Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I can't believe how quickly that book went! For some reason, I remember it being quite long, but I felt like I finished it in no time. Although Catching Fire isn't as good as The Hunger Games, it is still an utterly amazing read, and if you loved the first novel then you must continue!

My favourite thing about this book has to be the characters that are introduced. At the beginning, the new ones all seem a bit pathetic and you don't bond with them quite like you do with the others, like Rue, Thresh and Foxface. But suddenly, you do. I adore Finnick, Johanna, Wiress and Beetee, with their conflicting personalities and strengths, and you can't help but feel their pain as well as Katniss', Gale's and Peeta's. I think Collins has an incredible knack and creating these characters, because no two are alike, yet you end up loving them all for different reasons.

One thing I'm a bit at odds about is the storyline. The plot for the trilogy is fantastic, but in a way, Catching Fire is like the bridge from The Hunger Games to Mockingjay. Everything is quite fast-paced, and you don't go as deep into the storyline as you did beforehand because Collins had to make it a lot of it brief to fit it all in. In some ways, I'd say this is the longest book because it does cover so much ground - just lightly. But in a way, I feel like I can't criticise it because it had to be done to make this trilogy complete. So I guess I'd say if you love the first book, but don't get quite the same feeling with this one, just brush it off - the finale is spectacular! But nevertheless, this is a great novel and a great series, so if you haven't read it, go out and get a copy!
Rating:4/5