Review Wednesday: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE HUNGER GAMES. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about The Hunger Games by clicking on the link: Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)

Author: Suzanne Collins

1st Date of Publication: September 1, 2009

ISBN: 9780439023498
# of Pages: 391

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Age Rating: 15+ (Violence and Child Cruelty)

Buy on Amazon

Book Description:

SPARKS ARE IGNITING.

FLAMES ARE SPREADING.

AND THE CAPITAL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Katniss is about to be tested as never before.

Setting: Panem (United States in the future)
Point of View: 1st person- Katniss Everdeen

Goodreads Rating: 4.29

My Rating: 4.75

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The bird in this one has no arrow but it looks like it is ready to take flight. Also, those lines look very intentional and specific.
View on Title: What is catching fire? Could it be Katniss? The Capitol? The districts?

Pros:

• I feel like the first book is full of so much world-building that you don't see as much of Katniss' growth as you can see it here. There is still some more world-building when it comes to seeing the other districts outside of District 12, but it's more character development and plot development that you see in this installment.
• The twists and turns of this entire book were so good, which is why Catching Fire is my favorite book in the trilogy. I thought the arena was absolutely clever in how Suzanne Collins structured it. The part that really intrigued me was how much the other victors truly hated the Capitol. It makes sense but the things they do and say when they go through their pre-arena process. I liked being able to see Katniss' growth as she gets to know and work with the other victor tributes.
• And boy, that ending! I never saw that coming when I first read the series, but I won't give that away.
• I think this book and series deserves all the praise it gets. It's usually one of the first book series I recommend to people who want to get into reading because it takes you for a wild ride.

Cons:

• I think the star crossed lovers piece in this book is much easier to swallow because you start to see that it may not be entirely fake on either end. Peeta definitely softens Katniss' rough edges and you can see that through her time in both arenas with him.
• I think there is too much focus on the love triangle here. Although the first few times I've read this series I was all Team Gale, as I get older I have become much more Team Peeta. I think it was Gale's boldness I liked but realized it's more of a boldness out of hatred of the Capitol rather than a real boldness for Katniss. Sure, Peeta never said anything to Katniss until their reaping and (coincidentally) found that the last time he could express his true feelings was then.

Critics' Reviews:

"Whereas Katniss kills with finesse, Collins writes with raw power." —Time Magazine

"Collins has done that rare thing. She has written a sequel that improves upon the first book." —The New York Times Book Review

Suzanne Collins's Website:

http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

 

Other Recommendations:
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Maze Runner by James Asher
The Selection by Kiera Cass