Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) in BoOkWoRmS!!!!

Mar 02, 2012 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Catching Fire, is a stunning, suspenseful follow up to Suzanne Collin鈥檚 The Hunger Games!

After the lengthy time it took me to begin this series I鈥檝e discovered that I like it very much. More so than I expected and Catching Fire proves to be a stellar sequel in Collin鈥檚 fantastic series! As usual with this series, the plotline is intense and heart-racing; filled with twists and turns I鈥檓 sure you won鈥檛 see coming. The characters are faced with hard truths and difficult choices and are constantly Catching Fire, is a stunning, suspenseful follow up to Suzanne Collin鈥檚 The Hunger Games!

After the lengthy time it took me to begin this series I鈥檝e discovered that I like it very much. More so than I expected and Catching Fire proves to be a stellar sequel in Collin鈥檚 fantastic series! As usual with this series, the plotline is intense and heart-racing; filled with twists and turns I鈥檓 sure you won鈥檛 see coming. The characters are faced with hard truths and difficult choices and are constantly put through the wringer. You have to feel for them and with a massive announcement that sees Katniss and Peeta head back into the Games, there鈥檚 never a dull moment. Collins knows how to shock her readers. With her futuristic world vivid and dangerous, Suzanne Collins manages to constantly surprise me with her story direction and quick twists that sees things change drastically.

When starting this book it鈥檚 easy to tell straight a way that things have changed a lot since the end of The Hunger Games. Picking up months after the events of the first book, the wins of both Katniss and Peeta have had a drastic impact on the world of Palem. I admit I was surprised to see Collins begin the book here. For some reason I expected it to pick up right when the last left off, but I feel that by writing it in this manner we can see exactly how much things have changed and how big an impact the Games had on everyone. And things certainly have changed鈥攊n the biggest of ways!

Katniss is definitely not the girl she was in the first book. I left The Hunger Games adoring her and while I still do, she鈥檚 undeniably jaded and hardened as only a victor of the Games could be. Her spirit and fire still remain, as well as all the character that made her such a fantastic heroine, but she鈥檚 also plagued by memories of what happened in the games. While her family鈥檚 life has improved and their relationship better than ever, her relationship with Peeta is in shambles as well some of the other people she loves. She鈥檚 torn between who she is and who she should be and she can鈥檛 seem to figure out what to do. She still wants to protect those she loves and with a target on her back and those she loves thanks to her actions at the end of the last Games, this is now more important than ever. The Girl On Fire, is truly the spark that will change everything everyone in the Districts knows and as the novel progresses it鈥檚 wonderful seeing her accept and take on her role with the 鈥渦prising鈥� as she does.

One of the things that make Katniss so great is that she鈥檚 so flawed. In the harsh world she lives in, her constant struggle with herself and her desire to do right by those she loves make her easy to emphasise with. She feels real. In the middle of a Games where everything is on the line, she struggles with the things she must do in order to protect Peeta and she鈥檚 plagued by the choices she has to make. She doesn鈥檛 want to betray the people she comes to rely on, but what choice does she has when it comes down to her, Peeta or them? It鈥檚 really an impossible situation where her survival instincts war with her heart. As the reader, I find it easy to imagine myself in Katniss鈥檚 place and it's a horrible thought. There really is no wrong choice. But nor is there a right one most of the time. No matter what she does someone will get hurt and it鈥檚 only as she begins to realise this does she see just how important it is to keep fighting against the Capital for something different. Something better. There鈥檚 so much growth within her, as an individual and as a leader鈥攕omeone looked up to and someone relied on.

I can鈥檛 deny that I鈥檓 well aware of the Peeta/Gale debate and I know I鈥檒l be annoying by saying this....but I just don鈥檛 see it. There is no choice in my mind. I know Katniss struggles with the feelings she has between Peeta and Gale, but to me there鈥檚 no other option. It鈥檚 Peeta; it can only be Peeta. Perhaps it鈥檚 because I don鈥檛 feel we鈥檝e really seen enough of Gale in these first two books for there to be a love triangle, but to me it鈥檚 Peeta she belongs with. She鈥檚 spent her whole life knowing Gale. We haven鈥檛 seen it, but their history鈥檚 there. He鈥檚 that strong, powerful friend who she can be herself with and who she feels a spark with, but should she really be with him? I think not.

Peeta has been a constant throughout the series so far. He鈥檚 the one she鈥檚 been on her journey with, the one she鈥檚 relied on, fought with and defended. While their relationship has often been complicated with the authenticity of it always being an issue thanks to the lies they issued to the people of the Capital, there鈥檚 no denying that it鈥檚 real. Katniss struggles with what she feels and in her situation, who can blame her? It doesn鈥檛 seem like things will ever been okay, and with all she鈥檚 witnessed it鈥檚 understandable that she鈥檚 afraid to take that step. Peeta and Katniss are two very different people. She鈥檚 independent and self sufficient, while he鈥檚 slightly softer and gentle, but I don鈥檛 think Peeta鈥檚 weak at all. There鈥檚 courage in being able to sacrifice yourself for the one you love and for finding the strength to go on simply for another.

He may never be the strongest person out there, or the fiercest, but he鈥檚 loyal and honourable and a lot of things Katniss isn鈥檛. Just like she鈥檚 so much he鈥檚 not. They balance each other out. They need each other in a way I don鈥檛 feel Katniss needs Gale. There鈥檚 a desperation in her when she imagines life without Peeta. Granted she feels a similar way when she thinks about life without Gale, but there鈥檚 a different drive behind that. Everything they鈥檝e been through connects them so strongly that I think the only possible outcome is for Katniss to admit she鈥檚 in love with Peeta.

When you look at cliff-hangers and major endings, Catching Fire doesn鈥檛 disappoint! The ending of this literally has me scrambling for the next book right now. Collins managed to have me open-mouthed and shocked right to the last page. I cannot believe some of the developments of the this book鈥攊t鈥檚 outta this world!

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Aug 21, 2010 Maritza added it

i loved this book. it was an awesome read but i gotta admit that i loved the hunger games(the first book of the series) a whole lot better. in catching fire there was a bit of romance (not really) but a lot of action...... i recommend this book.

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