Catching Fire

Summary (from the publisher): Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge. 

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

Review: Most people I've discussed this book with agreed that they liked it just as well or maybe even more than book one. I definitely agree. I was not at all sure where Collins would go in terms of plot in this second novel, but I never predicted the actual turn of events. This book is the definition of a cliffhanger! The first book was neat and tidy in its conclusion in terms of action, but this book leaves the reader right in the thick of uncertainty.

I know I said this in my review of book one but this book has such a compelling narrator. I generally tend to prefer books in the third person but Katniss's voice fuels the story in such a fast paced and thrilling way that she's won me over. I think the fact that a young adult novel has been able to garner such a wide spread adult reading base speaks to its readability and quality. That being said, I still think these are too violent and gory for very young readers so I hope parents are not letting kids too young read these things. There's a lot of death and pain in these books.

The conclusion of this book urges the reader to quickly move on to the third and final book. Yet I wonder how Collins can successfully resolve the uprisings and love triangle to everyone's satisfaction. 

Stars: 4.5