Book Review #55: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins.
Format: Hardback.
Pages: 391.
Series: Yes, #2.
Source: Purchased.
Publisher: Scholastic Press.
Published Date: September 1, 2009.
Summary:

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge."

Cover:

Even though, the cover of Hunger Games is my favorite, I still really like the cover of Catching Fire.

Looking at the cover, the first thing you see is the mockingjay, and how much detail was put into it's wings, tail, face, and legs! Almost like the bird is your target, and your eye just drifts right towards it. It looks absolutely AMAZING!

Story Line:

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games series, and if you didn't know that, you've been living under a VERY large rock. Just because I really loved the cover of Hunger Games, doesn't mean I liked the book itself.

There's a huge hype about the Hunger Games series, and everyone was reading and enjoying it. Giving it a chance, I picked up the first book and started reading, not really because I wanted to read the book, but more to find out what the hype was about and why everyone love it SO much.

About half way through the book, I was wondering when would the action start, when is this part coming that everyones' been talking about?

When I finally finished it, I was a little upset, because I didn't get as much enjoyment out of it as the rest of my friends, family and blogging buddies. Yeah, the story line and concept were fantastic, but I needed more action. Honestly, she has bow and arrow skills, AWESOME bow and arrow skills! Why didn't Kat use them more often?

In the end, it seemed to me she was mostly hiding and waiting for time to pass, than she did fighting and trying to survive.

A few months passed, until I decided to give the Hunger Games series another go, and went to pick up both Catching Fire and Mockingjay; promising myself to keep an open mind.

Not only did Catching Fire make me want to re-read Hunger Games and start Mockingjay, but it smacked me in the face and proved me ten times wrong! I loved it! I loved it! I loved it!

I loved how much the characters have developed, even though I wanted more of Gale, but Peeta was such a cutie! *SPOILER ALERT!* How the society switched the game, and made all of the old winners go into the ring and play against each other blew me away!!

In the Hunger Games, I wanted to see Kat use her bow and arrows skills more, and see her in action! Even though, I didn't see much or any of that in Catching Fire, I didn't mind it, simply because the book was filled to the brim with intense action.

The lesson I learned from reading the Hunger Games series, is not to give up on something right away, just because you might not like the first taste. And that it is okay, to try again.