Book Review: Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins 

5 Stars

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is a compelling sequel to the dystopian novel The Hunger Games. Taking place after the events of the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta must navigate their new life as Victors. However, when Katniss realizes that her actions in the Hunger Games have sparked a deeper reaction from the audience than she expected, she knows she must resolve her feelings about Peeta and work with him to do damage control before things spiral out of hand. 

This novel does a great job of adding on to the world-building of the first book, transitioning from focusing almost solely on District 12 to providing a deep look into the different ways of life in each district and the changes they've faced over the past year. The addition of several new characters adds emotional depth and new stakes to the story, opening readers' eyes to the domino effect of events that have been impacting Panem for decades. There are many details sprinkled throughout this novel connecting these characters to the events and characters of the series' prequels, which shows Suzanne's dedication to planning and writing her works in a way that reveals new understandings with each read.   

Overall, Catching Fire does an amazing job of amplifying the stakes that were present in The Hunger Games, in an exciting new way that leaves readers on the edge of their seats with plot twists and chapter cliffhangers. This makes the novel even more compelling than the first, and those who have not already introduced themselves to The Hunger Games series can be easily convinced by this sequel to do so now. 

Reviewed by Madison as part of the Teen Reviewer, opens a new window program

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