Review: "Catching Fire"

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA Adventure/Science Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.Pub. Date: September 2009
ISBN-13: 9780439023498
Pages: 400
Series: Hunger Games Series, Book #2

Summary (B&N):

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.

One of my Favorite Quotes:

"No one really needs me," he says, and there's no self-pity in his voice. It's true his family doesn't need him. They will mourn him, as will a handful of friends. But they will go on. Even Haymitch, with the help of a lot of white liquor, will get on. I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.
"I do," I say. "I need you." He looks upset, takes a deep breath, as if to begin a long argument, and that's no good, no good at all, because he'll start going on about Prim and my mother and everything and I'll just get confused. So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss.

Copyright 2009, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. (Page 352)

My Review:

Last year, The Hunger Games received high ratings from fans all over. Then we spent what seemed like an eternity waiting, anxiously, for the sequel. Finally, it's here-- and believe me, it's just as amazing, if not even a tiny bit more so, than her first novel! Suzanne Collins does a brilliant job at creating a rich, detailed world, while telling a brutally honest story, not one that's sugar coated and perfect.

Catching Fire continues the story of Katniss and Peeta, the first dual winners of the deadly Hunger Games. Now that they're 'safely' out of the arena, no longer having to fight for their very life, you'd think they'd be able to live out the rest of their life in peace, right? Wrong!
The Capitol realizes that their control over the various districts is slowly being tested, pushed to the limits, and it's all because of Katniss and Peeta's defiance in the arena. As the districts start to rise up against the Capitol, they realize that they need to get rid of the 'spark' that started it all-- Katniss. But how, without alerting the citizens of their plot?
Enter the 'surprise' rules for the 75th anniversary Hunger Games! The only names added to the reaping will be the surviving tributes from previous games, one male and one female from each district. Which, naturally, means it's back into the arena for Katniss and Peeta-- and they both know that the Capitol has no plans for allowing them to come back out alive, especially Katniss.
I won't go into too many details, I really don't want to ruin the book for fellow fans out there. But I will say that Collin manages to throw new twists and turns into Catching Fire just when you least expect it! And the characters are just as intense and unique as they were before-- along with the relationship between our two favorite winners.
The one thing that bothered me is I wish Katniss would wake up and realize that Peeta's the guy for her. As nice as Gale as, there's no fire, no real connection between them in the story. Sure, she speaks fondly of their childhood, but since the beginning of book one, Collins has shown us more of Peeta than Gale, and personally I can't say that I'm upset about it. But that's a whole other story--- and one that we'll just have to wait until the next book to figure out for sure!

Overall:

5/5 STARS! A wonderful, action packed novel that's even better than the first one, Catching Fire has everything in it, from witty characters and dialogue to intense suspense and adventure. And let's not forget the love triangle going on between poor Gale, Katniss, and Peeta! In other words, easily one of the BEST YA series ever! What are you waiting for? Enter the terrifying yet interesting world of Panem today!

Interesting in buying your own copy of Catching Fire? Check out Amazon, B&N, or Borders!

Enjoy,






Until Next Time,
I do not claim the rights to the quote excerpt listed above!