Catching Fire |Hunger Games|

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for [b:Mockingjay|7260188|Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)|Suzanne Collins|http:photo.goodreads.com/books/1294615552s/7260188.jpg|8812783]!!!!!!!!!!

I can honestly say the this the first time when the second insert to a series of books is actually better than the first (not that the first wasn't good). Although I kind of predicted some of the plot at the beginning of the book, I was quickly taken on a crazy roller coaster ride soon after that. I really do enjoy these books.

Reading this I had completely forgotten that you get some of Haymitch's game from the video. This was just as brutal and beautiful as the first book. Seeing Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch live in their own little victors village makes me kind of happy.

Seeing the other victors and reliving their deaths hurt almost as much as SotR. I love all these characters! In THG I fell in love with the main character and only one of victors death truly gutted me. In this one it's the thought of all these poor victors already going through this once and trying to live with the deaths of everyone from their games on their shoulders. I can't imagine how living that way would be and now they have to relive it.

When I read THG I never understood where the love triangle came from. Gale was always a friend/brother. In any scene where she talks about loving him it feels platonic or confusion based on Gale pushing her a certain way. She always thought of Peeta as hope and kindness and never felt she deserved that or a future of being married and bringing children into her life. It was always him she just hadn't figured that out yet.

When I was younger these plot twists and the ending blew my damn mind coming back in with a reread I'm still blown away by this series.

Spoilers Ahead from this book and from Sunrise on the Reaping

Seeing Beetee, Mags and Wiress breaks my damn heart. Mags and Wiress death hit me in a different way now. I'm still so raw from SotR and rereading Haymitch's game and seeing his friends'deaths just broke me all over again. Also poor sweet Cinna

This book should not have been its own book. It is almost entirely recap of #1 and then set-up for #3. Katniss' internal conflicts are presented (and re-presented, and re-presented) in a way that makes them seem shallow and uninteresting. The external conflict of the Hunger Games themselves takes up a small percentage of the book and is the only conflict that has any semblance of a resolution. I thought that Hunger Games (#1) at least had its own little complete plot arc. #2 is simply rising action.

The better way to approach this series (not having read #3 yet) is to read #1, have a friend sum up #2 for you (I don't even know if I'd see the movie coming out soon - I think 2 hours is too long to spend on so little development), and (assuming #3 is better - if only for resolving some conflicts) read or skim #3. After I actually read #3, I may change my tune.

I'm glad this was an easy read with little time investment; otherwise, I'd want the time back.

I zoomed through this series