Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
hardcover 391 pages
published by Scholastic Press in September 2009
ISBN-13: 9780439023498
Type: {Airplane Read: makes time fly}
Rating: {Eh: Not my favorite, but fine enough to finish the book}
Why You’re Reading It:
- You’ve read The Hunger Games and you want to see what happens next
What I Thought:
* This is a sequel. If you have not read The Hunger Games, please note that there are spoilers in this review for that book. *
Katniss, Peeta, and Gale build a bit of a love triangle in this sequel to The Hunger Games. At home as a victor in District 12, Katniss doesn’t know quite what to do with herself. She no longer needs to hunt for food, yet it’s the only thing that keeps her busy. Her relationships with both Gale and Peeta are confusing her, and if what she is hearing about rebellions from other districts is true, she may need to escape with both her friends and her family. Having feelings for either one of them won’t help her. However, when Katniss learns that she must convince President Snow that she was not faking her love for Peeta last year as she threatened to kill herself for his sake, the stakes are raised. They are raised even further when all find out who will be going to this year’s Hunger Games — the 75th Games.
While The Hunger Games captured my attention, unfortunately Catching Fire did not. It took me 200 pages to get into the story, and then it felt pretty much like a poor man’s The Hunger Games. Granted the very end was interesting, but there was so much foreshadowing throughout the book that I wasn’t very surprised. Eventually I will pick up the third installment, Mockingjay, to see what happens to these characters, but I won’t be rushing out to do that any time soon.
For me this was the weaker of the three, but a lot of people didn’t enjoy the final one. Looking forward to seeing what you’ll think!
So did you like the third on better? I’ve heard from someone else, who didn’t love this one, that she actually liked the third one better.
Hey Wallace! I actually liked this book and found the third one to be the major disappointment. I ‘m looking forward to your thoughts on it!
Haha, I hear that’s kind of how it goes… most people that I hear from aren’t liking both (though most everyone loves the first one). Now I’m a little more interested to see what happens in the third one to have people have such different reactions!
I am finishing the third one right now and its okay. I do agree with you that the first one was the best of the bunch! I am reading them one right after another, so maybe its keeping my attention better than if I would just read them spaced apart.
So do you like the second or third better? (It seems like people like either/or).
So do you like the second or third better? (It seems like people like either/or).
I’m another who loved the first, really liked the second, and was disappointed by the third. Have you started reading Mockingjay yet?
I haven’t. I will, but I’m not rushing out to get it. I am curious, though. Are you back from your cruise?
Yes! We had a great time and I was able to finish all 5 books that I brought! 2 hardcover and 3 on my new Nook
Oh good! Wow! All 5 books… hopefully that means there was LOADS of relaxing going on.