Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Over the summer, I read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the second book in the Hunger Games series. The story takes place in the fictional country of Panem, where the abusive Capitol lets its people live in luxury, while the people of the 12 districts starve to death. The Capitol forces each district to send two tributes, a boy and a girl between the ages of 13-18, to fight to the death in a competition known as the Hunger Games. In the story, the protagonist, Katniss, is a victor of the Hunger Games, along with Peeta, her companion from the Games. In the last book, they had angered the Capitol by forcing it to let both of them live. In this book, the Capitol is out for revenge.

Katniss’ stunt from the last book has caused people in other districts to begin to rise up against the Capitol. In the woods, Katniss meets two refugees from another district. They carry bread with Katniss’ symbol from the Games, a mockingjay. The mockingjay is a hybrid animal that was created by the breeding of a Capital muttation with mockingbirds. She suddenly understands how her actions have caused rebellions all over the country, and that she is expected to be their leader. By herself, she feels that she can’t possibly be up to the task of leading a full revolt against the Capitol. But she doesn’t need to—she gets help. Her unperdictable mentor, Haymitch, advises her on what she should and shouldn’t do. Her charismatic companion, Peeta, helps her by making powerful speeches and interviews that she could never do alone. Her close friend, Cinna, a stylist from the Capitol, helps her by creating a dress that transforms to make her look like a mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion, even though he understands the risks involved. Collins’ use of symbolism allowed her to bring out a unique and important theme about teamwork and friendship.

I really enjoyed this series and would recommend it to anyone. The plot was very unique and the book itself was hard to put down. The author’s use of various devices such as foreshadowing and characterization created a spectacular novel that was so compelling, it felt like you were in the story, following the characters around from an over-the-shoulder perspective. There are surprises on nearly every page, including the very last. In order to not spoil the story, I have left out much of the plot, including some of the best parts of this book. If you haven’t read the Hunger Games series, I strongly recommend you do so.