Suzanne Collins
Scholastic
Copyright: 2009
978-0439023498
The amazon.com product description:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games, which I read last week. To be honest, although the second half of the book was incredible (I missed the bus twice, because I couldn't put it down), the first half didn't catch me the same way The Hunger Games did. It seems, I guess, to be more of a "middle book" than the first book did. The ending isn't good or bad. In fact, it doesn't seem to resolve anything at all. Of course, that's because there's Mockingjay coming out next month. Catching Fire has left plenty of story for the third book in the series.
This book (and The Hunger Games, for that matter) is not for younger teens. The violence of the story is not sugar-coated in any way. It's not sexual activity that's the problem in this book, like it is in some others, it's the violence - all of which is absolutely integral to the story. Panem is not a nice world. Which is something anyone who's read The Hunger Games already would know. Starvation, fear and violence are commonplace things in this world. And yet, it's a captivating world to read about.
I can't wait for the third book to come out next month, and I can really understand why this series is such a hit with readers.
4 comments:
I am so excited at Mockingjay coming out soon! Can't wait to see what happens.
Neither can I, Marg. Only a month to go.
I agree with you 100% on this book. I loved The Hunger Games but I felt like CF was really mediocre especially in the first half, when she was trying to recap so much information. Plus i just didn't like what she did with Katniss's character. I'm hoping Mockingjay is far better!
I can't wait for Mockingjay. In fact, I'm going to be at a Midnight Release party for it.
Amanda, I think that Catching Fire didn't work quite as well because of the expectations that The Hunger Games raised. That was such a good book that any follow-up might have come as something of a let-down. But, as I said, the second half of the book was great.
Thanks for the comment.
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