Catching Fire

I think I've commented on this before. When I'm not enjoying a book, it takes me forever to read it. When I really enjoy a book, it seems like I burn through them like nothing (pun somewhat intended in this case). That's certainly true of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

Katniss Everdeen, having survived the Hunger Games, now has to endure the Victory Tour. She must travel to all twelve Districts of Panem and face the families of the tributes who either died or were killed by her in the Games. But the stakes are higher than usual. The way she and Peeta Mellark won the games has started a spark of rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss is told that she has to smother the flames before the whole country catches fire, a task that may be completely out of her control, especially when the next round of the Games begin with a horrifying twist.

I'm pretty sure that I polished this book off in a little more than 24 hours. I simply could not put it down. Collins's story and characters are engaging and vivid. The first person-present point-of-view, while off-putting in the first book, felt completely natural this time around. The description of life in oppressed Panem was fascinating, especially at the decadence of the Capitol.

If there was any part of the story that had me a little upset, it was the fact that Katniss seems to be a bit too clueless for her own good. There were more than a few times when things happened around her and she just glossed over them and didn't pull the threads together to see what should have been obvious. A certain watch, for example. That's all I'm saying on that, but if you read the book or have read the book, you should know what I'm talking about.

That, and to be perfectly honest, I was hoping that at some point, Katniss would resolve the love triangle she's in. It's just not working for me.

That isn't to say I won't be reading the last book in the series. Far from it. As a matter of fact, I checked Amazon today and found out that I can pre-order the third book and lock in the lowest price possible. Right now, the third book is on pre-order for almost half off. I can't imagine the price getting much lower, but I know that even if it does, Amazon will give me the lowest price it lists. So I think I know what I'll be doing this fall: spending one last day in Panem to see what happens to Katniss Everdeen.