From the Bookshelf of Challenge Corner…

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)

Suzanne Collins

Start date: August 1, 2019

Finish date: August 31, 2019

Discussion: Book of the Month

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 7 topics — 754 comments total

Book of the Month

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* Previous BOTMs
By Felicia · 11 posts · 732 views

last updated Dec 27, 2024 06:25AM

* BOTM Polls!
By Alaina · 24 posts · 217 views

last updated Sep 19, 2025 07:58AM

showing 10 of 65 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Aug 06, 2018 Nikki the Sapphired Book Dragon AKA NixieNut rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018reads, towerteamsvi, aug18-read

Again, this book sucked me right back in. I mostly listened on audio and I really felt that helped bring the story to life. The story itself, even having seen the movie, was riveting and didn't let me go from beginning to end. I liked that we really got inside katniss' head in this book to see more about what made her tick and how that played out in her both in district 12 and i the arena. I liked that she wasn'tportrayed as a flawless hero but rather we got to see her struggle with everything t ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2012 Dr. Andy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reread, read-2018

THIS IS MY FAVORITE ONE

Wow the story in this one is so fucking intense, I'm surprised I didn't burst into flames. The characters, the world and the plot were so well written and layered. There was always so much going on. Katniss's head/heart is a reflection of the revolution.

ALSO CINNA OUT DOES HIMSELF AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. HEAR ME WEEP FOREVER.

I love to hate the Capitol. They way it's written it's easy to understand their lifestyle but still feel distaste for it. It's also magical to see-I l ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Dec 20, 2011 Maddie rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, books-i-own-have-read, ya-scifi

Read this book a few times, but this is the first time I listened to it. And I didn't actually realise how far into the novel it was before the Quarter Quell started! So much action happened in the second half! I have no idea how these characters continue to be so strong and to carry on living and feeling after all of the shit they go through! Everyone's so admirable and inspirational. I know if I was in their position I wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff. Definitely excited for the third ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Stefani Robinson rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, hardcover

Anyone who read and enjoyed this book's predecessor would admit that it would be difficult to top The Hunger Games. It built up such a great cast of characters and such a great plot that great care needed to be taken in continuing that story lest it go in a direction that ruined any of the build up. And in the end it lived up to expectations, but not in the way I expected certainly.

In this second episode of The Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss is struggling to accept her new life as a Hunger Games Anyone who read and enjoyed this book's predecessor would admit that it would be difficult to top The Hunger Games. It built up such a great cast of characters and such a great plot that great care needed to be taken in continuing that story lest it go in a direction that ruined any of the build up. And in the end it lived up to expectations, but not in the way I expected certainly.

In this second episode of The Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss is struggling to accept her new life as a Hunger Games victor. She now has a spiffy new house and more money than she could spend in a lifetime. But she still can't bring herself to abandon her way of life and finds herself still hunting and distributing the rewards with her fellows in the Hob. But now instead of providing for herself too, she is just lending a helping hand to the folks who helped her survive through the years. Being in the woods also gives her a great excuse to avoid her memories of the Games and her upcoming Victory Tour around the districts to "celebrate" her and Peeta's win, even though she wants to do exactly the opposite of celebrate.

But the Capital hasn't forgotten how Katniss and Peeta won the Games just yet, and they are determined that she pay for it in any way possible. And with the upcoming Quarter Quell games, when the conventional rules are thrown out the window for something no one has ever seen before, it might be their perfect opportunity.

This book was a very good follow up to all the tension and plot built up in the first installment. But it felt like a transition book, rather than a book by itself. Which I am not opposed to if it is done correctly. This is a book that builds on the tension of the first book and leads us into the conclusion of the third book. That is a good strategy and I felt like this book did that well. My biggest criticism of this book was that I became so frustrated with Katniss. She spends most of the book having absolutely no idea what is going on but just lets other people pull her around and involve her in their plans without bothering to let her know. This is frustrating for two reasons. First, the character is better than that. The first book built her into this strong fighter of a character who was unwittingly a pawn but managed to play by her own rules as well. But this time she just went along with the flow and let herself be a pawn in everyone else's plans and seemed to have no clue or ambition to change that. Second, because it left the reader completely in the dark. This is the problem with first person narratives, if something happens and your character doesn't see it, hear it, do it, or hear about it, then it didn't happen. I felt like 90% of this plot was something I didn't even know happened because Katniss didn't know. That frustrated me as a reader to suddenly be smacked in the face with it in the last 10 pages and then see The End.

At the end of the day however I enjoyed this book as the transition book that it was. It was not nearly as riveting as the one before it, but it provides a good platform to end the series with the next book and I liked that. I also still adore Haymitch and Peeta enough that they helped me overlook my irritations with the book. ...more

Like · see review

May 17, 2012 Jirrine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The fact that I read 200 pages today says how much I loved this book. I did not know what to expect but I really liked it. Hope book 3 will be just as good!

Like · see review