I know that it has been a little while since I've written. There are 2 good reasons for that. First of all, I hit a point about a week ago where I finished all of the books I was reading and launched into 3 new ones at once. So, you should expect several new posts in the coming week or so. The second reason has nothing at all to do with books. Life has been more than a little crazy. First and foremost, Kevin and I got engaged at the start of the month! Needless to say, having a big shiny rock on my finger has distracted me a bit from the written word. Instead, I've been perusing wedding magazines and worrying about finding a venue. I also started a new job today. On top of all of that, Kevin moved into what will be our first home together last week. Like I said, things have been crazy.
I realize that none of that had anything to do with Catching Fire. To those of you who don't care at all about my personal life and just want to read about books, I apologize. On to the book... (spoilers ahead)
Collins' second work in the Hunger Games trilogy is very comparable in quality and voice to the first one. Many of my friends cite Catching Fire as their favorite of the series. Personally, I will always be partial to the original, but the sequel really is great as well.
The book focuses on Katniss's life after the Hunger Games. After their shared victory, she and Peeta have barely spoken and she is once again spending a lot of her time in the woods with Gale. There has even been a stolen kiss. However, the Capital is not at all pleased with Katniss's unintentional act of defiance at the end of the Games and President Snow is out to get her. She and Peeta are sent on a victory tour around the country where they witness signs of a simmering rebellion under the surface of many distracts. The real shock comes when Peeta and Katniss are sent back to the Games for the 75th anniversary Hunger Games. This time around, Katniss is absolutely determined to save Peeta, but things do not go as planned.
I won't go into too much detail, but I would advise that you have the third book ready to go when you finish this one. The first time I read through these books, I literally closed Catching Fire and immediately opened Mockingjay. Fire is a great sequel and very close in quality to its predecessor. Toward the end, Collins begins to rush things a bit, but the book remains on the same playing field as Games.
Again, my only "complaint" is Collins' stream of thought writing. I just don't love this technique. It gives us a glimpse into Katniss's mind, but sometimes it just seems too casual for me. Overall, though, it does not detract from a great book.
I won't go into too much detail, but I would advise that you have the third book ready to go when you finish this one. The first time I read through these books, I literally closed Catching Fire and immediately opened Mockingjay. Fire is a great sequel and very close in quality to its predecessor. Toward the end, Collins begins to rush things a bit, but the book remains on the same playing field as Games.
Again, my only "complaint" is Collins' stream of thought writing. I just don't love this technique. It gives us a glimpse into Katniss's mind, but sometimes it just seems too casual for me. Overall, though, it does not detract from a great book.
Pages: 391
Date Completed: March 10, 2012
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