Title: Catching Fire Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Hunger Games #2
Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 391
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:
Also in this series: Mockingjay, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sunrise on the Reaping
My Thoughts
I read CATCHING FIRE in one day, which doesn’t happen very often. Just like THE HUNGER GAMES, I couldn’t put it down. Even though I loved the first book, I loved this one even more because we get to see more of the districts and the Capitol thanks to the victors’ tour. It was interesting to see the Capitol’s hold over the people in the districts and in the Capitol itself.
The third Quarter Quell made for some fun and tense dynamics. I thought it was interesting to learn more about previous years’ games and their victors. I loved all the new characters, especially Finnick. I loved the mechanism of the arena and wish we got to see what horrors all the wedges held.
Collins is a master with imagery and character development. It made the story seem so real. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the residents of Panem because of the oppression from the Capitol. However, because the themes do seem a little barbaric, I loved that there was just enough hope, compassion, and romance to balance out the story. I’ve really enjoyed the deeper, more adult themes this series showcases and how those themes made me think and feel.
There’s a huge part of me that wishes I hadn’t started this series until all the books were written. They’re so intense and it’s hard to wait in between each story. I want to know how the series is going to end, especially with the doozy of an ending this story has. I want to know if the characters I care about will triumph over the Capitol and how much of a difference it will make if they succeed.
Update: I’ve listened to both audiobooks produced for the first three books when I’ve reread this series. The first audiobook was narrated by Carolyn McCormick and the second was narrated by Tatiana Maslany. Both do a great job, but I prefer the second audiobook the best.