Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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.

My Thoughts: I actually just finished reading Catching Fire last night. I should have finished it like 8 months ago when I got half way through it and stopped at the part when Gale told Katniss that he loved her. I am a Peeta and Katniss fan and I had to stop after that. Dont get me wrong, it was a great book but once I put it down I didn't pick it back up for a while. I forgot about it. I borrowed the book from a friend and when she kept asking for it back, I decided I should finish the novel. Once I picked it back up again, I couldn't put it back down.

Katniss is a fighter. She is not one to give up. All she wants to do is save everyone she loves, and that means to even sacrifice herself if it comes down to it. I admire her for all of that and more. She doesn't care how she looks, she only cares for one thing: family. Everyone she loves is considered familey. She won't go down without a fight, and even though she may not have realized it, but with her determination, she can go a long way. Katniss is an awesome character, and even though she may not think things through or makes the best choices, she's super smart and no matter what, she will always figure a way out.

In Catching Fire, Katniss is not just fighting for family anymore, but for freedom. The districts are starting to have an uprising, and Katniss is what gives them all hope that they can win against the capitol. Without her, there is no hope. It becomes so intense and dangerous that Katniss doesn't even know what she stands for until the end of the novel. Its safer if she's clueless. People team up with her in the games and it seems like she is having a much easier time then the first time she played. She notices as people are doing things for her and trying to keep her alive, which she doesn't understand until the end. At the end, Katniss is the symbol for freedom. She understands that thats the reason people want her alive. But what I didnt see coming: no more district twelve, Peeta is captured by the capitol. Not exactly what I wanted to end the novel with. At least I have easy access to the third novel.

I have read lots of reviews for the Hunger Games novels, and they all sound pretty much the same. Obviously, they are amazing. I agreed with most of them. The novel is addiciting, you can't get enough of it. Catching Fire is the first novel that I will be using my new rating system:

9

Why?

Because the characters are amazing

Made me think about family

Cliffhanger left me unhappy

Overall, Catching Fire in an amazing novel, and I do recommend it.

And by the way, Im back :)

Thank you!

-Liz Tapia