The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-545-22724-7

For anyone about to read this review, I warn now, it is full of spoilers.

This was probably the most emotionally heavy book in the trilogy thus far (although the first was close behind it). It took me over a week to complete, and I was lucky that it only took that long. 

The book follows the 75th Hunger Games, which is referred to as a "quarter quell." Every 25 years, as a reminder of the uprising of the districts of Panem, the games are much harsher and there is generally a twist or two related to the reaping. 

In this particular book, the reaping was done by choosing tributes from the existing pool of winners in each district, both male and female. There were several other twists too, including the dynamic of the arena, which was a clock shape that had a different horror representing each hourly section of the arena. This was not picked up by everyone until Beatee, one of the elderly tributes kept making a "tick-tock" noise and either Katniss Everdeen or Peeta Mellark eventually picked up on what she was trying to tell everyone.

One by one, the tributes were gradually eliminated, and the games were definitely harsher. Different elements for each hour, such as poisonous fog, for example, awaited the tributes. Eventually, once Peeta figured out the gamemakers' plans, they decided to switch things up on them, just because they can. The book eventually ends with four tributes remaining and Katniss is strapped to medical equipment that is aboard a hovercraft, which carries them out of the arena. Peeta also mentions that District Twelve is no more. 

Would I read this book again? Perhaps during a season that is not Winter. It actually felt emotionally heavier than its predecessor, and it is pretty hard to top the description of the Tracker Jackers. That being said, I think I only saw the movie once, so it would be nice to watch that again to see what was eliminated from the book in the film adaptation.

So if you haven't picked this book up, do it. That is all.