My Overall Rating:
5/5 (Can I give it a 6??)

Age Recommendation:
Same as my recommendation for The Hunger Games. A strong reader who can handle mass amounts of violence and gore. This one steps it up a bit from the first book, but not by so much that I would recommend an older reader.

Cover Art:
Again, much like the first book in the series, the art remains very simplistic. The single Mockingjay pin is significant to the story and the characters. As well as it is significant to the reader supporting the districts. It still doesn't give any anything or lend any ideas to the story that could potentially mislead the reader.

Summary:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My Thoughts:
The Quarter Quell is here. In the second installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, we find ourselves being forced into yet another terrifying Games. This time, however, the odds are a little different. Because Katniss and Peeta won the 75th games, The Capitol attempts to exact revenge by creating a few special rules for this Quarter Quell. Only victors will be chosen as tributes. And we all know what that means. For District 12, there are only three victors. Who will be forced to fight to the death this time? I'm sorry, but you'll have to read to find that one out for yourself.

Once again, Suzanne Collins kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting in insane anticipation as to what would happen next. I could not be happier that Eli turned me on to this series. The writing is incredibly captivating while remaining simple enough to read in one go without getting a head rush from having to think too much.

I am even more invested in these characters than I thought before. And in my review of Mockingjay, I'll tell you who my favorite character of the entire series is. (Don't want to give away too much here, now do I?) The re-readability factor of this book is completely unlimited. I sense that no matter how many times I read this book, it will have a similar effect that the Harry Potter novels had. It will never get old and I will always be able to find something new that I didn't catch before.

I can't wait to get to Mockingjay which is sitting right beside me, waiting for me to pick it up. Catching Fire has such a cliffhanger that you can't not already have Mockingjay in your possession by the time you complete Catching Fire.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 400
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Purchased from store