Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
ISBN 978-0-439-02349-8
390 pages
Scholastic, 2009

Genre: Dystopia

Reader's Annotation:
Katniss' actions in the Hunger Games, an annual ritual in which 24 teenagers must fight to the death as televised entertainment, have made her an unintentional symbol of revolution and a target of an angry government.

Plot Summary:
Set in a dystopic future, where North America is divided into 12 Districts controlled by the almighty Capitol, Katniss deals with the fallout from her participation in the Hunger Games, an annual ritual in which 24 teenagers selected by lottery are sent as tributes to the Capitol and must fight to the death in a battle that's televised for the entertainment to the rest of the country. She tricked the gamemakers into letting her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta, survive, too, but now the Capitol is furious with how she outsmarted them. She's torn between Peeta, who is in love with her, and Gale, her friend and possible love interest who is upset that Kat had to pretend to love Peeta to survive the game. More importantly, as Kat and Peeta travel the country on a victory tour, she learns that the Capitol is working overtime to suppress revolution, and that her actions in the Games have made her the symbol of this revolution. Katniss struggles with her desire to protect her family, her friendships, and her fury at the government which has trampled on the lives of so many people.

Series: Book two in a planned trilogy; the first book is The Hunger Games (2008).

Critical Summary:
The Hunger Games received so much positive attention that I simply had to read it earlier this year. I loved it and couldn't wait for the sequel, which I bought and devoured the day it came out.  I'd had a lot of interesting conversations with people about the first book.  Many of them disliked the ending of the first book, which they felt seemed a little pat and turned what was an interesting political or sociological story into a more hackneyed teen love story.  I felt that this book completely addressed those complaints. While there is a bit of the love triangle, it's only in service of the book's greater message, which is completely about the impending revolution of all the Districts.

I really liked how characters from the first book grew and changed in this one.  Cinna, her stylist, and Haymitch, her drunken mentor, both have more complex roles to play here and are serving their own motivations.   Collins' writing style is taut, and the action is fast-paced; it's a page-turner, for sure, although at some times, it feels like the plot is chugging along so fast, there's not much room for any subtlety.  There's not a lot of description here, and there were a few plot points that I found confusing, even after I read them several times.

As a standalone, I'm not sure if the book would work. While it's satisfying in its own right, it can't be fully appreciated without reading the first one, and the ending is very much unresolved, leading directly to the as-yet-to-be-published final book.

About the author:
Collins is now best known for the the wildly popular book The Hunger Games, the predecessor to Cathing Fire. In addition to this series, Collins has also written the bestselling Underland Chronicles series, fantasies about a strange world hidden under New York City. She started her career as a writer for children's television,

Curriculum Ties:
This book can't really be read on its own, but the first book could be used in discussions about the media and reality TV or societal problems and revolutions.

Booktalking Ideas:
1. Briefly explain the premise of the Hunger Games themselves.
2. For fans of the first book, give a hint of what faces Katniss at the start of this book.
3. Talk about Katniss as a symbol of revolution against the Capitol.

Reading Interest/Level:
While this book is completely appropriate for and interesting to older teens, it would also be enjoyed by 7th graders and up.

Challenge Issues:
Some of the descriptions of the Hunger Games are pretty bloody and violent.

Were it to be challenged, the librarian, along with explaining the selection policy to the challenger, could point out how immensely popular and well-reviewed the first book was, along with winning several Best Book the Year awards.

Selection Criteria:
This book was one of the most-anticipated young adult releases for 2009, so I had to read it!