4 Mei 2013

Book Review: Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)



Suzanne Collins, Scholastic, 2009



Coming home after the game, Katniss have no choice but to keep her star-crossed lover acting with Peeta. She must convince all people that what she did in the game purely because of love and not a rebel toward the Capitol. Even proposal of their marriage has been arranged, still the plan doesn't seem to work because then some uprisings started to happen in several district during the victor tour. President Snow shows his dissapointment to Katniss and followed by a lot of restrictions back in district 12. Afraid that her family, Gale's and Peeta's being killed by President Snow, she think the possibility of running away through the woods. But neither Gale or Peeta agreed to it. While she is preparing the wedding, then an announcement of The Quarter Quel comes out. The participants of the quel will be chose from existed victors in every district. As the only girl victor in district 12, she will enter the game once again and Peeta will surely volunteers even if Haymitch being chose. May the odds be their favor this time?

 
My first reaction reading the synopsis is what? another Hunger Games? I don't think I can't stand for another one. But curiousity beats all that feeling. A lot of progress in this second installment. In the beginning Katniss is so scared of President Snow and his Capitol that she do all she can do to put things back in the place. But when Snow adding more presurre on her, she is gradually being brave and stronger. It is showed when she duplicating the dead body of Seneca Crane during the meeting with Game Master. The other thing is we finally got to know how the previous victor won their games and what happen to them after that. It seems being voctor is not-happy-ending-at-all. That's the reason why Haymitch being like that. The game, Quarter Quell, is...very different with the previous (in first book). The concept is brilliant, really... OMG, I feel like Capitol people haha.... Although still hate the killing part, I admit Quarter Quell is great. Probably it is because the tributes are all winner. I can't wait the visualization in movie. About the love triangle, it grows a little bit faster on one side than another. In this book we finally know that Gale loves Katniss and maybe she do too but that was before Peeta came. Peeta from the first book always get more opportunity to show his undying love to Katniss by being the tribute. Sorry Gale, you're just not be there in the right time. Even Katniss isn't so sure about her feeling yet, but we find her always looking some comfort to Peeta. I wonder is there any real love like Peeta to Katniss? Maybe there is but probably one in a million. In the end, the writer give us very depressing ending that make me wanna read the third. Great book!!!

victory tour poster