Catching Fire *cough* Ramblings *cough* Review

I finally got to read Catching Fire last night. FINALLY. I'm sure everyone's already read it...but, I like to humor myself and I like book reviews so here it goes:

Book Description:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My Opinion:

How can I not like anything that's the sequel to the Hunger Games? For that reason alone, I really enjoyed reading Catching Fire. But Collins has again delivered a suspenseful, well-written novel with characters that jump off of the page. So that's why I LOVE Catching Fire!

Collins returns to some very familiar ground from the last book, but I don't mind in the slightest. She explores District Twelve and its residents in greater depth, so the reader can really get a feel for the place where Katniss has lived all of her life. And then *whispers* in the later part of the book she brings back an event from the first book, which is just as beautifully inventive and suspenseful as the first time. *finishes trying to avoid spoilers* And the love triangle heats up, as Gale and Peeta vie for Katniss's attentions.

Ooh and I really liked the new villain, President Snow. He's fittingly creepy, and when Collins describes his smell as that of "roses and blood" it makes my stomach turn. It's like he's rotten underneath but he's trying to mask it. I think that's just like the Capitol.

I am so happy that Colins continued describing the lavishness of the Capitol. The tantalizing food descriptions and the gorgeous outfits that readers will remember from The Hunger Games continue in Catching Fire, and they are some of my favorite parts of the book.

I also enjoyed the introduction of more political elements , with the Districts churning with rebellious ideas and Katniss and Peeta the *possible* (willing or no) leaders of an uprising.

Throughout the book, I found myself amazed by how inventive and well-thought out the book was: especially the technology, customs of the Capitol, and most of all the past Hunger Games that Katniss will learn about. I mean, when we find out how Haymitch won his round of the Hunger Games, I literally stopped reading and thought to myself, "WOW. How did she ever think of that?" I had several more moments like that throughout the book.

I'm still mulling over certain aspects of the book in my head. I've decided I like the ending, but I can't help feeling that the first two books were almost like episodes in a TV show where they say, "HAHAHA To Be Continued" right when you're anxious to know what's going to happen next. There's bold print on the last page titled "End of Book Two" but I did not expect the book to end right there, right when all these new revelations and issues have surfaced. But hey, what am I complaining about? That just means that there's going to be more sequels. Yippee!

I give it a 9.5/10

Okay, I'll stop rambling now. CATCHING FIRE!!!!!!!!!!