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After returning home from the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss began adjusting to her new

life of fortune as a victor of the Games. Until, Katniss returned home one day to find

President Snow. Concerned that the threat of suicide by Katniss and Peeta at the end of

the Games would spark an uprising in the districts, Snow threatened Katniss with the

life of Gale, her dearest friend, for her to continue to pretend to be in love with Peeta.

Playing the part of star-crossed lovers would act as their excuse for that act of public

defiance in the Games.

In District 11, the first stop of Katniss’ Victory Tour, an old man whistled the cry of a

mockingjay as the crowd raised a gesture of respect. Before Katniss was rushed away,

she caught a glimpse of the old man before he was beheaded for defying the ruthless

Capitol. As Katniss continued her Victory Tour, she sensed an undercurrent of repressed

rage that suggested the brewing of a rebellion.

To subdue the rebellion, Snow announced this year’s Quarter Quell Hunger Games,

where victors from past Games were forced once again to fight to the death to remind

the districts that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the

Capitol. It was Snow’s response to the surges of uprisings. Will Katniss bow to the

Capitol’s threats or fuel the flames of rebellion she helped create?

Catching Fire , the second book of the Hunger Games Trilogy, is a 9/10 for me. I adore

this series and the draw of a rebellion against the oppressing Capitol. The entire plot is

centered around jumping out of the game and rising up against their makers. Their

ruthless rules were to be torn down by pieces once under their control. Katniss’ act of

public defiance against the rules of the Hunger Game sparked the fire of rebellion, and

that fire is catching.

It surprised me how quickly people began to rise to join the rebellion. Citizens from

every district gave up their lives for the rebellion, and each act of defiance costed more

souls than they reaped from the Capitol. Yet, the spark had been set ablaze, and people

were not turning back.

The only thing I disliked was the dangers within the Quarter Quell seemed to have been

subdued. Yes, the Gamemakers devised plenty of life-threatening devices, but the

tension and the prospect of death seemed significantly lower compared to the last

Hunger Game. There were people willing to sacrifice themselves to protect Peeta and

Katniss, and though their intentions become clear later on, it made it hard for me to feel

suspense.

Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who haven’t read it. Honestly, I

should’ve read this book a long time ago. It’s such a classic that it’ll be a shame if you

went on not knowing what happened. Catching Fire shows the evolution of a rebellion,

and depicts a people willing to sacrifice survival for a common purpose.

Check out Catching Fire at the Newport Beach Public Library.