Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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🔥 Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

📚 The Hunger Games Book 2
✨ Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

⚠️ Spoiler Alert! This review contains full spoilers, including the ending! And if you haven’t read my post on The Hunger Games, what are you even doing here? Go check that one out here first. I’ll wait.

💭 First Impressions

Okay, so Catching Fire was… intense. I loved The Hunger Games so much I basically inhaled it, and even though I don’t usually go for fantasy/dystopian books, it totally blew me away. Naturally, I went into book two with my expectations sky-high and—good news—it’s still a great book. Bad news? It’s kind of all over the place.

You’ve got:

  • A rebellion arc ✔️

  • Another Hunger Games (because apparently trauma is the gift that keeps on giving) ✔️

  • The Peeta vs. Gale tension turned up to 11 ✔️

…but somehow, it felt a little disjointed. Like Suzanne Collins had three ideas for what should happen in this book and said, “Yes. All of them.”

Still, I can’t lie—I had a blast reading it. Hence, the solid 4.5 stars.

🔥 The Plot: Now with More PTSD and Lightning Arrows

After surviving the nightmare that was the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen just wants to go back to hunting squirrels and glaring at Peeta awkwardly. But President Snow (aka Creepy Mustache Dictator) shows up and says, “Nope.” Turns out her rebellious little berry stunt at the end of Book 1 inspired actual rebellion across Panem, and now she needs to pretend she’s deeply, obsessively in love with Peeta to calm the masses.

So Katniss and Peeta hit the road for their Victory Tour, which quickly becomes more awkward than a family Thanksgiving dinner where someone brings up politics. In District 11, someone gives them the Mockingjay salute and—bam—execution in front of them. Welcome to the Capitol’s version of “don’t mess with us.”

Katniss proposes running away, Gale wants to stay and fight, and right when things couldn’t get more dramatic—surprise! It’s time for the Quarter Quell: the 75th Hunger Games, featuring an all-star cast of traumatized past victors.

Yes. They’re sending Katniss BACK into the arena. Because why not.

🕰️ The Arena: Now With Clocks and Blood Rain!

Katniss and Peeta are back in the Capitol, trying to act like it’s all totally normal to be prepped for murder in front of cameras again. (Same old, same old.) They meet the new tributes, including:

  • Finnick, Mr. Charming with a sugar cube fetish

  • Johanna, who gets naked in an elevator

  • Beetee and Wiress, our nerdy clock geniuses

Once inside the arena—which is shaped like a clock because symbolism!—the tributes must dodge a new horror every hour: tidal waves, jabberjays that scream in loved ones’ voices, blood rain, poison fog… You know, your typical camping trip.

The group hatches a plan involving a lightning tree, a wire, and Beetee’s technical wizardry. But Katniss, sensing things are off, turns the plan on its head. She ties the wire to an arrow and shoots the freaking dome, blowing the arena sky-high.

Casual.

💥 The Ending: Revolution Begins

When Katniss wakes up, she’s on a hovercraft with Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch (yes, that Capitol guy). They explain there was a secret rebel plan to extract Katniss and make her the face of the rebellion. They got her out… but Peeta and Johanna? Left behind. In the Capitol.

Then Gale drops the final bomb: District 12 has been destroyed.

WHAT.

Cue Katniss passing out, and end scene.

🧨 What Worked (and What Kinda Didn’t)

✔️ The good:

  • The new characters are so good. Finnick is my fave.

  • The arena stuff is thrilling. Even though it’s a repeat concept, it’s still creative and wild.

  • The rebellion tension is 🔥

  • That ending? I gasped. And then immediately downloaded book 3.

❌ The not-so-good:

  • It’s a little messy. The love triangle, the Games, the politics—it’s a lot.

  • The pacing sometimes drags. I found myself flipping faster through the middle waiting for something big to happen.

It kinda feels like Collins wasn’t quite sure what book she wanted this to be. Rebellion? Romance? Reality show sequel?

But hey—I still devoured every page.

📖 Final Thoughts

If The Hunger Games was a flawless 5-star read, then Catching Fire is its slightly chaotic little sister. Still thrilling, still fun, just not as tight. That said, I’m still 100% invested and moving straight to Mockingjay.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

🚨 Triggers to Note

  • State violence/executions

  • Public whippings

  • PTSD and trauma

  • Government surveillance

  • War themes

  • Mild self-harm (blood oaths)

📚 Book Details

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games Book 2
Genre: Dystopian, YA, Sci-Fi
Buy it here: Catching Fire on Amazon (affiliate link)

🧡 If You Liked Catching Fire, Try These:

  • Scythe by Neal Shusterman (reaping, politics, and futuristic death)

  • Legend by Marie Lu (another strong heroine vs. corrupt government)

  • Divergent by Veronica Roth (also... factions, love triangles, and teen rebellion)

  • The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (feminist dystopia with brutal survival elements)

Let me know in the comments what YOU thought about Catching Fire! Did the arena twist blow your mind or make you roll your eyes? Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale? 👇

Happy reading and may the odds be ever in your favor. 🏹

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