(#2) / Catching Fire / by Suzanne Collins / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

Catching Fire / Suzanne Collins

ISBN-13: 978-0439023498 / Scholastic Press

p. 391 / $9.99 (Amazon)

Body of Content 

Summary: Catching Fire picks up the story of Katniss and Peeta, as they return to their families in District 12.  Now residing in the homes once reserved for victors, the two young protagonists must come to terms with all that happened in the Games – and all that might unfold in the future.  As Katniss and Peeta travel to the other districts – as part of the scheduled victors’ campaign – something is different and unscheduled.  The Empire holds a fragile peace – as the districts express an uneasiness of the burdens placed on them.  The President of Panem lobs threats against Katniss – her family – and her district.  Katniss expresses a desire to leave – to run into the forest and flee whatever events might unfold next.  Caught between feelings and loyalties – between both Gale and Peeta – Katniss faces a decision.  But as the lottery for the Quarter Quell draws near, this year’s Games could change the lives of more than just the lonely heroine.     

Critique: Catching Fire contains several themes, but it does a fine job expanding on the class warfare between the districts and the Capitol, which are peppered throughout the first book.  The novel’s narrative structure allows for this opportunity, as Collins spends more time providing background details regarding the world of her dystopian canon.  The protagonists travel to the other districts – an opportunity that, in itself, few people from District 12 will ever experience.  The reader finds out that many of the districts perform laborious, tedious work – filled with harsh, bitter, and scarce lifestyles.  The Capitol – and to some extent, the wealthy districts like 1 and 2 – however – enjoy a different lifestyle.  The Capitol lives a life of luxury – filled with advanced technology, food delicacies, and lavish attention to fashion trends.

The Capitol is responsible for the gulf between the two classes – for the annual Games are weapons against sedition – showing the Empire’s power to take the districts’ children at will – and a threat to subjugate the districts with the same relentlessly – if the districts do not play their role as subject.  These districts finance and supply all the luxury enjoyed by the Capitol.  Much like the Roman Empire, the Capitol is Rome – and the districts are Roman territories.  From their lavish dinner parties to their application of futurist tech, the Capitol is wrapped in the easy life, while the districts spin toil.  The theme is more evident in Catching Fire – and it helps build the tension in the novel.  Overall, it makes the struggle faced by the heroes more believable. 

While the second book is slightly paced differently than the first book, this is a welcomed exchange.  Collins could have taken the easier road and written a true sequel – an episodic addition – one termed The Hunger Games 2.  Instead, she continues with the canon’s narrative – and all the decisions and framework set in motion within the first novel have consequence.  Collins uses the class warfare to provide realistic implications for the story and her characters.  Catching Fire is still a thriller, but more elaborate storytelling allows the novel to enter the drama genre.   

Teaser: Set after the events of The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 – as victors of the Games.  But there is a scent of rebellion still in the air.

Information about the Author: (See entry #1 – for information regarding Suzanne Collins)

Supplemental Material

Genre: Science fiction / Dystopian / Thriller / Drama

Curriculum Ties: History – Historical conspiracies / Comparison to the Roman Empire  

Booktalking Ideas: 1) Can Katniss and Peeta escape certain death for a second time? 2) Katniss is a catalyst – but what exactly is she a catalyst for? 3) As the Empire’s secret veil lowers, more of the other districts becomes known to the readers – what are we to make of District 13? 

Reading Level: Grade 7 up – Catching Fire embodies the same style and similar content to its predecessor.  School Library Journal believes the readership level is the same for both – even with “a truncated version of the Games” (Amazon, 2011). (See entry #1 for related details).  

Challenge Issues and Defense: Much like the first book in the series, Catching Fire contains a fair amount of violence.  However, the books are structured differently.  Catching Fire deals less with the Games – only about a third – compared to two-thirds of The Hunger Games.  As a book defense, the reader is again left with redemptive impressions regarding the violence – that there is social commentary – that the book does not just contain violence for the sake of violence.

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: After reading the first book for LIBR 265, I purchased the second book in the series within a week – and I plan on reading the final book once the semester finishes.  I’ve quickly become a fan of this series.

Last Thoughts

References:

Amazon. (2011). Catching Fire [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-

Second-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322005100&sr=8-1

Listening to (Music):  

Artist – Elevator Worship / Album – “For the Honor”