Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins Book Review

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Summary (from goodreads): Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.


Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.


In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the first in the series and being completely mesmerized by it, I could hardly wait to read the second.  And I did read it in a matter of days.  And all I can say is that if you have read the first book, you absolutely must read the second book!

I felt like the book did an excellent job of picking up right where the first book left off.  The characters that we have grown to love were there--Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and more.  I found the plot of this book even more engaging than the last.  I don't want to put any spoilers in this review, so I won't say much.  But I truly think that Suzanne Collins's readers will find this book as engaging or more engaging than the first.

It is nice to report that there is absolutely NO profanity in the book.  A sexual encounter is implied (but we all know it did not really happen).  The violence depicted in the book is the most difficult part of the book to read.  But I will say this--it is necessary to get the point across.

As I read the book, I realized that if we don't start speaking up and telling the government to stay out of our business, we are honestly in danger of having something like this book happen.  It seems that as time goes on, we become less and less concerned about government involvement in our personal lives.  I am grateful for U.S. checks and balances in our government, and may we fight to keep those.



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About the Author:
Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear andOswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/​Bass Christmas special,Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days,and a freelancer on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.

Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find...? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part fantasy/​war series,The Underland Chronicles.

Her next series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, is an international bestseller.

At present, Suzanne is at work on a picture book with James Proimos.

She currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.

Check out her website here.

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