MADreads

The spark to the revolution

September 21st, 2009 Katie H.

If you haven’t read Suzanne Collins’ book The Hunger Games, be aware this review will have spoilers in it.

A year ago, Suzanne Collins came out with the first book in her new trilogy, The Hunger Games.  I remember picking up the book as a quick filler read for the weekend, only to spend the next twenty-four hours gripped by Collins’ compelling, frenetic story.  In the first book, Katniss barely survives the annual Hunger Games, besting nearly all of her opponents.  Defying the Capitol, she fights to let Peeta, her fellow tribute from impoverished District 12, survive.  Playing on the popular perception that she is hopelessly in love with Peeta, Katniss emerges the victor not only of the Hunger Games, but in her rebellion against the authority of the Capitol.

The sequel, Catching Fire, has Katniss on a victory tour of Panem following the games and unrest and discontent among the districts is palpable.  Katniss isn’t happy either: upset over her ‘romance’ with Peeta, Gale keeps her at arm’s length, and a marriage to Peeta has been mandated by the Capitol.  But after witnessing the terrible consequences of resistance during the tour, Katniss comes to the relization that her stand in the arena has sparked a wider revolt against the cruelties of the Capitol.  And as the symbol of that resistance, she has become the principle target in the Capitol’s efforts to crush dissent.

I can’t go into more of the story without giving away too much of the plot, but for those who enjoyed the first book, Catching Fire continues Katniss’ story at a breathtaking pace.  The world Collins created becomes more focused, as Katniss sees first hand the plight of other people of Panem.  There’s also a better sense of the people surrounding Katniss, including Haymitch’s backstory and District 12’s history with the Hunger Games.   But the star of the story remains Katniss.  Her blend of courage, stubbornness and resourcefulness makes for a protagonist that’s definitely human but one readers really want to see succeed.

It’s true that a lot of the story takes place away from the arena, but with more people depending on Katniss the pressure is even greater.  There’s a definite sense of the story snowballing to the final book, as Collins leaves the story in (if possible) an even more gripping cliffhanger than the first title.  Collins is currently in the process of writing the third book in the trilogy, and for fans, the completion of Katniss’ story can’t come quickly enough.

Entry Filed under: Science Fiction, Young Adult