Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Sparks are igniting. Flames are spreading. And the Capitol wants revenge. Catching Fire is the second in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and was recently released on September 1, 2009. Knowing how much I enjoyed the first book, I was waiting outside Borders with a co-worker the morning of the release date. I read the book in two afternoons. It was amazing! Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars. Here is part of the synopsis from the inside cover:

"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 her 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."

This sequel is just as good as the original if not better. It has the same heroic characters and immensely detailed and fascinating world created by Collins. However, this book is about 5 times more suspenseful and has about 10 times more action. The story begins right where Hunger Games left off. Katniss and Peeta are back at District 12 after being brought back by the train from the Capitol. They are enjoying some down time in their new houses and money for a while before they begin their Victory tour through each District. Some unexpected things happen to Katniss, but one visit from someone in her past really puts her on edge. Then comes the tour. Peeta and Katniss are paraded through each District doing speeches and dining with the higher ups in each. Collins does not go into detail about what occurs in each District visited on the tour, but what we do get to read about is utterly shocking. Collins really knows how to pull at your heartstrings. After the tour Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 to find some interesting changes. A lot happens in a short amount of time and I have never been so disbelieving as when I read what this years Hunger Games entails. I am not going to spoil it for you so I am going to skip to the end. Gale says the last line of the book and it is a bigger cliff hanger than the end of the first book. I am just completely ticked off that I don't know when the next book comes out.