Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
✯✯✯✯✯ (5 Stars)Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) is a phenomenal follow-up to The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1).  Now that it's finished, I feel like I'm suffering from a strange compulsion...one pushing me to read Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) as soon as possible in order to find out what happens to people who have - for all practical purposes - become friends:  Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Cinna, and Prim.  I was extremely glad to see the introduction of a great new character:  Finnick.  More than anything, I'm glad to find the traits I loved most about The Hunger Games were constants within Catching Fire. 

The evolution from a game impacting a few people to a game impacting an entire universe of people was perfect.  The need - soul-deep yearning - for Katniss to save this world of people who are mentally and physically abused by the District (and President Snow) is so real that even I, the reader, am overwhelmed with the task.  Somehow, Katnis does what I'm not sure I could ever do.

I've said it before, and I'll say again when I review Mockingjay, but Suzanne Collins is an AMAZING, GIFTED, and EXTRAORDINARY writer!  If you haven't begun to read this series, I would strongly recommend that you stop what you are doing, proceed to the nearest bookstore (online or down the road), and get all three.  Trust me...you will not be able to stop once you start.