Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

When you like the first book in a series, two things happen: you are already biased in favor of the second and at the same time you are a little too demanding. Well, I liked The Hunger Games , mainly because it was a different kind of story compared to those I had been reading lately (actually I read this book in October last year).

Catching Fire has a depressing tone from the beginning as opposed to the furious one in The Hunger Games, which suits the story perfectly. Katniss Everdeen, now a 'Victor', has come back to live with her mother and sister and the Victor's previlleges. But the oppressions from the capitol are not yet over, in fact they are far from being over than they appear at first. After becoming a killer against her wish, she now has to actually boast about it in front of the families of those who were killed. But for better or worse, she has somebody to share the pain with. Peeta and Katniss are both having nightmares and have difficulty in adjusting with the new life in which they both have to live with themselves.

I must say Suzanne Collins has got quite an imagination when it comes to emotional cruelty, that is inflicted upon the Victors continuously. As it turns out that it was only a delusion that being a victor will mean anything good. Most of all, they were forced to live artificial lives and their services to the Capitol were far from over.
Meanwhile, there is some kind of rebellion against the buiding among other districts.

Some time ago I had a discussion about the first book and somebody said that the first one was good enough. Why did the author feel the need to continue with the story for two more novels. Well, I think the story was moving towards this rebellion from the very first page of the first book. I mean if Katniss was just another Victor among so many others, why would anybody bother to tell her story. All Victors must have passed through the same conditions, more or less, to win that is to say that upto the first book, there was not much difference created in the world. True, there were two Victors for the first time but the Capitol has ways of making that far worse than good.

While boasting for being killer, Katniss is also at cold war with President Snow. The description of President Snow made me actually fear that this was turning into a vampire novel. Thank God it did not. I wouldn't be writing this review. Suzanne Collins has painted such vivid images of each character that their very names speak for what they are. But the good thing is that the story is still so unpredictable. I mean who would think the Capitol would avenge Katniss's mere signs of rebellion by pulling her once again into another Hunger Games. Though it turns out that there were not just signs of rebellion but a whole conspiracy. Another thrilling and even more dangerous Hunger Games begin to demonstrate Collins imagination. 

I was torn between giving it 4 or 5 stars. 5 because its a good and innovative story. 4 because it was depressing. But then if it can leave an impact, depressing or not, it has to be good. So 5 stars be it.

Normally I would end by saying that I am going to read the next in series but I have already read it. So I end by saying that I shall write a review for the third book some time later.