Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I'm not a big fan of futuristic, dystopian novels, but was drawn in with Hunger Games and was glad this was on the book club list for this month. There are a lot of similarities with Hunger Games and has the same premise of fighting and one on one combat, but the stakes are heightened in Catching Fire. It was another gripping, page turning novel by Suzanne Collins.

From the cover:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games, She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are still alive. Katniss should be relieved. She has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his  back on her completely. And there are whispers of rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

My thoughts:
Suzanne Collins has a wonderful way at taking us into her fantasy world and describes animals, insects and surroundings in detail. Katniss is a well developed character with strengths that are often also her flaws and it's easy to be drawn in with her compassion and drive to protect her friends and family. With the contrasts of The Capitol, a city of indulgence, and wealth, against the districts where people work long hours in coal mines, and on the land where benefits are few, it doesn't seem a far reach from the world we live in today. A scary thought.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I don't normally read dystopian novels, but my son gave me a copy of The Hunger Games and said it was a must read. Suzanne Collins creates a restrictive world governed by a capitol city which controls surrounding districts. In a macabre form of entertainment The Hunger Games is a yearly event in which two people from each district are chosen to compete to the death. But this book isn't just about the games, it's about relationships, the will to live and the art of survival. Suzanne Collins doesn't just hook you at the end of each chapter, she inserts twists and turns to the story in each paragraph and keeps the tension tight even at the end. This is the first book of the series and my son was right - it's a must read.

From the cover:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.