Brain Spill Book Review #9

Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

Setting

Catching Fire is a sequel to the book, The Hunger Games. This world takes place where the government, centered at the Capitol, has tyrannical control over the twelve districts surrounding it. Seventy-five years earlier, the thirteen original districts had rebelled against the Capitol, but had failed. The rebellion ended with the utter destruction of the Thirteenth District. As punishment for the rebellion, the Capitol creates the Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games, the remaining twelve districts must each send one boy and one girl (between the ages of 12 and 18) as tribute. These 24 children must then go into an arena and fight to the death. The winning tribute is returned home and lives a life of wealth. Every twenty-five years, though, the Capitol puts a twist on the Games, called the Quarter Quell, and the upcoming Games will be the third Quarter Quell.

Summary

Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen competed in the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, and with a stroke of good fortune, both won the Hunger Games by pretending to be madly in love with each other. Katniss is not in love, but Peeta is. Now living a life of riches, things are much different back at home. Peeta and Katniss are haunted by nightmares of the Hunger Games they were in. President Snow comes to meet Katniss, telling her that having both Peeta and Katniss winning has angered many citizens of the twelve districts. Peeta and Katniss must continue to pretend to be in love to continue to convince the districts that they were in love and to keep the districts from rebelling. Katniss fails, Katniss also begins to hear news of people rebelling in other districts. She hears stories that there might still be survivors in Disrict Thirteen. She wants to run away to avoid punishment for not stopping rebellion, but when law enforcement strengthens and Gale gets flogged for poaching, Katniss knows she must stay. To keep up the facade of love, Peeta and Katniss get publicly engaged. The president then announces that the next Quarter Quell will take previous winners of the Hunger Games and make them go through another game. District 12 only has three living winners: Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch, and Katniss and Peeta are chosen for the games. Now Katniss and Peeta must try to stay alive in the Hunger Games for a second time.

Characters

Katniss Everdeen

Katniss is the narrator of the story. She is still as annoying as in the first book, but now she actually has a reason for her complaining. She is caught in a love triangle. Gale is now a love interest, and one that she has known all her life, but she also sort of likes Peeta, and the Capitol continues to pressure her into the relationship with Peeta. She also has nightmares about the previous Hunger Games to complain about. She changes quite a bit in this book, where she decides to take up the cause of the districts and try to rebel. In the Quarter Quell, she also learns how to trust people more freely.

Peeta Mellark

Peeta is still madly in love with Katniss, though she still is not. They are, though, on good terms with each other. Peeta is not chosen to go into the Hunger Games, but volunteers in order to protect Katniss. He doesn't change to much. He just can't run well on his artificial leg and is always just in love with Katniss.

Gale

Gale is Katniss's other love interest. His two main characteristics are his love for Katniss and his ongoing anger at the Capitol. He becomes the main voice of rebellion in the book. He really doesn't appear for most of the book, though.

Haymitch

Haymitch is still important. He is now one of the few people that Katniss can confide in. He also works to help Katniss and Peeta survive in the games as their coach again. Haymitch also becomes a voice of reason when it comes to hopes of life in District 13 and of successful rebellion. Haymitch becomes much more of a respectable character over the course of the book.

Finnick Odair

Finnick is one of the other tribute chosen to fight in the Quarter Quell. He becomes a very helpful character and ally to the District 12 tributes in the games. He is also one of the more interesting characters, who can see deep into his emotions and the book continues.

President Snow

Finally! There is now a real antagonist in the books! President Snow becomes the voice of the Capitol and represents the force that the Capitol has in Katniss's life. 

Effie

Yeah. She is still here.

Conclusion

This book was actually very good. I don't enjoy the characters as much. The character development feels very rushed, but I really enjoyed the plot and how the entire book comes together. It was a very good book. 7 out of 11 waffles.