Riveting; Jarring; Spellbinding; Exhilarating; Unpredictable; Emotionally charged. These are the words I would use to describe Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I can’t articulate enough how tremendously in love I am with this new series! However, I must warn you as I did with The Hunger Games, that this sequel STILL does not provide you with the closure you’re looking for! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! If you’re like me, and need resolution, then the ending of this book will have you screaming “COME ON!!! WHAT HAPPENS NEXT DAMMIT?!?!?!?” LOL Fortunately for us, the author MUST be planning a third book for this series, because there’s no way she could leave her fans hanging like this otherwise! HURRY UP SUZANNE!

Before I begin, I want to confess that I had my own theories about what this sequel could possibly be about… and all of them were wrong! I want everyone to benefit from the same feeling of surprise and shock that I got while reading this. Therefore, I’m going to limit any in-depth discussion of the plot. With that said, I will tell you a few things about this book that I loved best, without spoiling anything for you.

Catching Fire doesn’t exactly start out where The Hunger Games left off, but that aspect shouldn’t bother you too much. It takes place a few months after the Games, and after that long train ride back to District 12 where our lovable Peeta confessed his true love for Katniss. This story brings you into their post-Game lives as Victors of District 12; which, as you may have suspected, is not the carefree, easy-living that the Capitol proclaims it to be. Since the Games, a secret resistance against the Capitol has been forming. Intending to squash this new opposition, the Capitol uses the upcoming ‘Quarter Quell’ (the 75 year anniversary of the revolution against the Capitol) to instill fear back into its citizens. With so much at stake, Katniss and Peeta are forced into a variety of life or death situations…all of which will have you gasping for air!

The author’s writing style is seamless, almost as if she never really stopped writing this story, but just divided it into sections and called each one a book. You will feel yourself easily glide right back into the first-person dialect as The Hunger Games, without any awkward adjustments. The writer’s speed and trajectory of the plot is what contributes to the overall excitement and thrill of the story. You will be captured by the first chapter!

Like The Hunger Games, my favorite aspect of this book was its merciless unpredictability. You really never knew what was coming next! There are so many twists and turns and just when you think you’ve got it all figured out…BAM…you’re thrown for another loop! I give Catching Fire 5 outta 5 pumps for its ingenious topsy-turvy plot, incredible character dynamics, and amazingly enticing action scenes!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!