Book Review: Catching Fire

 Images from imdb.com and mockingjay.net

 SPOILER ALERT: Although I will try to make this post pretty vague, it may give away some things.

Since the second Hunger Games movie is coming out this fall, I figured I should read the second book called Catching Fire. I really enjoyed the first book (such an easy read: read it in three days) as well as the movie (Jennifer Lawrence is so hot as Katniss). So, I hopped onto the HG bandwagon.

The second book is also very quick to get through. The action moves the book right along, and of course you're kept in suspense the whole time wondering what's going to happen next that you can't help but read straight through, just waiting to see how the book ends!

This book mainly focuses on the beginning of a revolution throughout the districts, a revolution that seems to have been sparked by Katniss' act(s) of defiance during the Hunger Games in the last story. For the entirety of the book, you are wondering whether a full-fledged revolution will break out, or whether the Capital will be able to squelch it before anything major happens.

While I still enjoyed the book, I did not like this story's Hunger Games arena as much as the first one. I just didn't think the threats the characters had to face were as bad. But I can imagine that this second movie will do justice to the "reality" of the book. Now that the first movie has come out, I could picture all of the characters, their homelands, the Capital, etc. just as they were in the film. I have no doubt that this second film will be just as beautiful and entertaining.

I also didn't feel like the relationships between characters were well established. You knew people were in an alliance together, but why? You knew someone had a loved one back home, but what was the background? I felt like the relationships were quiet fuzzy, with no details. The author assumes the readers will assume these relationships as fact, but why? Where is the background, the evidence?

I liked the book, but I'm hoping I enjoy the movie even more!