Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy Book 2) [Kindle Edition]

Soon to be a major film series. Something I found out after reading the first one. I can see it being a good film, although reading up on that and the books more, it seems this series is less of a hit with the male population - on the premise that this book mentions romance.

So, to clarify. I'm a man. I'm not young adult, and I'm not one for reading romance novels. The Twilight series are just wrong in my opinion.

Now we've established that, I can hopefully persuade you that these books are not romance novels. Nor are they just for kids.

This book picks up a few months after the close of the first (The Hunger Games). Peeta and Katniss are still playing up their romance for the Capitol crowds, and getting ready for their tour of the districts. But word is spreading of an uprising in the districts, and now President Snow is looking for blood.

I won't go in to more detail about the plot - you can read that in the product details above, and to be honest, if you've read the first book, and are already here - why haven't you bought this yet?

I've read some reviews saying this book isn't as good as the first one. I disagree, partly. The plot, and the writing are as good, if not better than the first. It lets itself down slightly by The Games being not as involved as the first book - but then I don't think they really are meant to be. They serve their purpose to get us to the start of book 3 (Mockingjay (Hunger Games)), and they do it well.

If you have read the first book, you should read this right now. You'll enjoy it, I promise. If you haven't read the first book, you need to go do that before reading this one.

I for one, am off to the third book.

SPOILERS

What happens after Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games and return home? For me I felt the only way forward was for the two of them to begin or join a rebellion that leads to overthrowing the Capitol and the totalitarian regime that created the Hunger Games. And it seems that Suzanne Collins' thinking is along those same lines too except she only gets to the rebellion until the final few pages of the book.

In the meanwhile she has Katniss and Peeta do a victory tour of all 12 Districts (this takes up the first 100 pages), then Katniss spends a lot of a time thinking about the love triangle she's in with Peeta and Gale (yawn), which goes on for another 100 pages with a glimpse into the next book's destination, District 13, where the rebels are based, before plunging back into tedious non-action until the Capitol announces all previous Hunger Games winners are to be pitted against each other in another Games. So Collins spends nearly 300 pages treading water, going over the events of the first book, what little that goes on in this book, until Katniss and Peeta wind up in the arena again.

It took me two sittings to read the first book, I was so enthralled by it, and nearly two weeks to complete "Catching Fire". The Games twist in this book is that it's not just kids in the games but adult and old people but because Katniss has a team to support her, the Games this time around are less interesting and are mostly the characters reacting to the environment.

The path to rebellion is finally picked up at the end but it took an entire book (the longest in the trilogy) to get there and, looking back on it, I don't think it needed to be even half as long as this was. It could've easily been a much shorter book and then split between "The Hunger Games" and "Mockingjay", but then trilogies are all the rage aren't they?

"Catching Fire" is a disappointing second novel with some nice moments that are few and far between though with a satisfying finale that sets up the third and final novel nicely. I hope "Mockingjay" is awesome because "Catching Fire" sure wasn't. Read more ›

So, the 'Hunger Games'. What a blazing book that was; 'Battle Royale' meets 'Big Brother'. But the first book only really got the story started. The main attraction of the book were the Games themselves, and only tantalising glimpses of the dystopian world were given.

In Catching Fire, we delve deeper into the history and mystery of this futuristic world. We learn a a few things about how Panem came to be, but also many more questions are raised. Did you think things would become less complicated for Katniss and Peeta after the Games ended? Far from it. Everything becomes far more complicated, and events spiral beyond their control.

The genuinely terrifying President Snow, a snakelike being who smells of blood and roses, is as threatening and hateful when he's not present as when he is. He's angry at our heroes, and getting angrier by the day as the unrest in the downtrodden districts grow. Katniss and Peeta are playing figurative chess with their lives as well as their loved ones. But there seems to be no escaping the power of Snow, and the revenge he brings crashing down upon them is horrific, devastating and, I will admit, completely unexpected.

In fact, that's the whole thing about 'Catching Fire', although the first 'Hunger Games' was an excellent book, it was a little predictable. This isn't. Every chapter seems to end on a plot twist, and your breath will catch in your throat as you fear for what could happen next.

On the downside, 'Catching Fire' is the second part of a trilogy, traditionally the weakest book in three because it neither has the advantage of starting the story nor finish it. Stories are followed up from where they left off, and some are started but not finished, obviously ready for the final installment, but 'Catching Fire' doesn't feel like it's own book. Plus, you could practically split this book in half, each half in very different places, with different stakes and different characters, and both almost completely inconsequential of each other, so it can feel a bit...tacked on at times. Plus 'Catching Fire' does sometimes retread familiar ground, making it feel a bit lazy here and there.

But honestly, these are just nitpicks. If you liked the first book, as I did, then you'll be just as delighted (and terrified) by this one. And, without spoiling anything, the last few chapters could be some of the finest, scariest, most heart-stopping moments I've ever read, and left me gagging for the final book.

If 'Hunger Games' left you hungry for more, then 'Catching Fire' will set you ablaze. Essential reading, for young adults and adults too. Not for the faint-hearted! Read more ›