Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games Book 2

Year published: 2009

Pages: 480

Time It Took To Read: Four hours

Well, when I said I'd read this today, I meant it. I've been reading them on my crappy e-book that only has two hours of battery life, so I've had to keep charging it up as I go along. Frustrating! Anyway, I devoured it, and look forward to reading Mockingjay tomorrow.

With it being part of a book series, it's really hard to give any outline of the plot without spoiling book one. I mean, I'm fairly sure most people who would read it have done so, or seen the film by now, but even so... Katniss has tried to return to normal life after the games, and has MANY FEELINGS about the men in her life. These feelings make this book feel rather more teenage than the last, despite Katniss feigning asexuality most of the time. However, politics are conspiring to make her a figurehead for rebellion, and Capitol make their money through oppression. This book largely charts the president's attempts to quell, and then crush Katniss.

It reminded me of 1984 rather more than the first book in the series. Actions have consequences across the full length of the book, rather than just in the next day or so. It's not quite as brutal as the first book: the evil is insidious and inescapable and there's slightly less emphasis on violent interactions.

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Hunger Games, but the inevitable sense of hopelessness, anger and rebellion drives Catching Fire. I hope Mockingjay proves as satisfying a read.
I'll let you know tomorrow... ;-)

Book count: 15/50