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Catching Fire
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Collins,Suzanne Catching Fire - informal Buddy Read beings 15 June 2024
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Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "ok, back to thisJust finished chapter 15, and I forgot how we finally find out about how Haymitch won the games!
Also, I notice that Katniss still refers to "President Snow". I find it fascinatin..."
As I was doing my re-read of this book and got to the part about Haymitch and how he won the game and thought, "I don't remember this part at all." It was so interesting. That would a story to read, his background and how it all came to be. It helps to rejuvenate an interest in the story for me.
I finished the book and I find myself needing to run an internal narrative reminding myself that Katniss is a teenager and a young one at that. She is more mature in the way of needing to provide for her family, but emotionally, she is such a kid. But she is isolated, without a good support system before the hunger games. So when a real support system starts to form around her in this second book, she doesn't stand a chance of recognizing it.
Looking forward to book 3!
I have started reading this and reached about 20%. I am so glad to be reading this without watching the movie so that I can form my perceptions of the characters. Seems to have started with a right triangle. I wonder how they will show the games this round. I still quite like Peeta - he is so calm and understanding without trying to be needy or pushy. I still need to know more about Gale than him just being a buddy to Katniss - I wonder how they will weave in his skills. It was also so sad to read how District 11 was treated.
There are rumors of rebellion and since Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games in defiance they have become the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol announces the 75th Hunger Games with a twist – tributes will be selected from the surviving victors of the previous Games. As District 12's sole female victor, Katniss must compete alongside either Haymitch or Peeta. Haymitch is chosen and is unable to stop Peeta from volunteering in his place.
This book is less action packed than the first but a lot more emotional.
At the Capitol, Haymitch urges Katniss to find allies, but she bonds with the weakest tributes. In the televised interview, Katniss's stylist Cinna has Katniss' wedding gown transformed into a black dress with feathers made to resemble a Mockingjay.
No matter what anyone says, I how earnest Peeta is with his love of Katniss even if he doesn't believe she could ever feel the same. He gives her his love and devotion with no expectations. So, to stop the Games, Peeta lies in the interview that Katniss is pregnant.
Katniss knew Cinna would get himself into serious trouble with his dress this design and before Katniss is sent into the arena, she watches helplessly as Cinna is dragged out by Peacekeepers.
I am currently wrapping up reading Chapter 10. I can’t remember the last time I read this novel, but the films are nostalgic for me. I rewatch them regularly— yes I am aware there are probably better options for comfort films. Anyways, rereading this series as part of this challenge has reminded absolutely reinforced how the book is truly always better. I know several people have commented on how mature Katniss is and it is difficult remembering that she really is a child. Hearing her contemplate all of this pressure and be just ridden with grief and anxiety. These books are emotional and heart wrenching. I don’t think teenage me could even begin to comprehend just how much, whereas adult me during this reread is just baffled.
I know even more is to come, but it’s also been difficult being reminded of all the moments and information that wasn’t included in the adaptions.
I have to say that I love getting to know the tributes in this book. The glimpses of their pasts and their characters is so interesting and also heartbreaking. Haymitch’s games for one, I had completely forgotten. It makes so much sense now why he drinks. Beyond it already being miserable what they go through. Mags and Finnick - I adore them both. I wish we learned more about their pasts.
One of the greatest developments for Katniss has been her ability to communicate with others and specifically articulate her own feelings and thoughts.
Mod
When the victors all stood together at the end of the interview was a powerful moment!
Just finished my reread and Part 3- The EnemyI am not a heavy action reader, so this is my least favorite part of the book. I like Finnick and how the other tributes banded together to help move the rebellion along. I don’t like that they had older players in the games. I did like the cooperation that happened in stealth ways during the game. I forgot about the field being a clock. Looking forward to reading the next book again.
I finished my reread last night before bed, because I knew I would have trouble sleeping until I did. I saw a few people comment on the pacing of this novel with the character development and the build-up to the games. This novel is so much different from the first book. The first book it felt like they sprinted to the arena and then we spent a majority of the novel in the arena. This novel however it felt more like a slow crawl to the arena, making it painstakingly clear that this book was drawing out Katniss’ acknowledgment of the rebellion and her part in it.
I was frustrated with her at the end of book one because it seemed like she wanted things to go back to as close to they were before the games. I had to keep reminding myself of how young she is, which is why I brought that up in my first discussion post.
Finally starting me read of this one. I was rearing to go when finished the first book around the 17th last month but now have to keep reminding myself to get back to this one since a month has passed. Read to chapter three on a lunch break. Initial thoughts is so far the emphasis on the love triangle is relatively strong. Sad about Gale and the mines. Annoyed by his stubborness to share in the money and spoils. What does President's Snow breath smell like blood? Ewww. And as a tea drinker who loves treats, now I'm wanting to frosted design cookies.
I have reached the part where the games have begun. I am not sure how I feel about tributes re-participating, I was hoping to find different players with Katniss/Peeta as mentors. It just felt a bit repetitive with Peeta playing the same love angle. I do feel Katniss's character has grown a bit. I am also a bit bummed she did not get to explore her feelings for Gale. I am excited about the rebellion. But overall, liking this book a little bit less than part 1. Still fast-paced though.
thoughts 2interesting to see the growing authoritarianism in the face of potential uprising
Katniss seems still quite naive at times, but i guess expected given age
does set the stage for further development
rumours of district 13, and the head gamemaker's hint
and finally for mea bit disappointed that we have arrived back in the arena, seems almost like a re-hash
the other tributes seem interesting mix and expecting a different perspective, but they don't really seem to get much development and the action in arena seems a bit unfocused
Katniss seems oblivious to all the machinations around her and given her primary perspective this detracts for me
Suzanne wrote: "I agree about the Gale kiss - it really did feel like he was "staking his claim" there. Katniss wasn't at all ready for that - she's dealing with too much already. I identify with her protective in..."I had forgotten about the starving and re-eating scene until reading this, but it makes sense and shows a direct and disturbing difference. I liked Gale in the first book but there feels something false about him in the second, maybe because he's not really around much, she's mainly going off memory or thoughts about him other than some brief scenes so far by mid story.
Mod
It's all a bit of a whirlwind once they are in the arena, which makes the book pacing overall a bit odd. It's not a bad second book, but it is very much a way of getting from luxury to rebellion. Collins doesn't do a good job on making the rebellion obvious to readers even as Katniss remains oblivious!
The ending id forgotten as being that abrup
I finished the book and this one felt more average - almost a repetition of the first. The second game did not do much for me except introduce to some interesting characters. I would say Haymitch's character development has been the best so far. I really hope in the last part Peeta's character has more to offer than just being a love striken boy.
Finished! Rated this one three stars. When they get to the games the enthusiasm for me picked up but it was a little choppy, especially the first quarter. Peeta grew on me a bit more, but I kept giggling as he is kind of useless in the games in many respects. I knew about the twist already at the end because of the movies. The scenes describing her dress make me want to rewatch those scenes to get the visual, was hard for me to picture with the book. I did forget about (view spoiler)
Okay so I finished the book, but need to share two thoughts for the BOM points, so I want to recap what I was thinking in the middle of the book first. The devastating moment when it is revealed that the former champions have to go back into the arena to fight as tributes this time around, really hit hard. Knowing what's going to happen, makes this entire thing somehow worse for me to reread, because of the incoming pain and suffering that the characters will have to endure. The scheme from Snow (if he was the one to come up with this, right now I don't remember if it was explicitly stated), however was very smart in order to try and get the rebellion under control by showing that nobody is truly save... What a "country" to live in. And we finally get to meet Finnick!!! He's truly one of my all time favourite characters!
And once again, Peeta's move to make everyone feel sympathy for him and Katniss by announcing a secret wedding and their pregnancy was incredibly smart, and I don't think this gets praised enough!
On to my final thoughts toward the last part of the book: Seeing the tributes work together as allies in order to survive (again), even after Katniss said before going into the games that she didn't want any allies, really shows how horrible the Hunger Games are. Here they were, holding hands together in the last tv interview round, and then the next day they're turned to enemies again and killing each other. Haymitch really did do Katniss (and Peeta) a favour in organising the allies behind their backs. Finnick was a great move to secure their survival. And I adooore Finnick!
Katniss' mistrust towards their allies really comes across well in the books. All the little things she questions, and her inner fight about if she can trust them, or how far, and for how long... In the movies this just doesn't get underlined enough. Especially her thoughts on turning on Finnick.
The ending now gets us closer to the big finale and I'm excited to reread Mockingjay next!
Finished part 1. The casting for Snow in the movies was so perfect I just picture him. He's so sinister and creepy and quiet. The scene where he was threatening Katniss, bah.
I keep thinking about how cruel the games are that even after the games they have to do a tour of the districts and give speeches and face the families of the people they killed, and the families being forced to go through that as well.
I love that Peeta finally called them out for keeping secrets from him, because both due to how that plays with his feelings and also because yes, even though he's such a natural since he didn't know he could do things to make it worse.
I dislike Gale, though I think his character is an interesting point about revolutionaries, and I look forward to seeing more. I know he's a traumatized boy but the way he was willing to leave Peeta behind to die due to his jealousy and was basically willing to escape with Katniss up until that point.
I think it's interesting too how they say how District 11 is both poorly treated and still a focus so even worse off than District 12 where people starve and are miserable but at least it's a forgotten district. At least until, of course, it isn't. Katniss' mother's comment about the flies, I shuddered.
Bernadette wrote: "When I first read this series, I didn’t listen to audiobooks at all. I listened to Hunger Games and didn’t really like it as much as did the first time I read it. It was recommended that I read thi..."I agree about reading being way better. I've listened the 2nd and 3rd time around , mostly because I read them previously , and the experience was better reading.
I find Fantasy/Apocalyptic type books generally read better than the audio version. I lose names and setting names when I don't see them.
Cat wrote: "Finished!It's all a bit of a whirlwind once they are in the arena, which makes the book pacing overall a bit odd. It's not a bad second book, but it is very much a way of getting from luxury to r..."
I agree, there was so much leading up to the competition and then they just seemed to rush through it. Unfortunately I want more gore! LOL!!!
And yes, that ending... ugh... I am not a big fan of #3 but I will push through to finish.
Finished part 2. So much happening! I laughed at Katniss saying that she and Peeta never did anything normal so them working on the herb book together was weird.
I love meeting the past victors, Finnick in particular is so entertaining. I love the way that they worked to make everyone feel bad. But reading Finnick's description of the life in the capital makes me sad considering what is later revealed about him.
Cinna :(
Diving in this morning. Really enjoy this series when it first came out and then the movies. It is such a comfort read for me.
Pt. 1There are so many things I had completely forgotten about the beginning of this book.
I always disliked Gale but couldn't pinpoint the exact reason until I reread the part where Katniss talks about Gale not accepting her help after she came back from the Hunger Games. She then goes on to say that he would have helped her family if she had not returned. I wonder why? Chauvinism, anger over her being with Peeta even though he ought to have realised that it was their only way to survive the games... 🤷🏻♀️
And then when he bristles on hearing that it isn't just Katniss and him and their families but also Haymitch, Peeta and Peeta's family that she wants to save... 😡
Victors' Village... Brilliant idea! Incredibly evil but still brilliant! Whoever thought it up has a particularly conniving mind. Why do I think that we can thank Snow for that?
Blood and roses. This was another "shiver-down-my-spine" moment. Donald Sutherland (RIP!) really did an awesome job bringing this most evil of all villains to life. Having watched The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes recently, I think I noticed so much more about his character this time around.
Snow's threats were really scary though also very predictable. I was expecting there to be blowback and this just proved it. That said, I think Katniss, who can be surprisingly dense at times, was remarkably astute and managed to get some good digs in.
“It must be very fragile, if a handful of berries can bring it down.”
That was one of my favourite sentences in the book.
Yet another thing I had forgotten. I reached the part where Plutarch Heavensbee comes to meet Katniss and (view spoiler) and had to stop, rewind and listen to it again. And again. And then I read the lines from the book just to make sure I hadn't heard wrong. What?!?!?! How did I forget this bit?
I finished! This was always my favorite of the 3 and I had such a great time revisiting it. I love Finnick so much, and I think Collins does a great job of showing his depth in small ways. His sense of humor, his love of Annie, the way he saved Peeta, his love of Mags and his grief over her, the hilarious scene where they scare Peeta after they have the medicine on them.
Johanna is also great, kinda crazy but great.
The setup for this book is wonderful. The games are exciting and awful and so creative. I love how Haymitch is able to communicate using the games. He really is a genius.
And of course that ending. I remember the first time I read it I was so mad I had to wait for book 3!
Catching FirePart one
So I'm a bit late to the party. The good news is I can almost immediately continue with the next book.
Since we are at the end of the round (and in a bit of a hurry) I'm switching between audio and reading. The Dutch narrator threw me of a bit.
The pace feels a bit slow, although that isn't helped by the narration. The characters feel very similar to book 1, in terms of book series that's good. However I'm still annoyed by their lack of communicating. You feel the uprise developing, but Katniss is still oblivious to a lot of it, and the rest of them just keep her in the dark (again).
Suzanne's world building is still excellent. It's not too extensive, but you don't get the feeling you are missing information.
On to part two.
Part twoI appreciate the fact we aren't in the arena yet. The pace feels nicer than the first part, although I'm convinced it's partially because I've read most of this part.
You can see these small (and some big) acts of defiance in the book. The actions of the Capitol that just fuel the fire, a bomb waiting to burst. I did notice that President Snow is just making his own downfall. Making Katniss the symbol of a revolution and using the previous winners in a powerplay.
Part threePart three feels a bit short for my liking. The ending is very sudden, something I’m not very fond of in books.
I do appreciate some of the characters (Joanna, Haymitch and Finnick), Gale and Peeta are a bit flat however. I’m curious about Mockingjay, that’s the part of the story I’m the least familiar with. Overall, it’s a good book, that touching on nostalgia.
Preeti wrote: "I always disliked Gale but couldn't pinpoint the exact reason until I reread the part where Katniss talks about Gale not accepting her help after she came back from the Hunger Games. She then goes on to say that he would have helped her family if she had not returned. I wonder why? Chauvinism, anger over her being with Peeta even though he ought to have realised that it was their only way to survive the games... 🤷🏻♀️And then when he bristles on hearing that it isn't just Katniss and him and their families but also Haymitch, Peeta and Peeta's family that she wants to save... 😡
Yet another thing I had forgotten. I reached the part where Plutarch Heavensbee comes to meet Katniss and (view spoiler) and had to stop, rewind and listen to it again. And again. And then I read the lines from the book just to make sure I hadn't heard wrong. What?!?!?! How did I forget this bit?."
I totally agree that Gale was kind of a jerk when she got back! He understands what she went through to some extent because he's been fighting for survival his whole life, but not the even more traumatic part where she was literally fighting for her life against some fierce warriors. He's being jealous, and not able to get over that for the benefit of others. I'm kind of glad, though, that he was hesitant, or this story might have been very different!
I didn't remember the part about Plutarch Heavensbee either! My faint memories from reading the book the first time were awakened about how he also contributed a little bit to the revolution.
Cordelia wrote: "Finished part 2. So much happening! I laughed at Katniss saying that she and Peeta never did anything normal so them working on the herb book together was weird. "
I thought that part with them working on the book was so sweet! I'm glad they were both able to show some of their individual talents to work together on a project.
I finished this book so quickly that I didn't stop to put individual discussion posts after each part. I enjoyed it almost as much as the first time I read it. One of the things I didn't remember is how trite it almost seems. Having grown in what I have read as I have gotten older, this story almost seems a little canned. It's probably because I've read the book before, but some of it seems so predictable and unoriginal. I'm looking forward to re-reading the last book and watching all the movies again!
As infuriating as the plot of this series is, I can’t help but love it so much. A lot of times 2nd books in a series lose their steam, but I think this book holds its own so well. The character development in CF is so good. Katniss becomes so much more likable. Her relationship with Cinna Effie Haymitch, etc continues to help her grow as a person. I also can’t help but be Team Gale, as controversial as that may be.
Anouschka wrote: "Catching FirePart one
So I'm a bit late to the party. The good news is I can almost immediately continue with the next book.
Since we are at the end of the round (and in a bit of a hurry) I'm swi..."
I definitely agree about the world building. That’s the main thing I get hung up on in a lot of fantasy books - the world building is almost too intense and detailed. Large info-dumps of descriptive text bore me. I feel like Suzanne does a great job of weaving the descriptive information in with the content of the plot.
I really think the concept of the 2nd novel in this series was quite brilliant. What a creative way to get them back into the arena. Allowing us to meet and see the previous victors in action while witnessing the uprising and resistance bubble to the surface.I love the parts with Katniss and Snow together. Such an enjoyable heroine vs villain storyline. Snow is such a well constructed villain (RIP Donald Sutherland) and I hope we learn more about him in the subsequent prequel books. I need to know more about what turned him into the Snow we know in the original trilogy from the Snow we met in the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Cordelia wrote: "I finished! This was always my favorite of the 3 and I had such a great time revisiting it. I love Finnick so much, and I think Collins does a great job of showing his depth in small ways. His se..."
I can’t agree with all of this more!! Finnick really is a star character in this novel. I love how he starts out as this mysterious playboy character but Collins slowly gives us more and more depth to him. I also love the idea of bringing the new gamemaker in on the uprising. (RIP PSH). I hate that they have to keep Katniss in the dark so much, but I understand their reasonings and it wouldn’t be fun for us as the reader if she was clued in along the way. So ready for another re-read of Mockingjay!! :)
I started out listening to the audio version at first but i then changed to print version, depending on the narrator it can make the journey more enjoyable but not this time for me. The meeting with President Snow both in the movie and the book stands out in my memories. In the movie Donald Sutherland fit the role perfectly. He did appear sinister. I think Katniss is finally starting to realize that she will be tied to Peeta for the rest of her life. Perhaps life will Gale will not be possible now.
When the train arrives at District 11 - that was such a misstep by Katniss regarding the interaction with the crowd. The consequence was quite disturbing and shocking.
More thoughts as I progressed. I am not really understanding is why include Gale, seems to me that he could have been written out of the story at the end of book 1. Something else I didnt understand was why hadnt there been uprisings? Districts pitting the youth against the elderly just didnt seem right and if this was continuing why no prior uprisings?
I am appreciating that Katniss and Peeta are growing in their friendship. I really thought Peeta was sweet and good for Katniss. She is maturing and now seeing that perhaps a future with Gale is not a good idea if she was to protect people that she loves and cares for.
I feel like the book was dragging cause it just took so long to get to the Games.
As I neared the end of the book, I realized that I had forgotten who managed to make it out of the arena. With that being said, I'm looking forward to reading Book 3 in the next round.
Now onto Part 3. Finally the Games. Everyone knows what the plan is except Peeta & Katniss. Not sure why the tributes didnt work together to stop the Capital, they knew how the Capital works. They were showing solidarity when they clasped hands together so why not show strength to the Capital?Finnick was my fave character and i wish we could have had more backstory on the other tributes. I did like the parts about Haymitch's win and am looking forward to the new release.
This went much faster than the middle part. I enjoyed this more.
Knowing that Katniss & Peeta had to survive for Book 3 to happen but still I was rooting right along and hoping that they would survive. Found that it ended abruptly. Overall enjoyed the reread.
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It will interesting learning about the other Districts on the Victory Tour.
Some interesting things have already happened:
• Katniss’ meeting with President Snow (yes, I do picture him as the recently deceased Donald Sutherland) and when she tells Haymitch
• When she realizes that if she wants her and her loved ones to survive, she is bound to Peeta & the Hunger Games for the rest if her life.
• Katniss and Peeta visiting District 11: very profound. President Snow wasn’t kidding about the need to keep the Districts calm.