Summary from Goodreads:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Review:
Catching Fire is an excellent sequel to The Hunger Games as it explores the consequences of defying a vengeful, totalitarian regime. The readers are given a chance to view the eleven other districts quite briefly. More time could have been spent on exploring them in detail as I was very interested in learning more about the geography and culture of Panem.
When I found at that Katniss and Peeta were forced to enter the arena again, I was quite annoyed as I thought it would be a repetition of the first book. However, different events occurred this time around which made it exciting. Catching Fire delved more into the supposedly luxury lifestyles of the Capitol’s citizens.
Despite their exquisite lifestyle, abundant food and wacky body alterations, they are just as oppressed as the people of the Districts in their own way. This was most appallingly demonstrated by the way in which Capitol partygoers would take purging drinks after over-indulging in food so that they could carry on eating. They also spend their time carrying out different types of body surgery and trying out new hairstyles due to their boredom.
I liked the fact that new characters were introduced, such as Champions from previous years, as it added a different aspect to the impact of the Hunger Games. Catching Fire showed the growing unrest among the greater population which was good.
Collins did not shy from illustrating the brutality of the regime with a graphical description of the way in which a man was so casually executed for whistling and the way in which Gale was mercilessly whipped for hunting for food.
In addition, more light was shed upon Haymitch’s intriguing past which I was eager to learn about as it explained why he became the way he is (a drunkard). Although Catching Fire was really good, Collins failed to show how Katniss’ mother and sister dealt with losing her for a second time when they were all so certain that she was safe as a Champion, as it must have been devastating.
Although the book did contain violence, it also had deeply moving scenes which demonstrated self sacrifice for the sake of love. These scenes made me extremely sad but I am glad that they were included as it shows that the characters can think about more than just their own survival and the power of love.
The romance thread still continued in this book and has not yet been resolved. The presence of romance adds to the feel of the story but will hopefully be resolved in the next book to the satisfaction of the majority. The novel was well-paced and the characters were well-developed although more time could have been spent in showcasing the Districts.
I really enjoyed Catching Fire and eagerly read the whole book. It’s exciting, gripping and unputdownable. I would recommend this trilogy to everyone.
Book Rating: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Concept: 5/5
I wrote this review as part of Dystopian August which is taking place over at Presenting Lenore. Check it out!
No comments:
Post a Comment