Author: Suzanne Collins
It's impossible to properly review this book without some spoilers, most especially spoilers for the previous book, The Hunger Games. So, consider yourself warned.
Picking up immediately where we left off, the two survivors of the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta, are living in the lap of (relative) luxury. They have nice new homes, and never want for food. The closest that life comes to drama in little District 12 is the continuing romantic triangle between the victors and Gale, who is now forced to pretend to be Katniss' cousin, for the sake of everyone's safety.
As is customary, the victors are forced to go on a Victory Tour of all the districts. On the trip, and via a not-so-thinly-veiled threat from sadistic President Snow, they learn that their victory may have sowed the seeds of rebellion amongst the districts, and that they may again be fighting for their lives.
Collins doesn't go any lighter with the material in this one, so we still have a large share of gruesome deaths, either described in detail or alluded to (Death by rabid squirrels? Yikes!). The book suffers from middle child syndrome, being sort of a wrap up of the previous book, and a build up to the final chapter. That said, there's a lot to enjoy here, and Collins doesn't forget to include some intense action towards the end. The world building here is necessary, so I'm actually pleased that it was mostly relegated to the first half of the novel, but some of you may find it a chore to trudge through ("Come on! Get with the beheadings!").
My main complaints are really just symptoms of this being a Young Adult novel, and are exactly the same problems I had with the previous book: The romance feels forced, and the Deus Ex Machina allows the heroine to avoid having to make any really hard choices. But like I said, it's YA and expected.
Overall, not as unique as the first book, and feel more like a build up to book three, but I enjoyed it. The Hunger Games portion of the book was fairly illogical and thematically unnecessary; a true sequel, to be sure. Character motivations in the game are also highly questionable. What'evs. . . It's fan service, and I was satisfied by it. Looking forward to the final chapter.
WHO I WOULD HAVE DIRECT THE MOVIE: Steven Soderbergh, since he's dealt well with action, revolutionaries, and political intrigue well before.
FREDERICK OPINES: GOOD
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
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