Collins, Suzanne: Catching Fire
Catching Fire (2009)
Written by: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 391 (Hardcover)
Series: Book Two of Three
Funny story about this book: I bought it before I ever read The Hunger Games. Why did I do such a silly thing? Because Borders had an AWESOME discount on this book (like 50% or something insane) when it first came out, and the cover is so pretty that I couldn't resist. So it was my secret, shameful purchase, because I had no idea if I'd like The Hunger Games or if I'd think it's nothing but hype. Thankfully, I liked it. But then came the next important decision: read Catching Fire right away, or wait until digitalclone could read it with me (as we read The Hunger Games together)? I decided to wait until she could read it with me, which pushed the book to September.
But then I cheated. Y'all know I had surgery last week, and being on painkillers (and in pain beforehand) really messed up my ability to concentrate. That meant my reading of So Long Been Dreaming had to be put aside, and for whatever reason, I couldn't focus on the next book in my TBR pile either. But the day I came home from the hospital, my pre-order of Mockingjay was waiting, and I thought: you know, Collins isn't a taxing author. What I see is what I get. So let's just go ahead and finish this trilogy!.
Turns out, reading spec fic YA is a GREAT, but odd, thing to read while on painkillers. :)
The premise: ganked from BN.com: 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 style: please keep in mind, this was the FIRST book I read after I got home from the hospital and was on pain medication. So that made the experience of reading odd, and therefore, my reactions mind be a little odd as well. I didn't take notes; I just read the thing and then moved on. So expect some comparisons to The Hunger Games and how this book moves the overall story arc along. I'll also discuss the so-called love triangle, so yes, expect spoilers, because how I feel about this book is greatly influenced by the book's ending. If spoilers bother you, just skip to the "My Rating" section of the review.
I just finished reading my review for The Hunger Games, and damn, that was thorough! But I remember why that was the case: before reviewing, I sat down and read the reactions on Amazon.com so I could get some kind of platform, and Amazon gave me MORE than enough ammunition to use as a foundation.
Well, I thought about doing that this time, and decided not to bother. I didn't read the book in a critical mindset, so I just need to talk about the things I noticed rather than reacting to other people's criticisms.
The first thing that came to mind: I really don't think Collins had a direction for this book. It's the middle of a trilogy meant to bridge the opening and the conclusion, but for the first part of the book, it seems to wander. Lots of stuff happens, but in summary, which lessens the importance of said stuff and diminishes the tension. It was fascinating to see Katniss and Peeta home in District 12 and I wish we could've seen more of it: how do the townspeople treat them? As heroes? We hear so much about how other Districts potentially view Katniss and Peeta's actions in the Games that we don't really examine what life in District 12 is like after the Games. We see what's going on with Gale, but that's it, and even that's not very powerful. But I'll discuss that later.
Then there's the Quarter Quell, aka the next annual Hunger Games. On one hand, it makes sense. On the other hand, I have a sneaking suspicion that like President Snow and the Capitol, Collins firing blindly, though in the author's case, she was trying to find a way to bring back the excitement of what made the first book so popular (nonstop action, reality television parallels, etc) and made a decision that seemed a little arbitrary, though it makes sense in the larger story arc.
And truly, meeting the other winning tributes from past years was actually a delight. Finnick became a character I was fascinated with, and Mags--oh Mags. I loved seeing how all the tributes acted with each other and with Peeta and Katniss, and I liked seeing the other side to the Games: once the Games are over, the Capitol's love affair with the winners isn't over, which made the Quarter Quell so horrifying (but talk about timing: what would President Snow have done if the Quarter Quell hadn't been the year right after Katniss and Peeta won the Games?). And that's why the decision, while a little arbitrary-feeling, made so much sense.
Because we're furthering the seeds of rebellion.
What I liked about the Quarter Quell itself was how different it was from Katniss's Games. She's with a team this time, not on her own. The setting is entirely different. She's cooperating with Peeta (mostly) instead of second-guessing everything he's doing. Though, she does do SOME second-guessing, and everytime Katniss slipped into that mindset of not wanting to accept the truth even though it's in front of her face, I wanted to smack her. Actually, any time we had such a similar repeat from the previous book, my attention span waned (which was EASY, given the pain meds. I could just fall asleep at the drop of a hat!).
And I'll admit to being a little confused by the climax. When everything started happening, I thought Beetee had betrayed everyone. Collins, despite her writing being pretty easy to get through and rather transparent, had this scene a little too confusing for my tastes. I still don't know what went wrong (or did it? Was the wire supposed to be cut?) and I don't know how or if Beetee was injured (the other tributes?), so Katniss's revelation about who the enemy really is was not quite as powerful as it could've been.
I loved, loved, LOVED learning about Haymitch's role in his Hunger Games.
Now, the so-called triangle. I'm sorry, but it really doesn't exist. I'm not saying that Katniss doesn't have feelings for Gale, but enough to make it a legitimate triangle? Not on your life. Because while Katniss is also struggling to figure out what her feelings really are for Peeta (glad she came around), it's kind of obvious that it's Peeta she's going to end up with. Not just because Collins is clearly writing it in that direction, but after everything they shared in the Games, how can Gale even come close? It was the most defining moment of Katniss's life, and while Gale saw it on television, Peeta was the one she experienced with, the one she'll be able to talk to (or not talk to) and be understood as easily as breathing. Plus, Gale's a little too…pugilistic for my tastes. I'm not saying he shouldn't want to fight the Capitol, but something about his attitude regarding fighting back has rubbed me the wrong way since the first book.
That's not to say Peeta and Katniss should be the OTP. They're just the couple that makes the most sense.
Lastly, that ending. I like how Collins raises the stakes with each cliffhanger. In the first book, Peeta is suffering from the knowledge that Katniss's feelings weren't real but he has to play along with the act anyway. But here, Peeta's missing and we learn District 12 has been destroyed. That's pretty powerful, and it made me glad I didn't have to wait long to read the final book, though in truth, a few months processing time really wouldn't have hurt me.
My Rating
Worth the Cash: It's not quite as engrossing as The Hunger Games, and to be honest, Collins has her strengths, but creating love triangles is not one of them. That said, there's a lot of great, touching moments in the book and lots of action. We meet new characters who are easy to get attached to, and we learn a lot about the surrounding Districts and the winning tributes to previous Games. Certainly, the book is a bridge, but it's a fast read nonetheless with a cliffhanger that will once more have you dying for the next installment. And fortunately, for the next installment, I already had it at hand!
Cover Commentary: Of the three covers, this is my absolute favorite. I love the reds used, and I like how the mockingjay itself is starting to overwhelm the pin and look more like a real bird while also still looking like a pin. It also loses that Russian vibe I got from the first cover. Very pleasing to the eye.
Next up: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (of course!)