Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is one of the most recent book-based movies that came out in late November. After the fantabulous movie for Hunger Games, who couldn't wait to watch the much awaited sequel? I for one could not and let me just say, it was AWESOME.




Enough about the movie though, I'm here to review the actual book, or rather the entire Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This trilogy is one of my favorite renditions of the future. Let's start with the Hunger Games, the first book in this set. Hunger Games brings to life a vivid image of a dangerous future. A future in which nobody is safe from the clutches of the government, unless of course you have some money. As the story goes however, our main character Katniss Everdeen is rather poor and manages to find hope, in a world of desolation and grief, within a rather well known weed, dandelions. She escapes into the woods, one of the only people able escape the clutches of the government for a few hours each day, only to be dragged back when her sister is reaped for the dreaded hunger games. Much to ones surprise the callous girl loves her sister so much, she one of the first to volunteer and take the tribute's place. Soon she ends up in the arena, her morals as well as her physical abilities are tested over and over.

Many authors write about the future as a dark place, almost a repetition of our dark past. Yet, in this book Suzanne Collins takes it beyond dark, to a place where brutality becomes the norm. Is this really what our future holds? Although the ideas behind Hunger Games maybe controversial, Collins does a great job of bringing her vision to life. Throughout the book, you can fell Katniss's pain, confusion, anger. And I think this is what makes the book so great. It's sequel Catching Fire, although the better movie in my opinion, doesn't quite live up to the expectation set up by its predecessor. The characters seem to remain much the same (or even worsen a little!) and the plot-line is repeated as well. In the end, though, comes the big twist that made it so great, Peeta was captured by the capitol! WHAT?? At this point I was an emotionally unstable mess, yet the story went on. Mockingjay was by far the book I liked least out of this trilogy simply because it seemed to go on for ever and ever. And just when you think you're going to have nightmare, the book get worse. With not only just bloodthirsty mutts running around, but poisonous gas and betrayal as well.

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"