Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

“Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!” Katniss Everdeen thought she would never have to fear hearing her name read aloud in the reaping, but she was wrong. Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy, and it is by far my favorite. This is my third time reading it. I read it all in one sitting because it is just so captivating.
There are so many parts to this book. The story starts off with Katniss and Peeta after they have won their Hunger Games, and are the first ever team of victors. This does not settle well with the villain, President Snow. The pair embark on a Victors Tour, and when it concludes they head back to their new homes in District 12. The hard part about their tour is that they have to continue this half charade and half real romance. Peeta has always loved Katniss, and she does not know how she feels. When they return home the next Hunger Games is announced, but this time it is different because its the 75th, which means its a quarter quell. A quarter quell means that their are no rules, and the game makers can do whatever they want. One year they doubled the amount of tributes. President Snow sees this as an opportunity because when Katniss and Peeta defied the games and won together, it ignited a rebellion against everything he stood for. The 75th Hunger Games would be comprised of previous victors, and Katniss being the only female victor in District 12 makes her an automatic tribute. The rest of the story follows Katniss and Peeta as they prepare and battle in the games. By the end of the story we see the rebellion is up in full swing.
Katniss and Peeta's relationship is so complex. When Peeta announced he had loved Katniss every since they were children it sent the capitol and other districts into a frenzy. They wanted them to be in love, so they were, and when they won it truly brought their love story to light. Throughout the story we start to see Katniss develop feelings for Peeta. She wants to protect him. She wants Haymitch to volunteer so Peeta is not in the games. She always has his back. This is the part of the story that has always really hooked me in. I can remember reading this story for the first time and literally rooting for them to be truly in love. The unfortunate part of the story is just as Katniss has truly opened up to him, they are separated. The rebellion has had a plan all along to get Katniss out of the arena, but Peeta was not able to be saved and is taken by the Capitol.
The rebellion in Catching Fire sets up the entire last novel. This rebellion stands for so much. The districts live in poverty, providing goods and services for the people of the Capitol to live lavish lives. The people of the districts finally start to stand up for themselves. This series is a great young adult read that students could read, and it provides many lessons throughout. We can compare things like the events in the series to real life rebellions. They happen all over the world. I will always recommend this book. The way Suzanna Collins writes will captivate you, and before you know it you will be reading three books in two days like I did.