Part I: Bibliographic information
Type: Novel, Series
Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Copyright Date: 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (2009)
ISBN: 978-0439023498
Genre/Subgenre(s): YA/Science Fiction/Distopian; Adventure/Thriller, Series
Interest Age: 12 and up
Reading Level: 7 (Scholastic)
Common Sense Media Age Level: 13
Pages: 391
Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation
Reader’s Annotation -- Katniss and Peeta are the first to win a Hunger Games as a pair, and the President is not happy to be made the fool by the independently minded girl from District 12. As unrest is rising, the Capital strike back by pulling the pair back into the arena to face other former winners in a ‘best of’ scenario that once again puts them facing the brutality and hopelessness that is the arena.
Plot Summary -- Katniss returns now living in District 12 in a nice home provided to winners. She cannot find it in her to love Peeta completely even though the Capital would like nothing better. She continues to hunt and meets her real love, Gale, a handsome, independent type who has long been her by her side. Gale and her are continue to meet in the woods to hunt and talk about running away with their families. But the Capital is watching, they suspect -- and they are right. A growing sense of anti-Capital sentiment has been triggered by the last Hunger Games during which people started to identify with Katniss’ fierce sense of protest against the injustice of the Capital. Preparations for the annual tours of the Districts are underway and both Katniss and Peeta, as the previous years victors, are expected to partake. Behind the scenes, Gale involves himself in the uprising and pays the price with a very public beating. The Capital decides -- contrary to the rules and all precedent -- to force the former winners of the games into another competition. Katniss swears to save Peeta, who lost a leg in the previous games, at all cost. They begin to train and are encouraged to form alliances. Katniss resists as she knows that she might have to kill some of these people in the end. But she does pick a few key allies -- not for their strengths but for their character. The enter the arena and are faced with a swim, which Katniss excels at. She gets a bow from the Cornucopia left by the Capital and several Careers fall right from the start. The rag tag alliance finds themselves on the beach while the remaining Careers hold the area near the forest. The forest is filled with wild monkeys -- and there is the ever present danger of being hit by a seem in the grid. It appears that Katniss’ team has the upper hand but then things go bad and it’s all in question. Katniss is not certain why or how they have survived but both Peeta and her are alive when the game seems to come to an ending though no clear victor has been established. The Districts are in full rebellion it seems. And, the fate of District 12 seems uncertain at best.
Critical Evaluation -- The novelist continues to contrast of the Capital dwellers with lavish food, overstated dress and a propensity for body alternations contrast with the humble roots that Katniss has known as a District 12 citizen. We see a further development of her ability to read the Capital and her sense of rebellion against their methods continues though she is cautious in order to protect her mother and sister. Gale’s torture changes her, however. She has less to lose as the future becomes less certain. Her stand against the killing of the first gamekeeper during the training is proof that she is no longer afraid. She faces death head on and only cares about saving Peeta at all cost. This makes her into a less self-absorbed character and her love for Peeta deepens in spite of her loyalties to Gale, whom she may never see again. The novel has two distinct parts -- before the tour and games and after. By the time we get to the games we are ready for some action since the first half of Catching Fire does not have the action we saw throughout The Hunger Games. However, that’s made up for in the final half with plenty of exciting new ways that Tributes can be eliminated -- and Collins does not scale back on the violence that is so much a part of this series draw as well as its controversial aspect. The book has three distinct parts, which helps with it’s readability -- it’s still compelling but the complexity of the early parts might not keep the interest of a younger reader.
Part III: Author Info
“Bestselling author Suzanne Collins first made her mark in children’s literature with the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles series for middle grade readers. Her debut for readers aged 12 and up,The Hunger Games (September 2008), immediately became a New York Times bestseller, appealing to both teen readers and adults....It was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice,” according to the Scholastic Press author biography (Biography, 2013).
Scholastic (Biography, 2013) adds: “Suzanne Collins has also had a successful and prolific career writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She received a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Suzanne Collins lives with her family in Connecticut.”
Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues
Curriculum Ties, if any -- This series is essentially a commentary on totalitarianism. I would suggest that it could be used as a compliment to a government course. The context could involve exploring why it is or isn’t realistic and asking what aspects of our current system keep the sorts of things that happen in this book from occurring (ie. the U.S. Constitution, etc.), process of law, free speech, etc.). One media organization has a good list of ten things parents can do to encourage responsible media consumption -- it’s something I might provide to parents who are concerned.
Diversity of Cultures -- There is some reference to race and skin color in this work but it’s not a primary theme. The main thrust relates to economic injustice and human rights issues.
Booktalking Ideas -- This book takes us deeper into the role of government in the lives of people. What parallels are there to our everyday lives? How much government is too much or too little?
Challenge Issues -- Similar to the challenge issues of The Hunger Games: violence, murder.
Part V: Reasons chosen
I liked The Hunger Games enough to want to know what else happens. Thankfully, I was not disappointed in Book II as is so often the case. It’s original in it’s story and not formulaic to the first book. In fact, it’s more involved in describing the political complexities that drive the Capital and raises our hopes for a better time despite the continued oppression of the Districts.
Part VI: Citations
Biography: Suzanne Collins. (2013) Scholastic Press. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/suzanne-collins
Book Wizard (2010) The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/suzanne-collins
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