Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Review

Title: Catching Fire (Second book in The Hunger Games trilogy)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Page Count: 391 (Hardcover), 400 Kindle

Book Type: Hardcover/Kindle

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 9780439023498

ASIN: B003O86FMW

Picture from Amazon

*Will contain spoilers from The Hunger Games*

From Goodreads: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.

*This review was originally written by me for College Lifestyles*

My Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the sequel to the New York Times Bestseller The Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games revolves around sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen who lives in Panem, which came about after the destruction of North America.  Panem consists of 12 districts (the 13th was destroyed after a rebellion) and is run by the Capitol.  Every year the Capitol selects one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 from each of the districts to participate in the “Hunger Games” to remind them of the rebellion of District 13 which occurred 74 years earlier.  Each tribute must adapt to fighting and surviving in an arena until only one tribute remains.  It is the ultimate fight to the death. The Hunger Games are somewhat Survivor-esque with twists and turns thrown at the tributes from the Gamemakers. The arena changes with each Hunger Games so no one knows what to expect.  As another unpleasant event, everyone at home is forced to watch the Hunger Games on television.  The winner of each Hunger Games receives safety, food and security, which is not common in Panem.  Even this basic rule is bound to change.  The results of the 74th Hunger Games ultimately leads us into what is the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire. While survival seems to be the word in The Hunger Games, rebellion seems to be the word in Catching Fire. All of the rules of the Hunger Games are about to change and we are taken along for the ride.

Katniss is a tough girl who has been taking care of her mother and younger sister ever since the early death of her father.  District 12, where Katniss is from, is quite small and rarely produces winning tributes.  I guarantee you will fall in love with the characters in The Hunger Games and they will not disappoint you in Catching Fire.  They are back with bells on and we even get to add some depth to quite a few more of them.  Suzanne Collins isn’t afraid to talk about controversial issues and you end up loving the book even more for it.  I devoured Catching Fire in no time and I will be on the edge of my seat until the next installment is released next year. (To see my review of Mockingjay, go here).  Warning: the cliffhanger at the end does not help with this feeling!  The Hunger Games is being made into a movie to be released in 2012.  To say I am thrilled about this would be the understatement of the century!

I really, really enjoyed this book (and the preceding one) and I strongly suggest you to check both of them out!  Make sure you have an open schedule when you pick them up to read because you are not going to want to put them down!  You feel immersed in the world of Katniss and the supporting characters to a point where you can almost see their situation as being a reality.  I am still on a post-reading high (I started writing this review mere minutes after I was done reading) and I am so glad that this one did not disappoint.  I look forward to hearing what all of you think of Suzanne Collins’ fine books-please take a chance on them! 

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Review

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Page Count: 374 (Hardcover), 384 (Kindle)

Book Type: Hardcover and Kindle

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

ISBN: 9780439023481

ASIN: B002MQYOFW

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. 

Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling The Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

My Review: This series has some of my favorite covers that I have ever seen. They are so symbolic and they all fit well together. 

I will start off by saying, if you have not read this series, WHY NOT? I adore how fearless Suzanne Collins is in her writing and she takes these books to places I never thought they would go. I believe Katniss is a really positive role model for our youth and genuinely a real character. She is opinionated, stubborn, a survivor and confused. These characteristics just add to the ability to view her as a tangible, real person.

I would classify The Hunger Games (and the whole series) as a must read for lovers of Young Adult or dystopian novels. You do not have to be a teenager to fall in love with this book. 

I am absolutely 100% looking forward to the movie. I am nervous about it, but mainly excited. My suggestion would be (if you’re one of the 10 people who haven’t read this) to read this before, but not too close, to the movie. Re-reading this made me really want to check out Battle Royale by Koushun Takami for the first time. I have heard nothing but good things about it and the stories are fairly similar. 

Tell me, what are your thoughts on The Hunger Games? Also, does anyone else have trouble composing reviews for books that you absolutely love? Those seem to be the hardest for me.

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Num8ers by Rachel Ward Review

Title: Num8ers

Author: Rachel Ward

Genre: YA

Page Count: 325

Book Type: Library Hardcover

Publisher: Chicken House, an Imprint of Scholastic, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-545-14299-1

Picture from Amazon

Summary from Inside Cover of Book: Since the day her mother died, Jem has known about the numbers. 

Numbers that pop into her head when she looks into someone’s eyes. They’re dates, the numbers. Dates predicting with brute accuracy each person’s death.

Burdened by such grim knowledge, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. Maybe they can find happiness together. If only the brief time that remains before his expiration date. 

But on a trip to London, Jen foresees a chilling chain of events.

The city’s a target.

The clock’s running out.

The countdown is on to a blowup!

My Review: The cover of this book is pretty intriguing. I love the numbers floating around every where and how that theme is continued throughout the book at the beginning of each chapter. The veins in the eye kind of creep me out, though. 

There were times that I was completely engrossed in this book and other times where I was only mildly interested. I think one of my main problems with the book was probably my own fault. When Rachel Ward was describing Spider, my mind pictured him as an old man. Just certain characteristics that he had must have associated him with an old man for me. This got to be a bit distracting, but like I said--my own fault most likely. 

The “numbers” don’t play as big of a role in the book as I thought they would. I thought it was setup really well and then sort of fizzled out in the middle and picked up a bit more in the end. The major plot lines seemed to be a bit predictable and sometimes even cliche. 

I did love the language in this book as it is set in London. Warning for those who don’t like swearing, there is quite a bit of it. I would definitely give another book by Rachel Ward a shot. I enjoyed her writing style and maybe with a different story I would like it even more. If I had to rate Num8ers, I would give it an average rating of 3 out of 5. 

Have you read this one yet? What are your thoughts?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Review--SPOILERS

Title: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book #3)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Page Count: 390

Book Type: Owned Hardcover

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 9780439023511

KNOW THAT THE SUMMARY, MY REVIEW AND THE COMMENTS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES. You have been warned....Proceed at your own risk...

Picture from Amazon

Summary from Goodreads: Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. 

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss. 

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

My Review: The cover, oh the glorious cover. I love all of the covers for this series. This one, with the mockingjay bursting out of the circle, is just beautiful and a bit symbolic. I literally was petting this book when it arrived on my porch. I probably shouldn’t be telling people that. 

I’ll start off my review by saying that I really loved this book and it’s one of my favorite series’ as a whole. I think Suzanne Collins’ writing is beautiful and she never fails to surprise me. Typically I can figure out what is going to happen in a story, but I find myself always saying things like, “wow!” or “oh my gosh” while reading her books. A huge bravo to her there. Mockingjay was heartbreaking and beautiful. 

Finnick is the character that grew the most for me. He caused me to tear up on more than one occasion and his death was the one that hit me the hardest. There were a few moments with Finnick that I found myself re-reading the passages. They included his monologue for the propos where he outed President Snow for what he was putting the victors through, his reunion with Annie, his final moments and when he gave Katniss the rope. Picture Annie without Finnick and I dare you not to cry. Wah. He became one of my favorite characters out of all three books. I think he even beat Rue out.

I wish we would have found out exactly what happened to Cinna. I cried when they gave Katniss the book from him. I so wished he was coming back. 

Now, I do have one major gripe with the book....Gale. I felt like he was cheated. Having some fancy job in District 2 where he was on the TV was insulting to his character, I think. Gale having a high-profile job seems so out of character for him. He felt out of character for most of the book, in fact. His story is something I am still thinking about and I don’t think I will ever be satisfied with it. My friend, Laura, commented that he would have been better off heading off into the wilderness with only a knife and a bow. I couldn’t agree more. I didn’t need him to end up with Katniss, I just needed him to be himself. Oh well, I could go on and on with this one.  

Another smaller one is that I found it a bit unbelievable for the main four (Katniss, Gale, Peeta and Haymitch) to all survive. Death is a huge part of that world, it is a war after all, so it seems as if all four of them making it out, damaged as they were, was unrealistic.

Also, here is a little grumble for the fan-base. I really, really don’t like when “teams” are brought into the foreground with this trilogy. I get the whole “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” thing because, face it, Twilight is basically a love story with a dash of paranormal. The Hunger Games trilogy is so much more. It’s a dystopian war society where the love story is just a small part of what is happening. I would have loved the books just as much (probably a bit more) if the love triangle wasn’t involved. I mean, do love triangles actually happen in real life? I have a hard enough time getting one guy to have an interest in me, let alone two guys who would absolutely do anything for me. That’s another story, I suppose. Sorry if I offended anyone there, that wasn’t my intention at all. 

Now I will fill you all in on some tweets that I made while reading in case you don’t follow me on the Twitter.... by the way, do you like when I do this or should I leave it alone? Know that I was trying to be non-spoilery with my tweets.

• mmkay... starting #Mockingjay now... doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway
• Omg #Mockingjay *tears*
• @heytherebriana good so far! I'm on page 53 and I teared up once already haha
• May the odds be *ever* in your favor! #Mockingjay
• Oh #Mockingjay, you're getting painful. I better stop now or I'll never sleep and become even sicker. I will finish this tomorrow. *sobs*
• Omg. #mockingjay
• Double oh. Em. Gee. #Mockingjay page 177
• Page 192 out of 390 in #Mockingjay...reading like a maniac to find out what happens!
• Jdhskdhsakd #Mockingjay page 217 out of 390. This book is killing me.
• On to part 3 of #Mockingjay. Holy bajeezus, I never know what Suzanne Collins is planning.
• Holy eff #Mockingjay. Page 290bof 390.  (clearly I was having problems thinking and typing at the same time)
• Omg noooooo #Mockingjay
• #Mockingjay, you're killing me. page 348 of 390...
• Omg #Mockingjay, you killed me. I'm finished and sad.
• *bawls* Oh my goodnes.
• I'm freaking out. My friends need to read #Mockingjay as soon as humanly possible. Please. I need to cry to someone. (clearly I’m a bit dramatic on the Twitter as well)

There you have it. Sorry this was so long, I just had so many thoughts about this book. Let me know in the comments what you thought and don’t worry about posting spoilers there too. Since this whole review is chock full of them, it can’t get much worse!