“Catching Fire”
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November 7, 2009 • Liliana Alaniz, Staff Writer
Filed under Books, Entertainment
“Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins is set in Panem, an advanced society with a tyrannical government that instills fear in the people by holding the annual Hunger Games. Collins proved herself to be an original and intriguing author in the first volume so it is no surprise that ”Catching Fire” has been one of the most awaited young adult books this fall. Most readers loved it’s predecessor, The Hunter Games and became extremely hopeful for this installment.
As the second book of the dystopian trilogy it starts where “The Hunger Games” left off—Katniss and Peeta have returned victors and have to embark on the Victory Tour. Although the two protagonists have won the Games, Katniss’ unintentional defiance against the Capital has instigated a rebellion among many districts causing her, and her loved ones, to become a target of President Snow. As the 75th Hunger Games, known as a Quarter Quell, nears, an unexpected turn of events catapults the reader into an all too familiar setting.
To all the faithful fans of the trilogy it is hard not to fall in love all over again with the characters and excitement of the plot but it still did not fulfill all the expectations and left one with an empty sensation. As the young adult novel that it is, it must include the romance triangle between Peeta, Katniss, and Gale. It provides a few skipped heartbeats but Collins ensures it by no means reaches any heart wrenching moments that may delude from the purpose. Throughout the plot, one can infer that the acts of selflessness and the people’s unity to rebel against a cruel government reflect current humanity. Even so with all those virtues it came short in the area of character development. Katniss still makes rash decisions based on pure survival and Peeta once again is portrayed as physically weak. Perhaps to further boost the female protagonist, but his disability is overly emphasized.
Although Collins provides excitement by leaving readers in suspense at each turn of the page, the second half of the book is more action packed by far. She constantly makes unexpected twists and turns, giving one whiplash while leading up to an unexpected cliffhanger. The qualities definitely overshadow the faults and still left me elated yet despairing to continue on this adventure. The faithful readers now mourn and anticipate for the last volume next fall 2010.
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