Review - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Paperback, 472 pages

Published September 7th 2009 by Scholastic (first published January 1st 2009)

Source: Own Copy

Synopsis:
'Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen 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 her 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.'

My Thoughts:
Wow, I don't know what else to say but how amazing this series is and how much this book and the first one have captured my attention. I haven't felt this way about a series in a very long time and this is one that I still find myself thinking about long after I finished reading it.

The world created by Suzanne Collins is so brutal and realistic that I found myself constantly wondering if our government could ever get in a position where they would have the same amount of power and influence over the way we live our lives. In this instalment, you get to see a lot more about how the Capitol controls all the districts and the lives of all the residents and it's a scary reminder of how well we actually have it with the amount of freedom we get to have in our daily lives.

When Katniss and Peeta are being prepared to go back into the arena, I really felt for them and the injustice that they were going through to be forced to participate in the Games again. Once the Games began, I was finding myself cheering Katniss and Peeta on for the majority of the time and there may also have been a bit of breath holding in certain parts as well.

The love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta gets a lot of attention in this book and that was probably the only element that I was a little disappointed in. As far as I'm concerned Katniss needs to realise that Peeta is definitely the one for her (in my humble opinion) and move on from Gale. I just don't get much personality from what we have seen of Gale so far and I'm not sure if this has been done on purpose or if this is just the way he really is. This is something that I can't wait to see resolved when I read the third book.

Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this book and the first Hunger Games novel. If you love a lot of action, twists and turns as well as a storyline that really makes you think then these are the books for you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon

The Book Depository

Review - 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
'In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.'

I am a bit late as far as getting into The Hunger Games series but I'm so glad that I did.
My main reason for reading this book was all the hype surrounding the recently released movie because I am one of those people that refuse to see a movie based on a book without having read the book first.
Once I started this book I was hooked pretty much from the first few pages. It was such a fast paced read with wonderful narration that creates such a vivid picture in your mind. I love books like this that move at a fast pace and always have something significantly happening to make you want to just keep reading more and more. Books which take so long to describe the simplest event and move at a snail pace just to be overly descriptive tend to lose my interest very quickly (Yes, I'm pointing a finger at you 'Wheel of Time' series!)
This is technically a Young Adult book and is written from the perspective of a 16 year old girl named Katniss but it is in no way a childish perspective which I thought was great. You could tell that the hard life lead by Katniss shaped her more adult perspective on life and this was evident in the way the story was told. Obviously there were certain things that made you remember that she was only 16, especially her naivety with regard to the feeling of love after everything that went on between her and Peeta, the other tribute from her District.
Overall I hated putting this book down and definitely think it's a book that everyone should read. The ending left me wanting more and I just can't wait to start the second one in the series.

Did everyone else get as hooked on this series as I did?

Michelle xx