Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Release date: September 1, 2009

WARNING: Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games. This review contains spoilers to the previous book in the series. If you haven't read The Hunger Games (and WHY haven't you?), you might want to stop reading this review.

Last word first: Absolutely fantastic. I loved every minute and I'm still living it in my head. You must read this. 5/5

Would Joe like this? Joe LOVED it.

Description: Using a dangerous gambit, Katniss and Peeta have become the first dual winners in the history of the Hunger Games. They have embarrassed the President and the Capitol, and they know retribution will come, sooner or later. Meanwhile, seeds of rebellion are growing in the oppressed districts and Katniss needs to decide where she stands. Can she find the courage to join in the fight? Will she even live long enough to decide?

My thoughts: I forced myself to read this book slowly, over the course of three days, because I just couldn't stand that it had to end. WOW. Given how much I loved The Hunger Games I didn't think it was possible for Catching Fire to live up to my expectations, but it exceeded them. In all my speculations on where Collins was going to take Katniss and Peeta, I didn't even get close. I'm going to try very hard to stay away from any spoilers here.

First off, this book managed to continue the adrenaline level of the Hunger Games far more successfully than I would have thought was possible. It does start off a little slowly, with Katniss and Peeta preparing to take their victory tour around the districts. The pace kicks up a few notches when they discover that their act of contempt toward the Capitol has had more of an effect, in more places, than they could have imagined. Katniss needs to decide- will she attempt to protect herself and her family, or allow herself to become the figurehead of a much-needed rebellion?

Peeta a much fuller role in this book. Now that he realizes Katniss was only pretending to be in love with him in order to win the Games, how will he treat her? As they find themselves together in a new fight for their lives and the lives of their families, Katniss and Peeta must rely on each other again. The tension between Katniss's desire for self-preservation vs. her desire to protect her friend is almost unbearable, especially as she is again serving as the narrator and the reader is hearing her thoughts.

I have so much admiration for Collin's writing. When I am reading this book, I am actually with Katniss as she's going through her struggles. One of my favorite parts of The Hunger Games was the way it played with my mind and my sympathies, and the same type of conflict goes on in Catching Fire. I couldn't just pick one character to cheer for. I wanted Katniss to be OK, but there were so many others that I just knew couldn't make it. Beyond the excitement, Catching Fire explores deeper issues like social responsibility and the effects of normalized violence on teens and young adults. Honestly, the book is still playing in my mind weeks after reading it.

If, for some reason, all the rave reviews for this book and its prequel have failed to sway you, I will add my voice to the clamor. READ THIS BOOK! PREORDER THIS BOOK! I cannot recommend Catching Fire enough.

Suzanne Collins, on her influences for The Hunger Games series: "Other early influences would have to include watching too many gladiator movies which dramatized the Romans' flair for turning executions into popular entertainment, my military specialist dad who took us to battlefields for family vacations, and touring with a sword fighting company in high school. But it wasn't until the much more recent experience of channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage that the story for this series came to me." (borrowed from the Scholastic website)

Second opinions: Presenting Lenore - Angieville -