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Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)

Suzanne Collins

Start date: December 1, 2014

Finish date: December 31, 2014

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What Members Thought

Mar 30, 2014 Shan ~A~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: animals, siblings, family, borrowed-hoopla, crime, audio, in-series-or-trilogy, favorites, sci-fi, young-adult

Update Review 07/01/2024 ~ 5 stars

It's been years since I read this book and I still love it. Of course, now I know the answers to my questions, but I found after all these years later, even with seeing the movies several times, there were several things that I had forgot so it's still had a level of newness. Even if that wasn't the case, I still would have enjoyed it.

There are times when I want to shake Katniss and tell her to open her eyes and think smarter, but at the same time we all know t ...more

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Jan 14, 2010 Ahtims rated it really liked it

Shelves: audi, young-adult, borrowed, scifi-utopia-dystopia

This was thrilling and interesting from page 1. The saga of Katniss and her dystopian world continues. She has two suitors - Gayle (or Gail?) and Petah. I prefer Petah to Gayle, but Katniss doesnot seem to think so. In the beginning of the book she is relatively comfortably settled after winning the hunger games and being much richer because of the same, but then her almost tranquil world is shattered when she manages to irk the Capitol once more and is punished for the same by President Snow. A ...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Steve Lindahl rated it it was amazing

Catching Fire is the second novel in Suzanne Collins' trilogy. I've noticed that the middle books in other trilogies have a tendency to advance the plot only sightly and to have no ending. True to form this book left me hanging, but I'm pleased to say my other expectation was proven wrong. Catching Fire has Katniss and most everyone around her expanding their views on what is important in life. She unexpectedly returns to the arena, but this time there is less of a sense of each tribute fighting Catching Fire is the second novel in Suzanne Collins' trilogy. I've noticed that the middle books in other trilogies have a tendency to advance the plot only sightly and to have no ending. True to form this book left me hanging, but I'm pleased to say my other expectation was proven wrong. Catching Fire has Katniss and most everyone around her expanding their views on what is important in life. She unexpectedly returns to the arena, but this time there is less of a sense of each tribute fighting for his or herself. The Capitol was always the clear villain, but this time it seems that most of the participants understand that fact. And Katniss, instead of begrudgingly accepting the fact that she will have to be the last one standing, is prepared to sacrifice her own life. The sentiment behind her “poison berry” tact in book one has taken hold.

The pacing of the writing is excellent once again. The fight scenes give the reader a sense that we're watching super heroes, but not to the extent that the book loses its sense of reality. However, the problems in the arena have shifted for the most part to struggles against disasters the Capitol has prepared rather than struggles against other tributes.

The politics of the book have shifted somewhat as well. In The Hunger Games the people of the districts are kept in place by an elaborate economic system that funnels most of the money to the Capitol. The tesserae is the clearest example of this. Here the poor people trade chances that their children will be chosen to fight in the arena for food to feed their families. But in Catching Fire that system is starting to fail and more emphasis has been placed on the “peace keepers,” who are brutal, sadistic soldiers. The government officials are less like wall street brokers and more like ruthless dictators (although I believe the concept that the two are similar is at the heart of both plots).

Suzanne Collins seamlessly switches back and forth between the problems of an unfair world and the problems of a young girl trying to understand her own emotions, creating a book that is appropriate for all ages. Once again her writing grabs the reader and doesn't let go. I'm looking forward to the third book.

Steve Lindahl - author of Motherless Soul ...more

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Jan 25, 2012 J. Lynn Else rated it it was amazing

Shelves: awesome-female-leads

Some things are hinted out, but the full affect of what is going on isn't totally revealed until the very end. And WOW! Talk about surprises all throughout. The first book I knew what would eventually happen (you know that somehow Katniss is going to win), but with this book, you have no idea what the next page will bring. It was SO exciting that I could not put it down!!! Great new characters and great new plot twists. I want the next book now! I sense big things!

You know, it's hard to hate Kat ...more

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