Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

Book Description

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.
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From Bookmarks Magazine

Reviewers were happy to report that the Hunger Games trilogy is alive and well, and all looked forward to the third book in the series after this one's stunning conclusion. But they disagreed over whether Catching Fire was as good as the original book Hunger Games or should be viewed as somewhat of a "sophomore slump." Several critics who remained unconvinced by Katniss's romantic dilemma made unfavorable comparisons to the human-vampire-werewolf love triangle in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. But most reviewers felt that Catching Fire was still a thrill because Collins replicated her initial success at balancing action, violence, and heroism in a way that will enthrall young readers without giving them (too many) nightmares.

Review

Praise for Catching Fire:

#1 New York Times Bestseller 
#1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller 
A Time Magazine Top 10 Fiction Book of 2009 
A People Magazine (Top 10) Best Book of 2009 
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice 
A Los Angeles Times Best Children's Book of 2009 
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009 
A Booklist Editors' Choice 2009 
A Kirkus Best Book of 2009 
#1 USA Today Bestseller 
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

"...enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment." — School Library Journal, starred review

"Whereas Katniss kills with finesse, Collins writes with raw power." — Time Magazine

"Collins expertly blends fantasy, romance and political intrigue (so who needs vampires?)." — People Magazine

"Collins has joined J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer as a writer of children's books that adults are eager to read." — Bloomberg.com

"Catching Fire not only lived up to my high expectations, it surpassed them. It's just as exciting as The Hunger Games, but even more gut wrenching, because you already know these characters, you've already suffered with them." — Stephenie Meyer

Suzanne Collins is the author of the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles series, which has more than one million books in print and is available in seven foreign editions. In the award-winning The Hunger Games trilogy, Collins continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age. Also a successful writer for children's television, Collins lives with her family in Connecticut.

Product Details

·         File Size: 921 KB

·         Print Length: 391 pages

·         Page Numbers Source ISBN: 043902353X

·         Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (June 3, 2010)

·         Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

·         Language: English

·         ASIN: B003O86FMW