Freestanding Grills: Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) [Kindle Edition]

Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists in which the U.S. accustomed to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle on the death. in The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing these to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to locate herself more the biggest market of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her using a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets along with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour with the districts, preparations for that 75th Annual Hunger Games, as well as a truncated version in the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of your secret district, as well as a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as being a character. Though initially bewildered from the interest to her, she comes almost to embrace her status because the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place beyond your arena than within, this sequel has enough action to thrill Hunger Games fans leaving enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to get desperate for that next installment.
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Reviewers were pleased to report the Hunger Games trilogy is alive and well, and all sorts of looked forward for the third book in the series after this one's stunning conclusion. But they disagreed over whether Catching Fire was as good as the original book Hunger Games or needs to be viewed as somewhat of the "sophomore slump." Several critics who remained unconvinced by Katniss's romantic dilemma made unfavorable comparisons to the human-vampire-werewolf love triangle in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. But most reviewers felt that Catching Fire was still being a thrill because Collins replicated her initial success at balancing action, violence, and heroism in the method in which will enthrall young readers without providing them with (too many) nightmares.