Catching Fire

This post first published May 13, 2011.

Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: September 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Series: The Hunger Games #2
391 pages (hardcover)
 
Yay, I finally got myself a copy of Catching Fire so I can continue where The Hunger Games left off. I also have myself a copy of Mockingjay so I can jump right into the last book of the trilogy too without having to wait!
We left off in The Hunger Games with Katniss and Peeta both winning the Games. Having two victors instead of the usual one has had reverberating effects across the country of Panem. Katniss, the main character and our narrator, is shocked to find the President casually sitting in her home one day. Under the guise of coming to congratulate her and preparing her for the upcoming tour of the country, the President warns Katniss that her little act of love with Peeta hasn’t fooled him or other people in the country. He and many others know she is trying to fool the government into allowing the both of them to live, and he isn’t buying it. He warns her she better convince him, and everyone else, of her and Peeta’s undying love for one another, for their sake and her family’s, for you see, by allowing two victors, they are showing defiance against the Capitol’s rules.

However, as the tour begins, Katniss learns that she has unknowingly spearheaded a rebellion that is slowly but surely growing across the country. Unknowingly, she has become a symbol of hope for the rebels. Just as Katniss decides to start embracing this rebellion, the President announces that the next Hunger Games is going to be composed of previous victors — putting Katniss right back into that arena of death that she just barely escaped from a year ago.

Overall, I liked the story, especially the idea of a rebellion forming because of Katniss, although I was feeling slightly exasperated in a  “Are you effing kidding me?” way when I found out she had to be going back in the arena. I didn’t want to read The Hunger Games Round Two. I was expecting a continuation of the story, not the first book repackaged. In some ways, it was the same thing all over again — the interviews, the training, the arena — but the motivations were all different this time. At the present moment, I’m kind of neutral to that part of the plot.

One thing that I appreciate in this book (and the one before) is that the story moves quickly, never boring me. There’s no needless information bogging you down, and neither are you ever missing out or confused about anything. On the topic of writing though, one thing I noticed is that her writing has a very … monotonous quality to it. Katniss just describes things as they are, putting very little to no emotion in what she is saying. Even with feelings being hurt, tension in the air and people dying. It’s kind of strange and bothers me a little, but I guess it just kind of contributes to the fast pace of the story. I’m not sure if I noticed this robot-like voice when I read The Hunger Games, but I notice it now.

I’m not too crazy about the love triangle thing that is emerging in this novel. For one, it’s like, is it neccesary? I don’t think it adds that much to the story; in fact, I think you can take out Gale and still have essentially the same story. Secondly, Peeta and Gale are like … exactly the same characters. Both kind of bland, both desperately in love with Katniss for some reason. They are two characters with the same personality. There is really very little to differentiate between the two boys. So I don’t understand what the problem is, Katniss — just choose one of them, they’re the same!
I think this book is, in my opinion, a solid three: enjoyable but nothing special. I haven’t read book three yet, but I get the feeling this is one of those in-between books — there to bridge the time between two others. I loved The Hunger Games, and I see big things, large consequences, in store in Mockingjay, but I get the feeling that Catching Fire will be easily forgotten in my mind.

Anyway, to sum it all up — you’re going to probably end up reading this book if you’re planning to read this series, so whether I recommend it to you or not doesn’t really matter :P My personal opinion is that this is an okay book, but it kind of fades in the back of my mind — the first book did a good job of making an impression on me; this one, not so much, although the ending does have me wanting more ;)

My Rating: 3/5