Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release: September 1, 2009
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 391
Series: The Hunger Games Trilogy #2
Synopsis:
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.


Review:
See? Even the synopsis sounds epic! When I first got this book, it was at the same time I got the first one as well. I got them because of many people liking them plus a friend's recommendation. And when I got it, I read Catching Fire in a day. I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next.

The cover of this book is great. It is very similar to the first with several slight differences. For starters, the background is red and yellow, almost like fire. I think it was to demonstrate the fire Katniss had as well as to be symbolic to her being The Girl On Fire. And then there's the bird. On this cover the bird is darker and slightly metal looking, perhaps symbolising the growing darkness in Panem and the story. And lastly; instead on the bird being set into a pin like on The Hunger Games, this time it's in a target. Now that could mean any number of things, but my favorite theory is that it's the way that the Capitol and President Snow are targeting her for stunt in her Hunger Games with Peeta.

The writing of all three Hunger Games books is just beautiful. Though in Catching Fire it was hugely important that she wrote it just as well as the first so it wouldn't fall under the 'Second Books Always Suck' stereotype. She did it. Catching Fire was every bit as entertaining whether it be in characters or story line or writing. In this amazing sequel, Suzanne topped her last book with even more drama than the first, a story line that had you hooked from the first page and wicked cliff hanger ending that simply made it torturous to wait for Mockingjay until it came out this summer.

In the end, this book turned out to be just as good, if not better, than the first. And the Hunger Games set the bar pretty darn high for this amazing sequel. And because of Catching Fire's ability to keep the tension and excitement up, as one would expect from the first book, I have no doubt in my mind that Catching Fire will go on to be a classic with the Hunger Games as well.