Catching Fire Book Review
Major Spoilers are included in this book review. Please read with caution.
On July 21, 2020, I revisited my favorite Hunger Games novel—Catching Fire—and finished on July 24, 2020. Back during my high school days—around 2009—I was obsessed with Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games alongside a good friend of mine, who suggested the series to me. I remembered us reading these books and discussing the themes during English class. I cherished those memories, as having talks like that are hard to come by in today’s times. Especially when we need to be having these discussions. If you’re reading this good friend of mine, thank you so much. I haven’t forgotten you! Now let’s keep the discussion going in this book review:
Following the conclusion of the first Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home as victors for District 12. However, Katniss’ trick with the poisonous berries in order to secure victory for them both was seen as an act of defiance against the Capitol, provoking President Snow to visit Katniss.
The tense scene between President Snow and Katniss triggered the novel’s series of events in addition to effectively raising the stakes for Katniss and her loved ones. Unless Katniss can convince the nation—more accurately, convince President Snow himself—that her act of defiance during the Games was indeed an act of love, everyone Katniss loves and cares for will suffer and die.
However, what Katniss triggered during the Games had gone beyond her control. The rebellions in the other Districts continued to stir in Panem. During the victory tour through all the other Districts, Katniss sees how her influence has inspired them all to use her mockingjay pin as the symbol of the resistance. Indirectly, Katniss herself had become the symbol of the resistance—of the revolution forming in all the Districts. The world-building during the victory tour was quite astounding.
Catching Fire truly delivers on all the action, the political rebellion, and how much control the Capitol has over the Districts. We also see how far the Capitol—specifically President Snow—will go to maintain that control through various scenes in this novel: the public whipping of Gale in the town square, the execution of an old man whistling Rue’s song in District 11, and using the Quarter Quell—the Seventy-Five Hunger Games—as a way of eliminating Katniss and Peeta are prime examples on how far they’ll go to reclaim their dominance over the Districts.
While aspects of the authoritative government and their oppressive hold on the people were touched upon in The Hunger Games, Catching Fire expands on these themes through Katniss’s experiences touring the other Districts and how vastly different they are treated compared to District 12. The plot and fast pace of the first novel were improved upon in this well-earned sequel, making the reading experience way more enjoyable and suspenseful.
The true strength of Catching Fire though lies in its main protagonist Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire. Katniss’ characterization is superior in this novel compared to the first one. She is strong, rebellious, independent, but confused and uncertain as well.
Katniss isn’t sure what she wants, but she is willing to do anything to survive like pretend to be in love with Peeta and be pregnant with his child, and lying about her and Gale being cousins to avoid a potential love triangle—which fails of course—but Katniss tried her best. In my opinion, Catching Fire pulled off the melodramatic love triangle really well only because Suzanne Collins tied it with all the political strife—and the risen stakes— happening in the Capitol.
Overall, Catching Fire was a heart-racing, thrilling experience that surpassed its predecessor in every perceivable way. After reading this for a second time, I can confidently say this is my favorite Hunger Games novel. I’m still excited though to dive into the third book and later the new prequel novel—The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—that came out back in May 2020. Let’s keep it reading, everyone!