Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)

Another special post, since this series is so popular right now! Summary:
The second in the ridiculously popular Hunger Games series, this episode finds Katniss dealing with the aftermath of her victory at the Games. She has to deal with how she feels about Peeta, her fellow victor, and Gale, the boy she left home while she played up a love story for the Hunger Games cameras. But much more importantly, the country of Panem is reeling after Katniss defied the Capitol with her ending of the Games. There are uprisings threatening in several districts, and President Snow, president of Panem, forces Katniss to play up the romance between herself and Peeta once again during the Victor's Tour. But what happens just before the next Hunger Games sends Katniss into a tailspin, and she's got a whole new set of worries to deal with.

Thoughts:
First things first, I'm trying to not spoil anything from the original book or this one. It's tough, but enough people haven't gotten there that want to read the books. So I'll do my best. Now, I hate how this book ends. It is abrupt and very clearly a ploy to get readers to pick up the next book tomorrow. I despise authors who find the need to do this. If your book is interesting enough, or thrilling or endearing or enjoyable or imaginative enough, people will go get the sequel. Take Evanovich and Rowling for example. There are clearly defined endings with their work. Harry finishes year one. Stephanie brings her big score in and solves the case. In this book, Katniss barely clings to life, and the book ends. There are at least half a dozen major, disgustingly wide open plot holes that have yet to be looked at, let alone sewn up. At least with the original, The Hunger Games, there was a clear finality to the end of the book. This book ends with a shocking declaration. Are you kidding? I digress. I really enjoyed the book. It's thrilling and inventive, and I couldn't put the damn thing down, just like its predecessor. I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I liked it like that. The writing is good (save the ridiculously abrupt ending) and the characters are well built. But damn, girl. End a book with an ending, not a middle.

Book 26 of 50

Pages: 391, read as an e-book
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen-lit
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Read the first one, because everything in this hinges on what happened in the first book. But yes. It's a great book. Read it.