*Note: There are spoilers in this review Catching Fire is the second in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series. I reviewed the first book, The Hunger Games, a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I was not disappointed by this book. The writing is as fast-paced and exciting as the first novel, and my heroine is the same in all her imperfect, defiant, and gutsy glory. I couldn't put Catching Fire down (and stayed up until 2:30am to finish it in a 3 hour stretch). In summary, once more we meet up with Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, only this time they are victors of the Hunger Games and back in District 12. They live in new houses, have plenty of money, and don't want for much of anything. But with the Hunger Games over and her very public relationship with Peeta in limbo, Katniss finds herself falling for Gale, her best friend, in secret. A best friend who is also in love with her. Unfortunately, it is a secret that is known by her enemies, particularly President Snow. To make matters worse, President Snow hasn't forgotten their stunt with the berries (forcing the Capitol to proclaim two victors in the last Hunger Games), and now he has warned Katniss that she must quell any inkling that the berries were any kind of symbolic act of rebellion against the Capitol, and instead only a simple wish of someone desperately in love. But the spark has been made, and Katniss can no longer contain the fire that results. She is unable to convince anyone otherwise, including the president. To regain control and squash any rebellion, President Snow forces Katniss and Peeta back into the Games, where they learn that they are part of something greater - a far-reaching plan to unseat the Capitol, and one that has its fingers not only in the defunct District 13, but also in the Capitol itself. Fighting for survival, Katniss manages to escape the Games with the help of other District allies but in the end, is separated from Peeta who is captured by the enemy. Book 2 ends with Katniss unwillingly becoming the symbol of the rebellion (headquartered in District 13), and its figurehead...she is the mockingjay. Catching Fire was thrilling from beginning to end. It was great to reconnect with the familiar characters from The Hunger Games and get to meet some new ones that were just as interesting as the old or even more so. While everything feels familiar, like the same style of narration, the novel is never boring or predictable. It does take a little adjustment and effort to work in the personalities and the ages of the new Hunger Games competitors but that in no means detracts from the pacing or the story itself. I did find that I wasn't as interested in the mechanics of the arena this time but wasn't sure that was due to the complicated nature of its clock structure or whether I was more interested in what was happening with the characters themselves (which is a big compliment to the author). This book also seemed to be a lot more violent than the first. Death is an accepted casualty, as is walking on skulls or seeing piles of dead decomposing bodies. It didn't offend me at all, it was just something I noticed. That said, I enjoyed the authenticity that it gave to the book - it felt real, like it was a darker and uglier world. Or maybe it was reflective that Katniss was growing up, and she herself was harder and viewing the world differently. I still retained the connection with Katniss in this book - she stayed true to herself (as well as to her personality the previous novel) and while she does seem older and wiser, at the core, she doesn't change. She is still headstrong and compassionate and just as awesome. Catching Fire was a great second installment of the series! Well worth the read, I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. I already have Mockingjay in hand so stay tuned for my final review. Hopefully it will measure up to its predecessors. Check out my profile info for my website and more reviews.

Of course you don't. But after receiving this book in the mail today, I got so excited, I immediately plopped down on to the couch (after five minutes of difficulty in opening the package), planning to read the entire book through without any interruptions. Of course, that didn't work out, what with dinner, and phone calls, and such, but I couldn't care less, because this sequel makes me want to explode. In a good way. I have been waiting for this book for such a long time, and so I read the entire book today, the day I got it. And I honestly have on idea where to begin. I don't want to mention any spoilers in this review, but it's not hard not to, so I AM going to mention spoilers from the first book, The Hunger Games, so I wouldn't advise reading this review if you haven't read the first book in the trilogy. So... let's start with the beginning, which isn't really much of a spoiler. Katniss sits in the woods, on the day of the Victory Tour, reflecting on everything that's happened to her since the Games, and all the new developments. She's got so much to juggle on her plate, and, thanks to her new home and new riches, which are all prizes and rewards for winning the last Hunger Games, she's got plenty of time to think about it. Before the Games, she spent all her hours combing the woods, hunting illegally for food, lest she and her family starve to death. Now, with all the newly gained riches, she doesn't need to hunt. With all that time left over, all she can think about is how complicated her life has gotten since the Games. And that same day, just before the Victory Tour, she gets a surprise visitor, and, suddenly, things get even more complicated, but now, they get dangerous, and not just for her, but her family and friends, who could be killed if she makes one wrong move during the Tour. Okay, enough with the summarizing, let's get to the review. Since the last book left off where it did, I was immediately hooked upon this book, clinging to every detail, reading so fast, I had to go back a couple of times so that I could understand a sentence. And starting from the end of Chapter 1, things started to get interesting (remember the surprise visitor?). This entire book is nothing but twists and turns that readers can hardly anticipate. I'm continually impressed by Ms. Collins and her ability to lead the readers one way, but suddenly throw them off completely by introducing yet another startling... er... revelation? At any rate, this book moves along so quickly (especially in the second half) and for some reason, the humor just gets cranked up and I can't help laughing, especially at the interviews, though they weren't really that funny (don't dwell too much on that last part of the sentence, because there's a tiny spoiler there). Okay, so I'm probably making it sound like I think this book is perfect. It IS extremely well written, the emotions are strongly conveyed, and the reader can easily get lost in to this book. The one confusing thing in the book is how much new characters are introduced. Some are easier to remember, like Plutarch Heavensbee (though I'm not sure if I spelled that right) or Finnick, but others, like Brutus (I'm not even sure if that's the right name), are harder to remember. But if you're not too lazy, it's less confusing when you reread the book (though I haven't done that yet). Okay, and now for the big finish, in both this review, and in Catching Fire. I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING. Okay, maybe, I did, just a little. But still, even if I could've predicted that, it still leaves you in absolute shock, making you stare at the book, mouth gaping, for at least a full thirty seconds (that is, of course, unless you have a heads-up, like I did). The Hunger Games left off at the train station, with Katniss confused about her feelings towards Peeta. CF, on the other hand, well, this leaves off with a total cliffhanger. Not that the Hunger Games didn't, but CF is different than THG. What I mean, is that the last sentence in the book reveals something so shocking and astonishing, it's like being doused in water while sleeping - just so abrupt. It is a bit of an odd place to stop the book, but just the fact that... Wow, it's really hard not to say a thing about it, but let's just say that, that it's unexpected. Though it is pretty clever. A sure fire way to get people to read the next book, unless people hate this one. But with a cliffhanger like that, even if I hated this book, I would feel compelled to read the next book, because I would never be able to keep myself hanging like that. It's like I NEED to read the next book because, if I don't, I'll forever wonder what in the world just happened. Five stars for being witty, well-written, unexpected, and overall, just wonderful.