Catching Fire

Hello avid readers! So today I was looking at my blog and noticed that I have made a mistake. My July review that was titled Catching Fire and had the picture of Catching Fire was really The Hunger Games. Don't worry the information was correct and I adjusted the post to display the correct title and picture. But it got me thinking that I haven't reviewed the second book in the Hunger Games series (titled Catching Fire) so my error turned into a review!

Characters: Katniss Everdeen: co-winner of the Hunger Games/member of District 12/a threat to the Capitol's power
Peeta Mellark: co-winner of the Hunger Games with Katniss/in love with Katniss/is trying to protect his family from the Capitol's wrath
Haymitch Abernathy: mentor of Katniss and Peeta/trying to keep the Capitol's agents from hurting the new champions/has a secret agenda
Gale: Katniss's best friend/contemplates resisting the Capitol/is also in love with Katniss
President Snow: President of the Capitol/trying to quell the resistance/threatened by Katniss Everdeen

The Plot: Catching Fire picks up almost exactly where The Hunger Games left off. Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12 and are poised for a life of luxury. Or so they thought. On the eve of their cross country tour in order to show off the new Hunger Games champions, Katniss gets a surprise visit from President Snow. His threatening arrival reveals to Katniss in her heart which she already knew: rebellion against the Captiol's wicked ways have begun, and at the center of it, her defiant gesture against the Captiol at the end of the games. The only way that Katniss can save herself, her family and all of District 12 is to prove to the world that she did what she did because she loved Peeta and couldn't bear to live without him. But as Katniss goes on her Victory Tour, she must face the truth about the Capitol, about Peeta, and about how far she will go to save what she loves most.

What I liked: Catching Fire was a fantastic sequel to The Hunger Games. Often, it is hard for sequels to live up to their predecessors but in this instance, this was not the case. Collins spun a flawless tale of deception, resistance, love, violence and self-realization that cannot compare to other novels out in the market. Part of the reason that Catching Fire was so great, at least in my mind, was because it seemed as if Collins had a plan. Too often, sequels are thought of after the original is published because the author wants to drain the last coin out of a dying series (Shrek anyone?). However, in this case, I felt as if the entire time Suzanne Collins knew exactly what she was doing. Every detail was meticulously planned, like the encounter with Rue's parents and it would have been impossible to write such a great novel if while writing The Hunger Games, she wasn't thinking about the next addition. I would compare it to the Harry Potter novels in that way, because J.K. Rowling brought back events from the first novel that I had forgotten about and wove them back into the final novel. That takes thought-out planning and it creates a novel so much more intricately woven and elaborate than a cut and dry sequel.

What I didn't like: I don't like Katniss's relationship with Gale for a couple of reasons. First, I think it is unrealistic. Katniss knows that by being with Gale, she puts her family, Gale's family, Peeta's family, Gale and Peeta in danger. She is too smart for that and so I doubt that she would be willing to take that risk. Second, I just like Peeta better. He understands her on a level Gale will never be able to comprehend. This is not a dig against Gale. Peeta was with Katniss in the arena; Gale wasn't. Gale will never be able to truly get what Katniss went through: Peeta is the only one who can do that. Plus, I just like Peeta better. So if I was going to turn this into a Twilight reference, I would have to say that I am firmly on Team Peeta. But that is only if I wanted this to be a Twilight reference.

Overall: 9.5 out of 10. Suzanne Collins once again delivers, and I for one cannot wait until the final Hunger Games novel, Mockingjay, comes out on August 22nd.