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Loading... Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) (edition 2013)by Suzanne CollinsThe second book in the Hunger Games franchise is considered by many to be the best one in the franchise. What do I think of it? Well, I obviously like it. I mean, who doesn't? However, I'd say I slightly prefer the first book. This one's probably a low 7/10 while the first one is a high 7/10 for me. Pretty much everything I like about the first book is present here as well. Suzanne Collins's writing style is great, albeit a little monotonous. The characters are incredibly well-developed, and the world is as complex and exciting as ever. The political themes are subtle and profound, never once feeling on-the-nose. Unlike James Dashner, Collins has learned the valuable lesson of "Show, don't tell", and her stories benefit greatly from that fact. Katniss Everdeen becomes a better and better character with every entry. I'm almost certain that some people who read the first couple pages of the first book thought she would be a Mary Sue, but that is not the case, not even slightly. She has many negative traits that make her severely dislikable to a lot of other characters; she is extremely quick to anger and, occasionally, quite acrimonious. However, despite all her flaws, you can't help but root for her. Almost every single one of her actions is motivated by a desire to keep her loved ones safe. At the beginning of this book, that's her primary motivation, but as the story progresses, she also starts getting motivated by the desire to take down the Capitol. While that rebellious nature has always been in there, she's always been too concerned with her family's safety to do anything rash; however, after all the suffering the Capitol has inflicted on everyone for so long, she finally snaps. The last arrow fired in this book makes for an epic finale, and it's done even better in the movie, in my opinion. I also like how we start seeing the entire country of Panem rebel here. This book is very aptly named "Catching Fire" as it is essentially when the rebellion begins. While Book 1 is almost entirely concerned with the Games, this is when the story starts to move in its ultimate direction. By the end of this entry, the rebellion is in full-swing, allowing the final book in the trilogy to be the showdown between the rebels and the Capitol. The trilogy, as a whole, is very well planned out and constructed. The main problem I have with the first book is the pacing in some sections. Unfortunately, that problem is amplified here. Where only the first third of Book 1 involves various preparations in the Capitol, leaving the next two thirds to the Games entirely, the Games don't start until the final third of this story. The first and second thirds involve the Victory Tour and the preparations for the Games, respectively. Sure, there are a lot of interesting things that happen throughout to keep you interested, and the foundations of the rebellion need to be laid down, but there are times when you are just avidly waiting for the Games to begin. Also, this book doesn't feel as self-contained as the first one. Where the first one feels like a full story that could stand on its own, this one feels like that only up towards the very end. It ends very abruptly, waiting until the final book arrives to tie off its loose ends. We don't really find out what happened at the end of the Quarter Quell or in District 12 until the next book. I know some may argue that having a massive cliffhanger leaves the reader excited for the next entry, but I somewhat disagree with that. I don't know. It just felt like this book needed an extra 5 or 10 pages in the end just to feel more complete. Despite the problems I have with this book, I still think it's a really exciting read, and I think it does a great job being the middle chapter of an epic trilogy. I didn't remember liking this book better than the first one. But Peeta shines so damn much. '...if it wasn't for the baby.' My boy knows so much hahaha. I felt so much compassion for Katniss and her ability to always try and see the best in people even if she doesn't know that she's doing it. She is just a piece of the games, but she an Peeta refuse as much as they can. I didn't care for Gale as a friend or a romantic interest for Katniss, he's so egoist where Katniss and Peeta are so selfless. Onto the next one! I really liked this book. I enjoyed The Hunger Games so much that I was glad that she included another Hunger Game. Although Collins creates another game, the circumstances are completely different from the previous and she can be creative at the same time giving her readers what they want. The best thing about this series, for me, is the fact that while Katniss Everdeen is a strong, smart, and talented teenager, she IS a teenager and not the most perfect person ever. She needs the help of others to survive, to give her advice, and to help her understand what is going on around her. She also falls into the trap of trusting a little more than she should to those who have the best of intentions, and to those who have the worst. Catching Fire is a great follow-up to the first book. An improvement over the first book, probably due to it being less naive. The plot "twists" (I've seen them coming again) were a bit, -er-, "uncreative", maybe. She has to go through everything again? Seriously? Well I also expected a higher amount of revolutionary vibe, but I guess that'll be the next book, then. This series wasn't meant to be read separately I think. I was so deeply troubled by the first book that I felt like the rest of the series would just be worse. On the contrary, the continuing saga of revolution gives the first book more context and continues on in a scathing criticism of our increasingly bloodthirsty and decadent society. A good dystopian novel should make us look at the ways in which our society could reach the place the author has taken us, and this series does, but only the second book starts to bring us hope for that future. I'm just not often a fan of the 2nd book in a trilogy. It's because it feels like it's purely just crafted as a stepping stone to get to the 3rd. This was no different. Even as a re-read I'm disappointed in the lack of character development and personally do not see this plot as being as thoughtfully crafted as other plots Collins has done. So so so so so so good. Suzanne Collins, first you gave me Gregor and I was happy, and now you've given me the Hunger Games and I'm ecstatic. I don't think I put this book down at all once I started reading. I am in love with Peeta. I hate the Capitol. I know who my real enemies are. People, I know I can face the torture of waiting for the third book, because I survived the wait for the second and it was totally worth it. Depois da improvável e inusitada vitória de Katniss Everdeen e Peeta Mellark nos últimos Jogos Vorazes, algo parece ter mudado para sempre em Panem. Aqui e ali, distúrbios e agitações nos distritos dão sinais de que uma revolta é iminente. Katniss e Peeta, representantes do paupérrimo Distrito 12, não apenas venceram os Jogos, mas ridicularizaram o governo e conseguiram fazer todos – incluindo o próprio Peeta – acreditarem que são um casal apaixonado. A confusão na cabeça de Katniss não é menor do que a das ruas. Em meio ao turbilhão, ela pensa cada vez mais em seu melhor amigo, o jovem caçador Gale, mas é obrigada a fingir que o romance com Peeta é real. Já o governo parece especialmente preocupado com a influência que os dois adolescente vitoriosos – transformados em verdadeiros ídolos nacionais – podem ter na população. Por isso, existem planos especiais para mantê-los sob controle, mesmo que isso signifique forçá-los a lutar novamente. Apenas um sobrevive. Best-seller da Veja, a trilogia Jogos Vorazes foi adaptada para o cinema e estrelada por Jennifer Lawrence. I really liked this book, I don't know why it took me so long to read this series but it's really good. The ending is a major cliffhanger that just leaves you with your jaw wide open and thinking "What?! That can't be the end!" The only issues I had with this book is that it seemed kind of slow to begin with, the first almost 200 pages felt really long and the time spent in the arena too short. Also still hate the love triangle and as great as Peeta may be, I still prefer Gale. Overall this is a great book, the series is turning out great and I can't wait to read Mockingjay. This is a sequel that is just as good or better than the first book. I pay this book the highest compliment: I couldn’t put this story down and kept wanting to turn the page. The embers of a revolution start here. For the longest, we have known Katniss and Gale's distaste of the Capitol, but we finally get other characters with the same viewpoint as well. Touching on the romantic element briefly, I still prefer Gale with Katniss, but I love how Peeta is the epitome of kindness isn't a weakness. But sometimes, he could tone down the confessions of his undying love. Way to guilt her to love you, bruh. The love triangle never gets in the way and enters and departs smoothly when the book calls for extra drama. I guess anyone reading this has already read and enjoyed The Hunger Games, so I won't bother describing it. Personally, I enjoyed this slightly more than its predecessor. The first book had a simple purity of teenagers just trying to murder each other, whereas this one has much more back story and exposition, which worked well and filled out the dystopian future world just enough. The climax was a touch rushed and even a little confusing, but it's set up very nicely for the last book. Enjoyable, for those (like me) who quite like this kind of thing. I cant help but compare this series to Twilight, I'm not sure that's totally fair but it is what it is. Katniss is everything Bella Swan isn't. She's smart, independent, and strong. Okay, so they both are really clueless when it comes to guys you have to give it overall to Katniss for sheer ability to walk down the road without tripping and needing someone to rescue her. As for the men in her life Gale hasn't been developed enough even by the second book to make it a tough choice for anyone who reads the books. Peeta is the clear choice although I wish he would show a bit more of a Jacob spine and fight to him. Overall the story is engaging and Katniss has enough spunk to like her and enough vulnerability to relate to her. I wish all of the characters were better developed but the story compensates for that. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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