Book Review: Catching Fire

Age Group: Young Adult

Rating: 3/5

By Maria Kanai

"Catching Fire" is the sequel to the bestselling YA trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I couldn't wait to start reading it, and picked it up immediately after I was done with "Hunger Games." You can read my review for it here.

The book starts off immediately where the first book left off. Katniss Everdeen has survived the hunger games, but she is still in danger. Her open act of defiance against the Capitol has sparked a rebellion across the Districts. She must still play by the Capitol's rules in and out of the arena and her friends, family, and district are all under direct threat.

Suzanne Collins takes this second book as a chance to explore and flesh out the world of Panem. We see more of the history behind the 12 Districts, the political power structures, and more hunger games. The writing is so vivid and detailed that Panem was remarkably realistic. As for character development, I especially loved Haymitch's transition from a distant mentor to a close ally with a hidden past. He is by far my favorite in the trilogy as the gruff, jaded teacher who cares more than he chooses to show.

That being said, "Catching Fire" was a bit of a disappointment. My biggest problem was the rehashing of the hunger games. It made sense to have the hunger games in the first book because, well, the title, and more importantly, they were a critical example of the Capitol's tyranny. Throwing Katniss into the bloody arena once again felt like overkill, and dare I say it, more sensational rather than working towards the plot. The violence was old and familiar, and after a while, the deaths felt thrown in and unimportant.

Also, what was with the relationship between Peeta, Katniss, and Gale? All I could think of was Bella, Edward, and Jacob. Katniss switches from one to the other when it pleased her, and it did nothing to make me connect with her. Her character development in this second installment was difficult to pinpoint. She seems confused throughout the story. I wanted to see her make the shift from a girl vainly fighting against tyranny to a heroine who makes the choice to take her stance as an influential, revolutionary leader. Instead, she continues to compromise with herself, her friends, and the Capitol. I was left wondering where the resourceful girl determined to save her little sister went, and whether she would come up in the third installment, "Mockingjay." I sure hope so.

Did "Catching Fire" live up to its predecessor? No. Should you read it? Well, if you liked the first book, you will probably have to find out what happened! Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown for me.
Keep a lookout for my next review for the final book, "Mockingjay."