Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
September 2009, Scholastic Press
reviewed from Advanced Reader Copy
First off – NO SPOILERS HERE. I’m not going to write anything that will spoil anything for you in Catching Fire. If you haven’t read the Hunger Games yet, though, come back after you’ve finished it.
Katniss is back! This hotly anticipated sequel to the Hunger Games was one of the most sought-after ARCs at this summer’s ALA. When I picked up the first book, I was not convinced that it would be awesome – I’m not really much for adventure stories on the whole, and I hadn’t heard that much about it, but I gave it a shot and ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. Damn!
Catching Fire is definitely a middle chapter in a trilogy, so there’s a lot of references to events from the first book, and a lot of build-up to the finale (Can. Not. Wait.), but there’s a whole lot of action here, too. In addition, there’s more room for thinking about the deeper ramifications of the Games and the society Katniss lives in. It’s awesome that Katniss and Peeta managed to survive, but what is the cost to them as individuals? That and many other, more specific questions, keep running through my mind. If you’ve read it and want to discuss, let’s do so in the comments (spoiler-avoiders, don’t peek!).
Free ARC to the first one to respond in comments (you won’t receive it immediately as I already have a few people who are borrowing it, but you’ll have it within a few weeks).
Another great suggestion – thanks! My list runneth over…
As does mine! I just returned a whole stack of things I didn’t even start, and put them back on my to-read list.
Rats! I was hoping to be your first response! Wasn’t the first one great? I can’t wait to read the sequel. I was talking about this book at a party today and someone told me about a 1980s movie that sounded very similar. Of course, I don’t remember the name of it.
I’ll add you to the list, Sarah – I’m trying to share the wealth as much as possible! If you think of the name of the movie, let me know. It does remind me of the story The Most Dangerous Game, which I both read in school and later taught to 11th grade English class students. It’s different in many ways, but it reminds me a bit.
oooh, yes, Most Dangerous Game!