta's subversive victory seems designed to promote their own downfall. When insurrection is a-brewing, it's perhaps not the best time to be bringing out all of your heavy weapons. This made me lose faith in the books just a bit because it seems as though President Snow and, by extension, the Capitol are suffering a bit from stupid villainitis, which is an illness that I find particularly vexing. But maybe that's Collins's intent. At any rate, it did create some ripples in my suspension of disbelief.
However, what I do really like about this novel is that it is more reflective than the first. While the first certainly makes you think, it also had something of a lurid quality. I'm not necessarily knocking it as I think that the basic premise called for at least some degree of luridness. In fact, this in and of itself is enough to make the reader pause and think about the incomprehensible nature of brutal regimes like that of the Capitol.
But I digress a bit. While I was very, very impressed by the first novel, I did find that the violence and savagery of the games got to me after a bit. It made sense to me that the tributes would more or less break down into a very basic kill or be killed mentality, but it didn't give the reader a very big picture of the world of Panem in and of itself. This book, on the contrary, does so. There are particular passages in the book that I found very striking, such as Katniss's reaction to a stylish Capitol liqueur, her encounter with some refugees from another district, and her growing awareness that her own district perhaps enjoyed something of a lack of the sheer brutality experienced by the people in other districts. There are hints of all of these things in the first novel, but I found them to be much more fleshed out here. By contrasting the terrible things that are happening in the districts with the attitudes of the people who live in the Capitol, I felt Collins actually did a better job of showing how indifference and ignorance can be almost more offensive than outright brutality. After all, isn't this a reflection of our own world? When we're so caught up in what's happening in our own house, it's easy to ignore the atrocities right outside of our door. This book makes Panem more of a character, which I think is to the series's benefit.
As for the love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, I'm actually pretty convinced by it. It's important to remember that Katniss has some very, very good reasons for insisting on not falling in love. As I read, I often found myself wondering why other people don't think more like her and do their best to avoid bringing children into such a horrifying world. However, as Katniss shows, sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. But what is it that her heart wants? I can pretty easily see how someone of Katniss's mentality, someone who has been through so much trauma it's a wonder she can get out of bed in the morning might have some trouble disentangling her emotions. That Gale is her friend cannot be questioned. But what, exactly, is the nature of her love for him? That Peeta has been her savior is equally unquestionable. But does she care for him so deeply because the intense trauma that they survived has engendered a sense of debt in her, or does she love him because he is so clearly a kind and noble person? These aren't easy questions to answer, and it doesn't surprise me that Katniss seems entirely incapable of answering them at this point in the series.
In the meantime, I'll need to try to find something to keep myself occupied until I can finally read the conclusion to this compelling, disturbing, and deeply layered tale. Collins has crafted a really impressive work of literature and it is one I will definitely be recommending to friends.
Catching Fire is something of a bridge and, as such, contains perhaps a bit less spark (pun intended) than the first. In all fairness, I'd rate it at 4.5 stars as I enjoyed it nearly as much as the first book, but just not quite. I have no desire to give the book away, so I'll speak in what are hopefully broad terms here when I say that I thought the biggest problem with this book is that the Capitol just gets too sadistic. Now, that's not to say that they weren't sadistic in the first, just that their extreme reaction to Katniss and Peeta's subversive victory seems designed to promote their own downfall. When insurrection is a-brewing, it's perhaps not the best time to be bringing out all of your heavy weapons. This made me lose faith in the books just a bit because it seems as though President Snow and, by extension, the Capitol are suffering a bit from stupid villainitis, which is an illness that I find particularly vexing. But maybe that's Collins's intent. At any rate, it did create some ripples in my suspension of disbelief.
However, what I do really like about this novel is that it is more reflective than the first. While the first certainly makes you think, it also had something of a lurid quality. I'm not necessarily knocking it as I think that the basic premise called for at least some degree of luridness. In fact, this in and of itself is enough to make the reader pause and think about the incomprehensible nature of brutal regimes like that of the Capitol.
But I digress a bit. While I was very, very impressed by the first novel, I did find that the violence and savagery of the games got to me after a bit. It made sense to me that the tributes would more or less break down into a very basic kill or be killed mentality, but it didn't give the reader a very big picture of the world of Panem in and of itself. This book, on the contrary, does so. There are particular passages in the book that I found very striking, such as Katniss's reaction to a stylish Capitol liqueur, her encounter with some refugees from another district, and her growing awareness that her own district perhaps enjoyed something of a lack of the sheer brutality experienced by the people in other districts. There are hints of all of these things in the first novel, but I found them to be much more fleshed out here. By contrasting the terrible things that are happening in the districts with the attitudes of the people who live in the Capitol, I felt Collins actually did a better job of showing how indifference and ignorance can be almost more offensive than outright brutality. After all, isn't this a reflection of our own world? When we're so caught up in what's happening in our own house, it's easy to ignore the atrocities right outside of our door. This book makes Panem more of a character, which I think is to the series's benefit.
As for the love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, I'm actually pretty convinced by it. It's important to remember that Katniss has some very, very good reasons for insisting on not falling in love. As I read, I often found myself wondering why other people don't think more like her and do their best to avoid bringing children into such a horrifying world. However, as Katniss shows, sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. But what is it that her heart wants? I can pretty easily see how someone of Katniss's mentality, someone who has been through so much trauma it's a wonder she can get out of bed in the morning might have some trouble disentangling her emotions. That Gale is her friend cannot be questioned. But what, exactly, is the nature of her love for him? That Peeta has been her savior is equally unquestionable. But does she care for him so deeply because the intense trauma that they survived has engendered a sense of debt in her, or does she love him because he is so clearly a kind and noble person? These aren't easy questions to answer, and it doesn't surprise me that Katniss seems entirely incapable of answering them at this point in the series.
In the meantime, I'll need to try to find something to keep myself occupied until I can finally read the conclusion to this compelling, disturbing, and deeply layered tale. Collins has crafted a really impressive work of literature and it is one I will definitely be recommending to friends.
Typically, I don't write reviews. Ironically, I always use Amazon's reviews before making even the smallest purchase. Therefore, I am extremely grateful that so many people took the time to review this outstanding book. Now, I feel the need to add to the praise for Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
I am a mother, lawyer, avid reader, and aspiring writer. Each of these titles allows me to view books in different ways. I must say that Hunger Games (and later Catching Fire) satisfied every bit of my personality. I am also extremely envious of Suzanne Collins. To be able to write like her (so unusually) in the present tense with the rich world she created, is the goal of so many.
I literally couldn't put either book down. I took both Hunger Games and Catching Fire with me everywhere. . . in the car, the bathroom, the dinner table. I literally stayed up for 24 hours at a time wanting to know what happened to Katniss.
This book is not for the faint-hearted. It reminds me of 1984, Brave New World, and, dare I say, Clockwork Orange, as society has crumbled and a new regime installs itself into a country that was once free.
Hunger Games is the first book that I have recommended to family and friends and begged them to read. Some scoffed because of the "Young Adult" genre affixed to the title. After reading the book, each one has called and thanked me (all became as addicted to the story and I did). This has become my go-to gift for everyone over the age of 14.
Pick these books up and don't put them down. Then you, too, can anxiously wait for Mockingjay in August '10 with the rest of us!
I am a mother, lawyer, avid reader, and aspiring writer. Each of these titles allows me to view books in different ways. I must say that Hunger Games (and later Catching Fire) satisfied every bit of my personality. I am also extremely envious of Suzanne Collins. To be able to write like her (so unusually) in the present tense with the rich world she created, is the goal of so many.
I literally couldn't put either book down. I took both Hunger Games and Catching Fire with me everywhere. . . in the car, the bathroom, the dinner table. I literally stayed up for 24 hours at a time wanting to know what happened to Katniss.
This book is not for the faint-hearted. It reminds me of 1984, Brave New World, and, dare I say, Clockwork Orange, as society has crumbled and a new regime installs itself into a country that was once free.
Hunger Games is the first book that I have recommended to family and friends and begged them to read. Some scoffed because of the "Young Adult" genre affixed to the title. After reading the book, each one has called and thanked me (all became as addicted to the story and I did). This has become my go-to gift for everyone over the age of 14.
Pick these books up and don't put them down. Then you, too, can anxiously wait for Mockingjay in August '10 with the rest of us!
It must be difficult to write a hugely popular book, like The Hunger Games, and then have to produce the sequel and not suffer the dreaded Sophomore Slump. Suzanne Collins need not worry, for Catching Fire is a terrific follow-up to book one. It's hard to keep up the pace in the middle book of an expected trilogy, the first book lays the groundwork and the final book is the resolution and frequently the middle book has none of that excitement, but that is not the case here.
It's also very difficult to review a sequel that gives nothing away from the first book and doesn't reveal any spoilers for the second book. Therefore I will note here that there are spoilers ahead for The Hunger Games, so if you haven't read it yet stop reading here. There will be no spoilers for Catching Fire, just a general review of the story and characters.
***SPOILER SPACE for The Hunger Games***
At the end of Book One Katniss and Peeta have upended the 74th edition of The Hunger Games, placing the Capitol in the position of letting them both be declared winners. Upon returning back to district 12 the two try to pick up their lives, but everything has changed. They are celebrities now and we rejoin their story as they prepare for the Victory Tour through the Twelve Districts. As they make their way through the tour, visiting one district every month, it is clear that there are signs of unrest and rebellion, fueled by Katniss' act of defiance during the last competition. It's seems as though the Capitol and President Snow have not forgotten their stunt either and have planned their revenge; it is an act of retaliation that sends tremors through all of Panem.
To reveal anymore would ruin the book for all. However Collins manages to keep the tension ratcheted up as the 75th Hunger Games begin and we are introduced to more characters to root for and against. The triangle between Gale, Katniss and Peeta is ongoing and there are twists, turns and betrayals that you won't see coming. The ending is a cliff hanger that will have you clamoring for the next book now!!
It's also very difficult to review a sequel that gives nothing away from the first book and doesn't reveal any spoilers for the second book. Therefore I will note here that there are spoilers ahead for The Hunger Games, so if you haven't read it yet stop reading here. There will be no spoilers for Catching Fire, just a general review of the story and characters.
***SPOILER SPACE for The Hunger Games***
At the end of Book One Katniss and Peeta have upended the 74th edition of The Hunger Games, placing the Capitol in the position of letting them both be declared winners. Upon returning back to district 12 the two try to pick up their lives, but everything has changed. They are celebrities now and we rejoin their story as they prepare for the Victory Tour through the Twelve Districts. As they make their way through the tour, visiting one district every month, it is clear that there are signs of unrest and rebellion, fueled by Katniss' act of defiance during the last competition. It's seems as though the Capitol and President Snow have not forgotten their stunt either and have planned their revenge; it is an act of retaliation that sends tremors through all of Panem.
To reveal anymore would ruin the book for all. However Collins manages to keep the tension ratcheted up as the 75th Hunger Games begin and we are introduced to more characters to root for and against. The triangle between Gale, Katniss and Peeta is ongoing and there are twists, turns and betrayals that you won't see coming. The ending is a cliff hanger that will have you clamoring for the next book now!!
Life should be good for Katniss Everdeen now: she not only survived and won The Capitol's Hunger Games, she outsmarted the powers that be and saved her fellow player from District Twelve, Peeta. She's rich now, living in a special section reserved for victors of the Games, and her mother and little sister are safe from the hunger that surrounds her community. Even better, she's able to spend her Sundays back in the woods with her best friend Gale, hunting and sharing their special bond. And then The Capitol comes calling for Katniss and Peeta to do their Victory Tour of the other districts and once again, Katniss finds herself in unbelievable danger as she realizes that the government will do anything to make her pay the price for defying them.
Wow. Just Wow. Catching Fire had me from the first pages and didn't let go (and still hasn't). As Katniss and Peeta tour the other districts, they see that there is more oppression out there than they'd realized, and they are unable to stop themselves from speaking out, however subtly, against The Capitol. Of course this doesn't go over well and the pair know they will have to pour on their pretend love affair thickly in hopes that they can repair the damage they've done. It's only when they return home to a very changed District Twelve that it becomes clear that they are going to have to pay the ultimate price.
The characterizations in this novel just got better and better as the story went on, with Katniss and Peeta's relationship deepening significantly. Collins does an outstanding job of making Katniss uncertain to whom her heart belongs as her life is on the line. Haymitch is back as well; his personal demons seem poised to destroy him on the surface, but is he hiding behind them for different reasons than it seems? So many layers, so much going on, all of it unbelievable in its wonderful, riveting awfulness.
The world Suzanne Collins has created in Catching Fire is grim and despicable; yet hope abounds in the symbols of Katniss, Peeta, and a mockingjay pin. With former Games victors mixed into this novel, I could begin to see and understand the desperation that exists on all levels of this dystopian world. With all the action, betrayals, and subterfuge going on, I had to force myself not to gulp this entire book down in one big gorging session. With the final page, my anxiety was still climbing, and I know for a fact it won't be relieved until I hold the next book in the series in my hot little hands. It's that good. This is a not to be missed series for readers of all ages.
Wow. Just Wow. Catching Fire had me from the first pages and didn't let go (and still hasn't). As Katniss and Peeta tour the other districts, they see that there is more oppression out there than they'd realized, and they are unable to stop themselves from speaking out, however subtly, against The Capitol. Of course this doesn't go over well and the pair know they will have to pour on their pretend love affair thickly in hopes that they can repair the damage they've done. It's only when they return home to a very changed District Twelve that it becomes clear that they are going to have to pay the ultimate price.
The characterizations in this novel just got better and better as the story went on, with Katniss and Peeta's relationship deepening significantly. Collins does an outstanding job of making Katniss uncertain to whom her heart belongs as her life is on the line. Haymitch is back as well; his personal demons seem poised to destroy him on the surface, but is he hiding behind them for different reasons than it seems? So many layers, so much going on, all of it unbelievable in its wonderful, riveting awfulness.
The world Suzanne Collins has created in Catching Fire is grim and despicable; yet hope abounds in the symbols of Katniss, Peeta, and a mockingjay pin. With former Games victors mixed into this novel, I could begin to see and understand the desperation that exists on all levels of this dystopian world. With all the action, betrayals, and subterfuge going on, I had to force myself not to gulp this entire book down in one big gorging session. With the final page, my anxiety was still climbing, and I know for a fact it won't be relieved until I hold the next book in the series in my hot little hands. It's that good. This is a not to be missed series for readers of all ages.
Stellar sequel to Hunger Games
I became a huge fan of Suzanne Collins after reading her Gregor the Overlander series. After reading Hunger Games, I was immediately drawn into the world Collins created. I read the book in its entirety in one sitting. I felt the same way while reading Catching Fire. Collins is such a skillful and talented writer, in that she provides an escape from the real world and into her own. Catching Fire captures your heart and makes you linger in anticipation for the final installment. My friends and I had many long discussions of our theories for the next book. I can't wait!!!
Suzanne Collins has done it again! I thought Hunger Games would be hard to beat, but Catching Fire has done it. Once again I could not put this book down once I began. Even a slight break had me wondering when I could pick it up next. Definitely a series, and author, to get addicted to! High, intense drama around every turn.
Its been days since I finished reading Catching Fire and Im still reeling over some of the events that took place in it. To say the least Collins has truly created another masterpiece that rates as high as its predecessor. Once again we enter the book right as the action starts, Katness is unwittingly at the forefront of war between the districts and the Capital and all too soon realizes that maybe there is no way out. Following Katniss and Peeta through this book very much puts the range of your emotions to the test. I wont really give anything away however when I found out about the Capital's wine glasses I balked in disgust, when I learned about the Quarter Quell I felt shock and despaired, when Peeta wow'd the crowd at the interview I laughed and actually slapped my knee, I even hoped against hope that maybe the interview could bring change, and even the ending, which I somewhat felt was expected, was enough to have me sitting there looking at the page for a time afterwards. However the last emotion I felt was slight annoyance and anticipation. Catching Fire ends in a similar fashion to the Hunger Games. You get to the last page, blink, look over the book/internet for some clue or hint on the next book and then settle down knowing you have no choice but to once again wait. So while I highly recommend this book with five stars (I would give it more if I could) I caution you a) once you start reading this book putting it down becomes a battle of wills and b) Once your finished, the book is finished for now. You will have joined the group of us who wait for the third book and hope in it some justice will be dealt out to the Capital.
The Hunger Games was just the beginning of this Phenomenal trilogy. The first book was a thrilling, adrenaline pumping, heart-pounding novel. I read it in just two days. The Hunger Games is about a futuristic country called Panem, where there is a beautiful Capital and twelve outlining districts. The Capital is cruel and they force each district to send two children, one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen to the Capital to fight in the annual Hunger Games. Of the twenty-four tributes only one can survive. The main characters in this series are Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the two tributes from the impoverished Disrict 12. They are both allowed to win the 74th annual Hunger Games by deceiving the Capital with their fake love for each other.
Catching Fire is about the outcome of them winning the Games. It starts off with them having to go on the cruel Victory Tour, they have to travel to each of the twelve districts, who are forced to celebrate them winning the Games even though Katniss and Peeta may have personally killed that district's tributes. The President of Panem, Snow, knows that Katniss and Peeta have deceived him and his people, and he wants revenge. You may be shocked at what he has in mind.
Catching Fire is just as action-packed and heart-poundingg as the first. The book has surprises at almost every turn. If you thought the first book had a cliffhanger ending, you will certainly be left open mouthed and cursing for book 3 at the end of this one.
Catching Fire is about the outcome of them winning the Games. It starts off with them having to go on the cruel Victory Tour, they have to travel to each of the twelve districts, who are forced to celebrate them winning the Games even though Katniss and Peeta may have personally killed that district's tributes. The President of Panem, Snow, knows that Katniss and Peeta have deceived him and his people, and he wants revenge. You may be shocked at what he has in mind.
Catching Fire is just as action-packed and heart-poundingg as the first. The book has surprises at almost every turn. If you thought the first book had a cliffhanger ending, you will certainly be left open mouthed and cursing for book 3 at the end of this one.
The Hunger Games was easily my favorite book of all times, so when I got my hands on Catching Fire, I was both full of anticipation, and wariness. Could this sequel hold water compared to it's powerful predecessor, could it hold a candle to the burning beginning of our amazing tale?
It could, by god, it could. Catching Fire was as good, if not better, as the Hunger Games. Just as stunning, just as powerful, just as shocking.
Shocking. The best way to describe Suzanne Collins style in my opinion. Every turn of the page, there was a different emotion. Horror, intriguement, depression, whimsicality, and a charade of more complex feelings and thoughts. Words leapt off the page, made me yelp, made me cry, made me smile, made me angry at this or that character.
Suzanne Collins' writing style is that powerful, that it can easily toy with your emotions, adding to the affect of the book. An affect, one of horror at the Capital, and one of shared bravery and struggles with the main character, that's added to by the powerful story line. A story that's hard to forget, hard to walk away from.
When you put this book down, you'll still see it. You'll still be amazed about every single twist and turn, still be so enthralled with Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the new comers in this story. When you put it down, all you'll have left is the lust for the next book, wonderment as to where the story will go.
It's just that good.
Catching Fire is easily the best book I have ever read, and if I was every to write something, I would wish for the gift of a style similar to Collins. I just can't get over how well it's worded, how every statement has me reeling.
Tell you what, I definitely recommend it.
It could, by god, it could. Catching Fire was as good, if not better, as the Hunger Games. Just as stunning, just as powerful, just as shocking.
Shocking. The best way to describe Suzanne Collins style in my opinion. Every turn of the page, there was a different emotion. Horror, intriguement, depression, whimsicality, and a charade of more complex feelings and thoughts. Words leapt off the page, made me yelp, made me cry, made me smile, made me angry at this or that character.
Suzanne Collins' writing style is that powerful, that it can easily toy with your emotions, adding to the affect of the book. An affect, one of horror at the Capital, and one of shared bravery and struggles with the main character, that's added to by the powerful story line. A story that's hard to forget, hard to walk away from.
When you put this book down, you'll still see it. You'll still be amazed about every single twist and turn, still be so enthralled with Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the new comers in this story. When you put it down, all you'll have left is the lust for the next book, wonderment as to where the story will go.
It's just that good.
Catching Fire is easily the best book I have ever read, and if I was every to write something, I would wish for the gift of a style similar to Collins. I just can't get over how well it's worded, how every statement has me reeling.
Tell you what, I definitely recommend it.
Not as good as the first, but ok
I was a little disappointed to be honest. For one thing, you supposed to like the main character right? Katniss became really annoying. I felt like Collins went from being my favorite storyteller to incompetent at times. Instead of trying something new, like I hoped she would, she basically tried the same old stunts from the first book. Overall, it there as nothing new. I waited for her to switch things up a little, like having haymitch go in and peeta trying to keep katniss alive from the outside, but no, predictable situations.
I am basically giving it four stars because the first one was so good. Yep, its like caryover points. I hated the ending with the whole haymitch has been in on some resistance group. I hate those kind of re-writes of characters. It is a garbage attempt to give haymitch some other identity that we know as readers was bogus and the writer invented suddenly at the end of the second book. Gale comes off as annoying, peeta comes off as so weak, and katniss as the most annoying main character i have ever read. Hopefully collins can rescue her failing storyline in the third book.
I am basically giving it four stars because the first one was so good. Yep, its like caryover points. I hated the ending with the whole haymitch has been in on some resistance group. I hate those kind of re-writes of characters. It is a garbage attempt to give haymitch some other identity that we know as readers was bogus and the writer invented suddenly at the end of the second book. Gale comes off as annoying, peeta comes off as so weak, and katniss as the most annoying main character i have ever read. Hopefully collins can rescue her failing storyline in the third book.
Repititive, unnessecary love triangle and a whiny Katniss
Let me first start on the supposedly love triangle in this book. In the first book, we only have a few pages of Katniss talking to her best friend Gale (few meaning, maybe around 5 pages or so). We then completely forget about Gale in the first book and we get a lot of Peeta instead. Now in the second book, Katniss is suddenly saying she wants Gale, and doesn't want anyone else to have him, and how could she be so blind and never see it before? Blahblahblah, we still see Gale only in flashbacks (yes .. flashbacks), and on another few pages. The rest is still Peeta.
Now I'm supposed to be rooting for Katniss and Gale? What kind of love triangle is this? Not only do I loathe love triangles, this one is just pathetically written. We barely see Gale, yet we're supposed to believe Katniss really cares for him. Then we're supposed to believe that Peeta loves Katniss, even though she's a selfish, whiny girl who would kill him if it ever suited her.
Katniss became very whiny and selfish in this book. She lost her spunk from the first book, the one where she didn't care she was being honest to herself and kill anyone she'd like. Now she's telling herself that she needs to save her family! Because otherwise they'd be killed, because of her! She muses about Gale and the complications of a relationship with him. Then she talks about running away, like a big fat coward. Then she needs to make sure Peeta stays alive, not because she likes/loves him, but because she owes him big time. Ugh, this whiny selfish girl was really annoying to read about the entire time. Where did Katniss go from the first book?
Then there's the Quarter Quell (or something), just another Hunger Games in disguise. Katniss and Peeta are thrown into the Quarter Quell because the author has lost any ideas for the plot, and guesses, hey the first book did so well, let's throw them back in there! It was horrible. It wasn't exciting like the first book. The first book made you very aware of Katniss's weaknesses, and that she needed water and food constantly, and be on the look out of other tributes. This quarter quell is about nothing but gaining allies (that she didn't want anyway), she gets weapons first before water, and water and food are easily thrown in her lap because of the sponsors. The only threat they really have, is the actual Gamemakers trying to kill them with monsters/lightning etc. The quarter quell also happens in the third part of the book, so it's written as if the author was in a rush, and it really feels sloppy.
Now ... those were the annoying parts of the book. Which brought it down to a 3 star rating. The pathetic love triangle, the whiny main character, and the sloppy written Quarter Quell.
The best part of the book is easily Peeta, he makes reading this whole thing worth it. He's the most sympathetic and honest character in the whole book. You can't help but root for him, but you have to wonder what a great guy like him, sees something in the whiny and selfish girl Katniss. He still loves her, and would give his life for her ... for some reason. Even so, Peeta is the light and heart of this story. Without him, all we'd be reading about are unsympathetic characters who are trying to overthrow the capitol. Like Katniss says, he's good with words, and he is. Reading about Peeta definitely makes everything feel lighthearted and safe, because Peeta protects everyone and is the big, lovable guy in the bunch.
Then there's the rebels trying to overthrow the capitol. It starts very ... very slowly in the beginning. If you weed out the whining of the main character, you can see that the districts are trying to stand up against the capitol, but because they are all separated, none of the districts know about the others trying to rebel. There's a lot of corrupt politicians involved, and people working undercover. Katniss's symbol, the Mockingjay, has now become the rebel's symbol. For some reason, Katniss has become the starting point of the rebels, and she is now the anchor to the overthrow. I don't know why, as Katniss really is nothing special, I'd figured Peeta would be the one who wins people to his side, not Katniss.
Either way, Catching Fire is just a bridge book between the first and last. I really want to know what happens next, as I expect the capitol to go down, a few characters get killed, and I'm hoping to god that the author decides to throw away the silly love triangle, and just decide on Katniss's partner already (or none, as that would suit her more). Catching Fire is just something to read for fans of the first book, so that they can wait until the third one comes out.
Had Catching Fire ever stood alone as a single book, I would have undoubtedly given this a 1, as this feels so incomplete, rushed, and filled with characters who are such backstabbing bastards and really don't invoke any sympathy in me. However, I give it a 3 star rating because it continues to the story of the first book, and Peeta is still in there to save the story. Let's just hope he'll be int he third book as well.
Now I'm supposed to be rooting for Katniss and Gale? What kind of love triangle is this? Not only do I loathe love triangles, this one is just pathetically written. We barely see Gale, yet we're supposed to believe Katniss really cares for him. Then we're supposed to believe that Peeta loves Katniss, even though she's a selfish, whiny girl who would kill him if it ever suited her.
Katniss became very whiny and selfish in this book. She lost her spunk from the first book, the one where she didn't care she was being honest to herself and kill anyone she'd like. Now she's telling herself that she needs to save her family! Because otherwise they'd be killed, because of her! She muses about Gale and the complications of a relationship with him. Then she talks about running away, like a big fat coward. Then she needs to make sure Peeta stays alive, not because she likes/loves him, but because she owes him big time. Ugh, this whiny selfish girl was really annoying to read about the entire time. Where did Katniss go from the first book?
Then there's the Quarter Quell (or something), just another Hunger Games in disguise. Katniss and Peeta are thrown into the Quarter Quell because the author has lost any ideas for the plot, and guesses, hey the first book did so well, let's throw them back in there! It was horrible. It wasn't exciting like the first book. The first book made you very aware of Katniss's weaknesses, and that she needed water and food constantly, and be on the look out of other tributes. This quarter quell is about nothing but gaining allies (that she didn't want anyway), she gets weapons first before water, and water and food are easily thrown in her lap because of the sponsors. The only threat they really have, is the actual Gamemakers trying to kill them with monsters/lightning etc. The quarter quell also happens in the third part of the book, so it's written as if the author was in a rush, and it really feels sloppy.
Now ... those were the annoying parts of the book. Which brought it down to a 3 star rating. The pathetic love triangle, the whiny main character, and the sloppy written Quarter Quell.
The best part of the book is easily Peeta, he makes reading this whole thing worth it. He's the most sympathetic and honest character in the whole book. You can't help but root for him, but you have to wonder what a great guy like him, sees something in the whiny and selfish girl Katniss. He still loves her, and would give his life for her ... for some reason. Even so, Peeta is the light and heart of this story. Without him, all we'd be reading about are unsympathetic characters who are trying to overthrow the capitol. Like Katniss says, he's good with words, and he is. Reading about Peeta definitely makes everything feel lighthearted and safe, because Peeta protects everyone and is the big, lovable guy in the bunch.
Then there's the rebels trying to overthrow the capitol. It starts very ... very slowly in the beginning. If you weed out the whining of the main character, you can see that the districts are trying to stand up against the capitol, but because they are all separated, none of the districts know about the others trying to rebel. There's a lot of corrupt politicians involved, and people working undercover. Katniss's symbol, the Mockingjay, has now become the rebel's symbol. For some reason, Katniss has become the starting point of the rebels, and she is now the anchor to the overthrow. I don't know why, as Katniss really is nothing special, I'd figured Peeta would be the one who wins people to his side, not Katniss.
Either way, Catching Fire is just a bridge book between the first and last. I really want to know what happens next, as I expect the capitol to go down, a few characters get killed, and I'm hoping to god that the author decides to throw away the silly love triangle, and just decide on Katniss's partner already (or none, as that would suit her more). Catching Fire is just something to read for fans of the first book, so that they can wait until the third one comes out.
Had Catching Fire ever stood alone as a single book, I would have undoubtedly given this a 1, as this feels so incomplete, rushed, and filled with characters who are such backstabbing bastards and really don't invoke any sympathy in me. However, I give it a 3 star rating because it continues to the story of the first book, and Peeta is still in there to save the story. Let's just hope he'll be int he third book as well.
More of the Hunger Games that you know you wanted
Below is an excerpt of my full review of The Hunger Games trilogy:
Grim only begins to describe the life people live in the districts. Some people are better off than others, but deaths caused by starvation are regularly occurring events, stealing or going outside the district's fence results in death, and a boy and a girl from ages 12 to 18 are selected for events where the more brutality involved, the more entertaining the event for its viewers. Flip to Capitol life and people live an exotic life of luxury with capable technology reminiscent of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The most entertaining part was definitely during two of The Hunger Games and the assault on the Capitol late in Mockingjay. I kept wondering how Catching Fire would end and was treated to something pleasantly unexpected. When things are looking bad near the end of Mockingjay, the unrestrained inhumanity of a few strikes a devastating blow that are a bit mind blowing.
Mockingjay`s ending was pretty good, but it felt a little rushed. Without revealing too much, I think that Collins could have incorporated the last major event a bit better in earlier chapters rather than have it come up at the end of one of the final ones. It caused quite a stir given what followed, but bits and pieces could have made it more of a guessing game throughout the final book. I suppose that is where young adult fiction separates itself from adult fiction, maintaining a slightly devious plot rather than one with many twists and turns. The love triangle felt a little weak at times due to Katniss' ineptitude towards romance for either character that were vying for her affection. It did not help that Katniss, who has zero experience with romance, instantly turned into an A class actor by being a star struck lover with Peeta. Most of the interaction was not bad because it did not feel like petty teenage drama, but Katniss could deliver when there was a crowd, yet not when it really mattered in terms of the love story.
The Hunger Games trilogy is very entertaining and I can easily see why it is so popular. I did not care for the entire series being in the first person from beginning to end, so with the movie that will soon be produced, I hope they are not bogged down by the love story and Katniss only and instead give more spotlight time to other characters that had a hand in propelling the books forward, like Rue, Haymitch, Finnick, Beetee, Coin and even President Snow.
Grim only begins to describe the life people live in the districts. Some people are better off than others, but deaths caused by starvation are regularly occurring events, stealing or going outside the district's fence results in death, and a boy and a girl from ages 12 to 18 are selected for events where the more brutality involved, the more entertaining the event for its viewers. Flip to Capitol life and people live an exotic life of luxury with capable technology reminiscent of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The most entertaining part was definitely during two of The Hunger Games and the assault on the Capitol late in Mockingjay. I kept wondering how Catching Fire would end and was treated to something pleasantly unexpected. When things are looking bad near the end of Mockingjay, the unrestrained inhumanity of a few strikes a devastating blow that are a bit mind blowing.
Mockingjay`s ending was pretty good, but it felt a little rushed. Without revealing too much, I think that Collins could have incorporated the last major event a bit better in earlier chapters rather than have it come up at the end of one of the final ones. It caused quite a stir given what followed, but bits and pieces could have made it more of a guessing game throughout the final book. I suppose that is where young adult fiction separates itself from adult fiction, maintaining a slightly devious plot rather than one with many twists and turns. The love triangle felt a little weak at times due to Katniss' ineptitude towards romance for either character that were vying for her affection. It did not help that Katniss, who has zero experience with romance, instantly turned into an A class actor by being a star struck lover with Peeta. Most of the interaction was not bad because it did not feel like petty teenage drama, but Katniss could deliver when there was a crowd, yet not when it really mattered in terms of the love story.
The Hunger Games trilogy is very entertaining and I can easily see why it is so popular. I did not care for the entire series being in the first person from beginning to end, so with the movie that will soon be produced, I hope they are not bogged down by the love story and Katniss only and instead give more spotlight time to other characters that had a hand in propelling the books forward, like Rue, Haymitch, Finnick, Beetee, Coin and even President Snow.
CATCHING FIRE begins awhile after THE HUNGER GAMES ends. Katniss has developed a new routine, providing for her and Gale's families with both her winnings and her hunting, as well as trying to bring more prosperity to District 12 by spreading her money around. But while Katniss would enjoy fading into obscurity, the world doesn't want to forget about her. So she receives a visit from the President, telling her to ramp up the silly-girl-in-love act while on tour with Peeta . . . or else.
Suzanne Collins knows how to move a story along. She adds a bevy of new characters to those already established, but I never felt lost. I do feel worried that I'll never know the exact fate of some of these characters, which will probably make me think terrible things happened to them. The government is worried about rebellion, so it's a bad time to show any spark. And though Katniss tries to keep her head down, her actions keep igniting the people.
I don't think I would like this series as much if it were from Peeta's point-of-view. I like Katniss's coldness. She's a good person, but she's also ruthless and practical. She lacks political savvy, but her other survival instincts are dead on. It would be very easy to hate Katniss from another POV, but it's hard not to sympathize with her while inside her head. Her own qualities also allow her to appreciate the qualities that make other Hunger Games survivors formidable, if sometimes unpleasant and dangerous.
Collins is brilliant at humanizing her characters, even the ones that oppose the protagonists. However, their main opponent, President Snow, is somewhat disappointing. He's just evil, with no attempt at roundness. I want to know what makes him tick, since he's at the root of everything. I know Collins can deliver more with him, so I hope to see that in the conclusion.
I also hope to see more of the rebellion. My main problem with Collins is I feel she has a tendency to take the easy way out.
While CATCHING FIRE is a children's book, the violence might be a bit extreme for the under-ten crowd. Collins ramps it up even more, and some scenes even made me a little queasy - and believe me, I've read some sick stuff. The premise pretty much guarantees it's going to be a violent novel, but it never hurts to give an extra warning.
Despite my quibbles, CATCHING FIRE is a wonderful book. I have no doubt that everyone who enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES will find the sequel as engaging. I also encourage fans watch or read BATTLE ROYALE, which uses a similar premise but emphasizes different themes, particularly exploitation.
From In Bed With Books
Suzanne Collins knows how to move a story along. She adds a bevy of new characters to those already established, but I never felt lost. I do feel worried that I'll never know the exact fate of some of these characters, which will probably make me think terrible things happened to them. The government is worried about rebellion, so it's a bad time to show any spark. And though Katniss tries to keep her head down, her actions keep igniting the people.
I don't think I would like this series as much if it were from Peeta's point-of-view. I like Katniss's coldness. She's a good person, but she's also ruthless and practical. She lacks political savvy, but her other survival instincts are dead on. It would be very easy to hate Katniss from another POV, but it's hard not to sympathize with her while inside her head. Her own qualities also allow her to appreciate the qualities that make other Hunger Games survivors formidable, if sometimes unpleasant and dangerous.
Collins is brilliant at humanizing her characters, even the ones that oppose the protagonists. However, their main opponent, President Snow, is somewhat disappointing. He's just evil, with no attempt at roundness. I want to know what makes him tick, since he's at the root of everything. I know Collins can deliver more with him, so I hope to see that in the conclusion.
I also hope to see more of the rebellion. My main problem with Collins is I feel she has a tendency to take the easy way out.
While CATCHING FIRE is a children's book, the violence might be a bit extreme for the under-ten crowd. Collins ramps it up even more, and some scenes even made me a little queasy - and believe me, I've read some sick stuff. The premise pretty much guarantees it's going to be a violent novel, but it never hurts to give an extra warning.
Despite my quibbles, CATCHING FIRE is a wonderful book. I have no doubt that everyone who enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES will find the sequel as engaging. I also encourage fans watch or read BATTLE ROYALE, which uses a similar premise but emphasizes different themes, particularly exploitation.
From In Bed With Books
It seems to me that the most difficult thing about writing a trilogy must be in striking a coherent balance between the three books. Too often it seems as if the trilogy is actually written up as one very long novel and then broken up into three parts almost as an afterthought resulting in all three books feeling entirely too dependent upon each other to ever feel like strong individual novels. The Hunger Games trilogy is not in any way exempt from this problem, but it does manage better than most.
While the first novel stood perfectly well on it's own, Catching Fire often feels like the first part of a larger novel. It spends a great deal of time setting up a lot of plot threads most of which, in the end, haven't quite come together thus merely serving to set the stage for the final novel in the trilogy. That said, it's still an excellent read and does a great deal to expand upon both the strengths and weaknesses of the first book.
In general, Catching Fire is a faster-paced and inevitably more rewarding read than the first novel, as it concentrates much more on giving life and depth to the number of secondary characters both new and old as well as continuing the excellent world-building begun in the first novel without spending a lot of time re-hashing old information. As before, the story is told solely from Katniss' point of view and thus the motivations and goals or other characters are shrouded in mystery throughout which lends a great deal of tension and suspense that wouldn't be there otherwise.
The story picks up a few months after the end of The Hunger Games just before Katniss and Peeta are meant to begin their tour of the Districts as champions. From there things only go from bad to worse as Katniss' actions during the Hunger Games come back to bite her right in the ass thus endangering everyone and everything she holds dear. Saying too much more about it would spoil the ride and, believe me, you'll have a lot more fun with the book the less you know going in.
One thing I will say though is that just as Catching Fire capitalizes on the many strengths of The Hunger Games, it also proves to really push one of the major weaknesses into the forefront. That weakness being the execution of the romantic sub-plot as it concerns the rather limp love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. What makes this romantic conflict, in my mind, fail on just about every level is the almost complete lack of development of Gale as a character. As he only appears in either book for very limited periods of time, most of what the reader knows about him is told rather than shown. Thus as the story moves forward it becomes more and more difficult to identify with and understand Katniss' underlying distress in regards to her feelings for Gale and how they conflict with her feelings for Peeta. Often the conflict feels completely unnecessary, especially when Katniss has worked out several very solid reasons why she doesn't want to romantically involved with anyone at all thus providing quite enough conflict without the triangle.
But, to be fair, at the end of the day the romantic conflict is just a sub-plot and the main focus of the novel is on the fallout of the games and the stirrings of rebellion within the districts. So really, my complaint is a minor one in the grand scheme of things. Catching Fire is a hell of a fun read with an fantastic mixture of adventure, romance and intrigue. The themes, while mature, are never so mature that I would feel uncomfortable in recommending the series for teenagers as well as adults. Overall, I found Catching Fire to be well worth both my time and money which is a lot more than I can say about most books these days. If you've read The Hunger Games, I highly recommend picking it up.
While the first novel stood perfectly well on it's own, Catching Fire often feels like the first part of a larger novel. It spends a great deal of time setting up a lot of plot threads most of which, in the end, haven't quite come together thus merely serving to set the stage for the final novel in the trilogy. That said, it's still an excellent read and does a great deal to expand upon both the strengths and weaknesses of the first book.
In general, Catching Fire is a faster-paced and inevitably more rewarding read than the first novel, as it concentrates much more on giving life and depth to the number of secondary characters both new and old as well as continuing the excellent world-building begun in the first novel without spending a lot of time re-hashing old information. As before, the story is told solely from Katniss' point of view and thus the motivations and goals or other characters are shrouded in mystery throughout which lends a great deal of tension and suspense that wouldn't be there otherwise.
The story picks up a few months after the end of The Hunger Games just before Katniss and Peeta are meant to begin their tour of the Districts as champions. From there things only go from bad to worse as Katniss' actions during the Hunger Games come back to bite her right in the ass thus endangering everyone and everything she holds dear. Saying too much more about it would spoil the ride and, believe me, you'll have a lot more fun with the book the less you know going in.
One thing I will say though is that just as Catching Fire capitalizes on the many strengths of The Hunger Games, it also proves to really push one of the major weaknesses into the forefront. That weakness being the execution of the romantic sub-plot as it concerns the rather limp love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. What makes this romantic conflict, in my mind, fail on just about every level is the almost complete lack of development of Gale as a character. As he only appears in either book for very limited periods of time, most of what the reader knows about him is told rather than shown. Thus as the story moves forward it becomes more and more difficult to identify with and understand Katniss' underlying distress in regards to her feelings for Gale and how they conflict with her feelings for Peeta. Often the conflict feels completely unnecessary, especially when Katniss has worked out several very solid reasons why she doesn't want to romantically involved with anyone at all thus providing quite enough conflict without the triangle.
But, to be fair, at the end of the day the romantic conflict is just a sub-plot and the main focus of the novel is on the fallout of the games and the stirrings of rebellion within the districts. So really, my complaint is a minor one in the grand scheme of things. Catching Fire is a hell of a fun read with an fantastic mixture of adventure, romance and intrigue. The themes, while mature, are never so mature that I would feel uncomfortable in recommending the series for teenagers as well as adults. Overall, I found Catching Fire to be well worth both my time and money which is a lot more than I can say about most books these days. If you've read The Hunger Games, I highly recommend picking it up.
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The highly-anticipated sequel to The Hunger Games is the kind of novel that has you pulling back to take a breath and go, "How did the author think of this?" (if you can stop turning the pages long enough to breathe)
Catching Fire picks up right where Hunger Games left off. Unrest in the Districts is growing at an alarming pace and Katniss unwittingly finds herself the figurehead for the movement against the Capitol. The characters you loved return for the sequel and the reader must endure each indignity the Capitol inflicts upon them. It is painful, tortuous, imaginative and motivating. It is everything The Hunger Games was and more. It both answers your lingering questions and creates so many new ones. It challenges you to think and creates such feelings of empathy for the characters that whenever I had to put the book down, I was genuinely worried for leaving the characters hanging and couldn't wait to pick it back up just so they could continue fighting for their lives and freedoms.
Everything I loved about The Hunger Games is present in Catching Fire: the unique and engrossing storyline; characters so thoroughly and beautifully described they start to feel like friends; a fantastical setting that is both real and sad; and language that is easy to read and yet conveys such a profound meaning. It has action, romance, horror, hope, despair and, most of all, humanity. It has sci-fi and politics yet, unlike a lot of books on the market, they are not "in your face" and are completely approachable.
Due to elements of violence and some light romantic scenes, I would recommend it for 13+. That being said, I would recommend it for ANYONE 13+ of any reading taste or background: as a bookseller and a recent library school graduate, these are the books I find easiest to recommend to anyone I meet.
I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the third and final book to come out. After reading Catching Fire, I know you will be too.