The Hunger Games Trilogy Part Two: Catching Fire

The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins, takes place shortly after the "Hunger Games" and is entitled "Catching Fire", which is an apt title.  The book once again features the beloved Katniss Everdeen, and takes place after the miraculous ending to the Hunger Games, where not only was Katniss able to win the event, but for the first time two winners were crowned.  Katniss' quick thinking, combined with Peetra love for her, enabled them to pull off the impossible, forcing the government to declare both the District 12 children as victors.

However, it is a crown that will not rest easy on any brow, and Katniss faces two main predicaments.  First and foremost, Peetra's love for her has led to issues at home, and with the Capitol watching them carefully Katniss finds her life under a microscope.  To make matters worse, the growing rebellion is spreading quickly, and against her will Katniss finds herself as the face of it.  People viewed her actions at the end of the Hunger Games as an act against the authority of the Capitol, and against her will she finds that she (along with Peetra) have became the face of the underground rebellion.  Her mockingjay symbol has been a force, and there seems little that she can do about.

As if things were not already bad enough, the Capitol decides that in order to "celebrate" the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games and the end of the previous rebellion, that there will be a new twist to the events, and Katniss and Peetra find themselves thrust back into the arena yet again.  To complicated matters even further, they will be facing an array of experienced competitors, as previous winners of the games are taken from their lives of luxury and thrust back into the deadly games.

Fans of the series will really enjoy this book, and it is worth reading if for no other reason than the last chapters, as many surprises are unveiled and everything you know about the world of Katniss will change.  The twelve districts and the Capitol are in for a huge shock, and readers everywhere will be clamoring to grab the final book of the series to find out what happens.

The Hunger Games Trilogy: Part One

Like most people, I have been hearing wind of a new movie coming soon that everyone is all fired up about.  This movie, called "Hunger Games", has a lot of people excited, and this excitement in turn aroused my curiosity about the trilogy that the books are based on, so I headed on down to my local Barnes & Noble to buy them (Yes, I actually went to a bookstore and bought some books - still not a big fan of the e-book downloads).

Strangely, I had trouble locating the books in the bookstore, but eventually found them in the Teen Book section.  This may trouble some people, but I have realized that a large portion of great fantasy and science fiction books are located in this section, deemed too mature for young children, but too immature for adults.  Either way, it was a treasure trove of new book ideas, so I was excited.  I quickly located all three books, entitled "Hunger Games", "Catching Fire", and "Mockingjay" in order.  The books were prominently displayed within the section, which at the very least indicates that Barnes & Noble thinks that people are buying them, so my hopes rose as I carried them to the purchase counter.  After buying them and a few other books I discovered while in the section, I rushed home to read them.

The first book, "Hunger Games", is described in the book jacket (which I didn't read prior to maintain the suspense) to take place "In the ruins of a place once known as North America."  The book is set after some type of war, and starts out in the area now known as the Appalachian Mountains (referred to in the book as District 12).  After some background story, the plot line of the book reveals that after the war, North America is divided into districts, with a central capital located somewhere in the former Rocky Mountains.  Each of these districts is required to send one male and one female to fight in the so-called Hunger Games, an apt name because participation means salvation from a tough life, as well as gifts to the winner's home district for the year following a victory.

This book is a post-apocalypic version of Ender's Game in some ways, and features intrigue, pulse-pounding action, intrigue, and a plot that will leave you eagerly reaching for the second book.  I hope that the movie can live up to the book, which was phenomenal and is definitely a recommended read.  As always, I do not want to give away too much within the blog, beyond telling you that "Hunger Games" is a must-read.