Book Review: Catching Fire

Serving as the 2^nd entry in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire follows directly on from the events of the 1^st book by showcasing the turbulent fallout of Katniss Everdeen’s defiance of the Capitol in the 74^th annual Hunger Games. While both she and Peeta Mellark still live and reside in District 12 as Victors, they soon feel the pressure their defiance has earned them when the Captiol begin to subjugate them and their fellow district members in the wake of rebellious uprisings across the other districts.  This all culminates in a tragic sense of irony when Katniss and Peeta soon learn they have been chosen once again to partake in the 75^th annual Hunger Games as part of a special Quarter Quell celebration which stipulates the tributes are to be taken from the existing pools of Victors. Realizing their defiance has led to wider spouts of rebellion, the duo must face off against the Capitol’s machinations once again in hopes they can find another way to beat the games and come out alive together.

The narrative behind Catching Fire does a brilliant job in reflecting the higher stakes and perils at play in the wake of the prior book’s events.  I love how much time this story spends building up the wider world in the wake of Katniss’s actions.  We know as readers the trick she played in the first book with the Nightlock was one of desperation, but Collins smartly showcases the larger ripples that action caused in regards to the Capitols control over the populace.  Seeing Katniss come to terms with her unintended role as a symbol of resistance and the repercussions that now puts on her serves as the central drive of the first half of this book. I love how much more depth this allows Collins to give the world too, in the first book we only really get a controlled view of the world of District 12 before we are whisked away to the Hunger Games.  In Catching Fire’s case a lot more time is given to flesh out the daily goings of the Districts and the oppression they all suffer from.  This in turn makes it easier as the reader to get more invested in Katniss’ plight as she comes to terms with the role she is being forced to take up against the Capitol.

Follow this up with the 2^nd half of the book in which we are thrust back into the Hunger Games with the fellow victors, it’s really impressive how much this story is able to keep up with itself.  I love how much Collins ties the theme and dangers behind the latest Hunger Games with the Capitol’s desire to stamp out any sparks of rebellion.  By forcing the Victors to partake in the games, it allows them to force Katniss into a situation where they can kill her and thus eliminate her as a symbol of resistance.  The arena in turn is constructed in a much different way to the prior games and Collins does an amazing job laying it out in a way in which you figure things out along with Katniss while even deeper schemes and plots play out in the background.

None of this would be half as captivating though if it wasn’t for the character work in this book.  Collins already had a solid cast of characters established from the 1^st book and she does a superb effort in fleshing them out within the context of the narrative here.  I love how much of a struggle Katniss is going through in facing the reality of her position against President Snow, she goes through so much hardship but her ability to persevere is given so much appreciated depth by Collins. Alongside Katniss is a strong supporting cast of new and old characters who get a lot of opportunity to stand out beside Katniss too.  I think Collins is adept at implementing character development alongside the core structure of her stories and Catching Fire is one of the better examples of this.

Collins does an even greater job in delivering a much darker tone to the 2^nd entry as well.  I understand these books are aimed and appreciated primarily towards the Young Adult audience, but it says something that she’s able to write the story in such a mature manner that any kind of reader can still come to appreciate it.  The gritty and serious aura of the first book is given a lot of extra weight in this installment and in turn it helps give the reader a lot more attachment to these people and their plights. It makes sense that the Capitol’s uglier side would come to the forefront of the story with how they feel irked by Katniss’ supposed defiance and everything they do is reflect the totalitarian cruelty that truly defines their ideals. 

On the whole Catching Fire feels like Collins firing on all cylinders when it comes to her writing abilities.  It surpasses the first entry on every metric in my personal opinion, as it knows how to add on and flesh out key elements while introducing just the right amount of new stuff to keep the story fresh.  I’ve never been so invested in the fates of story characters as I have with this series and even with having watched the movie adaptions, it says something that the book is able to grasp me so easily and make me forget that I know a lot of these characters fates already.  Catching Fire is a fantastic book whether you judge it independently or on its position as the bridging entry in this trilogy, I really hope the final book can follow suit in exceeding my expectations.