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Catching Fire (2009 novel)
Encyclopedia
Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
. As the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games
, it continues the story of Katniss Everdeen
and the fictional, futuristic nation of Panem. Following the events of the previous novel, a rebellion against the ruling Capitol has begun, and Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta
are forced to return to the arena in a special edition of the the Hunger Games.
The book was released September 1, 2009, and was later released in eBook and audiobook format. Major themes include survival, government control, rebellion and interdependence vs. independence. Catching Fire has received mostly positive reviews. Reviewers praised the prose, the ending, and how Katniss became more sophisticated. The third book in the series, Mockingjay
, was released August 24, 2010.
. There are a total of 12 Districts, but there once was a 13th which was destroyed in a rebellion against the Capitol. The Hunger Games take place annually in a stadium specially built for the event in an unidentified location.
and Peeta Mellark
return home to District 12, the poorest sector in the fictional country of Panem. On the day that Katniss and Peeta are to start a "victory tour" of the country, she is visited by President Snow. President Snow explains that he is angry at her for threatening to commit suicide with Peeta at the end of the Hunger Games, which permitted them both to win. President Snow tells Katniss that when she defied the Capitol, she created talk of rebellion in the districts. He threatens to kill her family and friends if she cannot prove to everyone in Panem that her act was not one of defiance, but that she was instead driven by an intense love for Peeta.
The first stop on the victory tour is District 11, the home of Katniss' friend and ally in the Hunger Games, Rue, before she died. During the ceremony, Katniss delivers a quick speech to the people of District 11, thanking them for their tributes. When she is done, an old man whistles a tune that Rue used in the arena to tell Katniss that she was safe. The song acts as a signal and everyone salutes Katniss using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. Katniss is taken away, but not before she sees Peacekeepers shoot the whistling man in the head. Katniss and Peeta then proceed to travel to all of the twelve districts and the Capitol. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, hoping to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow. Despite this, Katniss learns that their attempts of subduing rebellion in the districts have failed. Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways from District 8. They explain a theory that District 13 was not wiped out by the Capitol, due to its residents going underground, and that stock footage of 13 is played instead of new film on television. Later, it is announced that, for the 75th Hunger Games, 24 victors from previous years will be forced to compete once again. This is in honor of the "Quarter Quell": an event that occurs every 25th year of the Games and allows the Capitol to introduce a twist. Knowing that she and Peeta will both be competing in the Games a second time, Katniss decides that she will devote herself to protecting Peeta.
During the Games, Katniss and Peeta join up with two other previous victors, Finnick Odair: a 24-year-old man who successfully survived the Games at the age of 14 and Mags: Finnick's 80-year-old mentor, both from District 4. After Mags' death, Katniss, Peeta and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel victor from District 7, and Beetee and Wiress, an older couple from District 3 who are said to be "exceptionally smart". Wiress soon proves her genius by revealing to Katniss that the arena is arranged like a clock, with all of the arena's disasters occurring on a timed chart. After Wiress is killed, Katniss learns of Beetee's plan to harness lightning in order to supposedly electrocute two other contenders. In the final chapters, Katniss directs the lightning at the force field that contains the arena, thereby destroying the arena and resulting in her temporary paralysis
. When she wakes up, she is being transported to District 13: a place that is widely thought to no longer exist. She is joined by Finnick, Beetee, Gale and Haymitch but learns that Peeta, Johanna and Enobaria have been captured by the Capitol. Katniss is informed that there had been a plan between most of the contestants to break out of the arena and that Beetee had been attempting to destroy the force field in the same way that she did. The book ends with Katniss' best friend, Gale, informing her that, though he got her family out in time, District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
release date of September 8, 2009 which was moved up to September 1, 2009 in response to requests by retailers to move the release to before Labor Day
and the start of school for many readers. It was also published as an audiobook on on the same day. Advance reading copies
were available at BookExpo America
in New York City, and were sent out to some booksellers, and offered as prizes in Scholastic's "How Would You Survive" writing contest in May 2009. An eBook version was also published on June 3, 2010. Catching Fire had an initial print of 350,000 copies. The book has over 750,000 copies in print.
Another main theme is interdependence
versus independence
. As one reviewer noted, "In The Hunger Games book 2, Katniss and Peeta are definitely interdependent. They are both helping each other to survive. As a matter of fact, they want the other one to survive more than they do themselves." The reviewer goes on to comment how this actually increases the chances of each character dying.
Government control is another important theme throughout the book and the series. After overpowering the first rebellion, the Capitol sets up rules in order to restrict and control the citizens' lives. Examples include how, "the 75th annual Hunger Games have "new" rules that cause Katniss and Peeta to be in danger once again. More "Peacekeepers" are placed in districts to squash any hope that the citizens started to have after the last Hunger Games." Other themes in the book include morality, obedience, sacrifice, redemption, love and law.
wrote, "If this second installment spends too much time recapping events from book one, it doesn't disappoint when it segues into the pulse-pounding action readers have come to expect." Booklist
commented on how the "unadorned prose provides an open window to perfect pacing and electrifying world building". A review from The New York Times
also gave a positive review, writing, "Collins has done that rare thing. She has written a sequel that improves upon the first book. As a reader, I felt excited and even hopeful: could it be that this series and its characters were actually going somewhere?" and also praised how Katniss became more sophisticated in the book. The Plain Dealer wrote, "The very last sentence of Catching Fire will leave readers gasping. Not to mention primed for part three."
However, not all reviews were positive. The same review from The Plain Dealer became annoyed at how, "after 150 pages of romantic dithering, I was tapping my foot to move on." A review from Entertainment Weekly
called the book weaker than the first and wrote, "Katniss pretends to be in love with her sweet-natured Games teammate Peeta Mellark, but she secretly pines for brooding Gale, a childhood friend. Except — why? There's little distinction between the two thinly imagined guys, other than the fact that Peeta has a dopier name. Collins conjures none of the erotic energy that makes Twilight
, for instance, so creepily alluring".
In addition, Time
magazine named Catching Fire was the fourth top fiction book of 2009, while People
magazine rated it their eighth Best Book of 2009. It also won Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for 2009 award.
, which will be released March 23, 2012.
Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins is an American television writer and novelist.-Early life:Suzanne Collins is the daughter of an Air Force officer. She graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts and earned her M.F.A. from New York University in Dramatic Writing....
. As the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a first person young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic. It is the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy. It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world...
, it continues the story of Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen is the main character of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. Her name comes from an edible plant called katniss. Jennifer Lawrence is set to portray Katniss in the upcoming movie The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross....
and the fictional, futuristic nation of Panem. Following the events of the previous novel, a rebellion against the ruling Capitol has begun, and Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta
Peeta Mellark
Peeta Mellark is one of the protagonists of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins...
are forced to return to the arena in a special edition of the the Hunger Games.
The book was released September 1, 2009, and was later released in eBook and audiobook format. Major themes include survival, government control, rebellion and interdependence vs. independence. Catching Fire has received mostly positive reviews. Reviewers praised the prose, the ending, and how Katniss became more sophisticated. The third book in the series, Mockingjay
Mockingjay
Mockingjay is a 2010 young adult dystopian novel by American author Suzanne Collins. It is the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, following 2008's The Hunger Games and 2009's Catching Fire, and continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, who agrees to lead the rebellion against the rulers...
, was released August 24, 2010.
Setting
Catching Fire takes place in a fictional country called Panem which is located in North America. The Capitol is located somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. District 12, Katniss' home, is located in the coal-rich Appalachian regionAppalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. There are a total of 12 Districts, but there once was a 13th which was destroyed in a rebellion against the Capitol. The Hunger Games take place annually in a stadium specially built for the event in an unidentified location.
Plot
After winning the 74th Hunger Games in the previous novel, Katniss EverdeenKatniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen is the main character of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. Her name comes from an edible plant called katniss. Jennifer Lawrence is set to portray Katniss in the upcoming movie The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross....
and Peeta Mellark
Peeta Mellark
Peeta Mellark is one of the protagonists of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins...
return home to District 12, the poorest sector in the fictional country of Panem. On the day that Katniss and Peeta are to start a "victory tour" of the country, she is visited by President Snow. President Snow explains that he is angry at her for threatening to commit suicide with Peeta at the end of the Hunger Games, which permitted them both to win. President Snow tells Katniss that when she defied the Capitol, she created talk of rebellion in the districts. He threatens to kill her family and friends if she cannot prove to everyone in Panem that her act was not one of defiance, but that she was instead driven by an intense love for Peeta.
The first stop on the victory tour is District 11, the home of Katniss' friend and ally in the Hunger Games, Rue, before she died. During the ceremony, Katniss delivers a quick speech to the people of District 11, thanking them for their tributes. When she is done, an old man whistles a tune that Rue used in the arena to tell Katniss that she was safe. The song acts as a signal and everyone salutes Katniss using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. Katniss is taken away, but not before she sees Peacekeepers shoot the whistling man in the head. Katniss and Peeta then proceed to travel to all of the twelve districts and the Capitol. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, hoping to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow. Despite this, Katniss learns that their attempts of subduing rebellion in the districts have failed. Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways from District 8. They explain a theory that District 13 was not wiped out by the Capitol, due to its residents going underground, and that stock footage of 13 is played instead of new film on television. Later, it is announced that, for the 75th Hunger Games, 24 victors from previous years will be forced to compete once again. This is in honor of the "Quarter Quell": an event that occurs every 25th year of the Games and allows the Capitol to introduce a twist. Knowing that she and Peeta will both be competing in the Games a second time, Katniss decides that she will devote herself to protecting Peeta.
During the Games, Katniss and Peeta join up with two other previous victors, Finnick Odair: a 24-year-old man who successfully survived the Games at the age of 14 and Mags: Finnick's 80-year-old mentor, both from District 4. After Mags' death, Katniss, Peeta and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel victor from District 7, and Beetee and Wiress, an older couple from District 3 who are said to be "exceptionally smart". Wiress soon proves her genius by revealing to Katniss that the arena is arranged like a clock, with all of the arena's disasters occurring on a timed chart. After Wiress is killed, Katniss learns of Beetee's plan to harness lightning in order to supposedly electrocute two other contenders. In the final chapters, Katniss directs the lightning at the force field that contains the arena, thereby destroying the arena and resulting in her temporary paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
. When she wakes up, she is being transported to District 13: a place that is widely thought to no longer exist. She is joined by Finnick, Beetee, Gale and Haymitch but learns that Peeta, Johanna and Enobaria have been captured by the Capitol. Katniss is informed that there had been a plan between most of the contestants to break out of the arena and that Beetee had been attempting to destroy the force field in the same way that she did. The book ends with Katniss' best friend, Gale, informing her that, though he got her family out in time, District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
Main characters
- Katniss EverdeenKatniss EverdeenKatniss Everdeen is the main character of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy. Her name comes from an edible plant called katniss. Jennifer Lawrence is set to portray Katniss in the upcoming movie The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross....
returns as the narrator and the main character for the second installment, facing new challenges. She is forced to continue to show that she is in love with Peeta, and that her desperate action at the end of the first Games was only an act of mindless love. When she is forced to compete in the 75th Hunger Games, she decides to do everything in her power to keep Peeta alive. Katniss battles with her devotion to Peeta versus Gale, and remains undecided.
- Peeta MellarkPeeta MellarkPeeta Mellark is one of the protagonists of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins...
- Katniss's fellow tribute, who goes along with Katniss's "in love" charade, although it is clear it is not a charade for him. Peeta volunteers to take Haymitch's place in the 75th Hunger Games, wanting to keep Katniss alive. Peeta is among those captured by the Capitol at the end.
- Haymitch Abernathy -Katniss and Peeta's mentor due to being District 12's only other living survivor of the Hunger Games. Although he is regarded as the town drunk, Katniss slowly begins to understand how being forced to compete and then mentor in the Games has affected him.
- Gale HawthorneGale HawthorneGale Hawthorne is one of the main characters of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy.-Character background:Gale is two years older than the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. His father was killed in the mine explosion that also killed Katniss's father, leaving his mother, Hazelle, a widow...
- Katniss's best friend in District 12, who works in the coal mines and hunts illegally. Katniss slowly starts looking at him as a love interest, rather than a friend, ever since he kissed her in the woods.
- President Snow - The President of Panem. He speaks to Katniss face-to-face for the first time at the beginning of Catching Fire. President Snow is described as having very puffy lips which was most likely from an appearance altering operation that is very popular in the Capitol. Katniss describes him as having a smell of blood and roses, with snake-like eyes.
- Finnick Odair - The male tribute from District 4, described as being very handsome. He won a previous Hunger Games ten years ago by using a trident against other tributes (District 4's trade is fishing.) Despite Haymitch's insistence, Katniss was hesitant to make Finnick her ally, but he proved to be valuable and trustworthy.
- Cinna - Katniss's trusted stylist, who makes her a wedding dress that turns into a mockingjay outfit. Just before the games are to take place, he is captured by Capitol authorities and beaten unconscious while Katniss is forced to watch.
Publication history
Catching Fire had a preliminary hardcoverHardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
release date of September 8, 2009 which was moved up to September 1, 2009 in response to requests by retailers to move the release to before Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
and the start of school for many readers. It was also published as an audiobook on on the same day. Advance reading copies
Advance copy
As a marketing tool, publishers provide free copies of new titles to booksellers, journalists and even celebrities.Such books are variously referred to as readers editions, an advance copy, an advance reading copy, ARC or ARE...
were available at BookExpo America
BookExpo America
BookExpo America is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. BEA is almost always held in a major city over four days in late May and/or early June...
in New York City, and were sent out to some booksellers, and offered as prizes in Scholastic's "How Would You Survive" writing contest in May 2009. An eBook version was also published on June 3, 2010. Catching Fire had an initial print of 350,000 copies. The book has over 750,000 copies in print.
Themes
One of the main themes in the book is survival. The purpose of the Hunger Games is to be the last one alive.Another main theme is interdependence
Interdependence
Interdependence is a relation between its members such that each is mutually dependent on the others. This concept differs from a simple dependence relation, which implies that one member of the relationship can function or survive apart from the other....
versus independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. As one reviewer noted, "In The Hunger Games book 2, Katniss and Peeta are definitely interdependent. They are both helping each other to survive. As a matter of fact, they want the other one to survive more than they do themselves." The reviewer goes on to comment how this actually increases the chances of each character dying.
Government control is another important theme throughout the book and the series. After overpowering the first rebellion, the Capitol sets up rules in order to restrict and control the citizens' lives. Examples include how, "the 75th annual Hunger Games have "new" rules that cause Katniss and Peeta to be in danger once again. More "Peacekeepers" are placed in districts to squash any hope that the citizens started to have after the last Hunger Games." Other themes in the book include morality, obedience, sacrifice, redemption, love and law.
Critical reception
Catching Fire received mainly positive reviews from critics. Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
wrote, "If this second installment spends too much time recapping events from book one, it doesn't disappoint when it segues into the pulse-pounding action readers have come to expect." Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
commented on how the "unadorned prose provides an open window to perfect pacing and electrifying world building". A review from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
also gave a positive review, writing, "Collins has done that rare thing. She has written a sequel that improves upon the first book. As a reader, I felt excited and even hopeful: could it be that this series and its characters were actually going somewhere?" and also praised how Katniss became more sophisticated in the book. The Plain Dealer wrote, "The very last sentence of Catching Fire will leave readers gasping. Not to mention primed for part three."
However, not all reviews were positive. The same review from The Plain Dealer became annoyed at how, "after 150 pages of romantic dithering, I was tapping my foot to move on." A review from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the book weaker than the first and wrote, "Katniss pretends to be in love with her sweet-natured Games teammate Peeta Mellark, but she secretly pines for brooding Gale, a childhood friend. Except — why? There's little distinction between the two thinly imagined guys, other than the fact that Peeta has a dopier name. Collins conjures none of the erotic energy that makes Twilight
Twilight (novel)
Twilight is a young-adult vampire-romance novel by author Stephenie Meyer. It is the first book of the Twilight series, and introduces seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan, who moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with a vampire,...
, for instance, so creepily alluring".
In addition, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine named Catching Fire was the fourth top fiction book of 2009, while People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine rated it their eighth Best Book of 2009. It also won Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for 2009 award.
Film adaptation
Lionsgate announced that a film adaption of Catching Fire will be released November 22, 2013, as a sequel to the film adaption of The Hunger GamesThe Hunger Games (film)
The Hunger Games is an upcoming science fiction action drama film directed by Gary Ross and is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth...
, which will be released March 23, 2012.
External links
- Suzanne Collins' official website
- Scholastic Official Site
- Catching Fire at the Hunger Games Wiki.