Catching Fire (Hunger Games Book 2) by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (7 Sep 2009)
ISBN-10: 1407109367
ISBN-13: 978-1407109367

Opening Sentence: "I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air"

In Catching Fire we return to the world of Panem and continue the story of Katniss. The Hunger Games they won is long over and they are safely ensconced in the Victors Village. The only problem is the Capitol is not happy with what Katniss did, they want revenge. Katniss has a decision to make, does she fold to the Capitol's demands or does she fight?

Wow what a great second book! I couldn't put it down. I find second books in trilogies tend to be long winded and spends to much time explaining and setting up book three. Not the case with Catching Fire. It manages to finely balance expanding the story with action and excitement. I will not discuss the book in too much detail as I do not want to give the book away.

I must confess though Katniss annoyed me for about half of this book. I got a bit tired of her "oh woe is me" mantra. She just grated on my nerves even though I concede she probably had every right to it after what happened in Hunger Games. But by the second half of the book came around, Katniss was back to her old kick ass self. We do get to learn more about our favorite characters as well as get introduced to some new ones. Collins is able to make all the characters just come alive. I cant really discuss the characters with out giving anything away.

Some powerful themes are explored here. Oppression, violence, rebellion, survival, friendship, starvation, and revenge to name a few. Collins manages to address these issues with out being preachy or condemning.

There is quite a bit of violence in this book. Most of it demonstrates the worst of society and oppression. But it is there, and it is reasonably graphic. If your child is under 15 and wants to read this, perhaps read it yourself first and see if it is suitable.

To be honest don't bother reading this unless you have book three Mockingjay on standby. The book is left on a cliff hanger so you will want book three straight away to continue on with the story!

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