Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5/5 stars

Favorite quote: “I really can’t think about kissing when I’ve got a rebellion to incite. ”

A few weeks into quarantine, I discovered something amazing: the sheer number of audiobooks you can find on YouTube for free. I don’t think I’ve listened an audiobook for years, but since all libraries are closed and I don’t want to spend all my money on more books from Amazon, I listened to the audiobook for Catching Fire. And I realized audiobooks are actually pretty convenient.

*spoiler warning* -Don’t read the rest of this review if you have not read the first book.

Katniss and Peeta have returned home as the victors of the 74th Hunger Games, but they aren’t going to live happily ever after. Katniss is plagued by PTSD and guilt, and soon finds herself in the middle of a classic love triangle. Things only get worse when she receives a visit from President Snow, our resident evil dictator. He tells Katniss that she may have inadvertently sparked a rebellion among the districts with her and Peeta’s poison berries stunt, and unless she can convince him that she had only acted out of desperate love for Peeta, not defiance towards the Capitol, he will kill Gale as well as her entire family. When she and Peeta embark on their Victory Tour around the districts, forced to keep up their star-crossed lovers facade, Katniss witnesses more of the Capitol’s cruelty firsthand and begins to realize just how much dissent and anger simmers among the citizens they are determined to silence.

This book was SO GOOD. The second book in a series is rarely better than the first, but in this case it definitely was. I procrastinated a ton of work I had to do because I could not stop listening. I really wished I had a print copy so I could read faster. Collins’s world-building and characterization improved in this sequel, too. Katniss is a great character. Peeta is a great character-except for his weirdly extreme infatuation with Katniss. The plot was the strong suit once again, riddled with twists and turns. There were at least two major plot twists that I didn’t see coming AT ALL. There were a few things I didn’t really like, such as the love triangle (Why can’t Katniss just stay single?), but overall I really enjoyed it. There’s also slightly less graphic violence (remember Cato’s death scene in the first book? Yikes) which was a plus. Amazing sequel!