Book 18: Catching Fire

Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins

So, how best to follow up a reasonably self-contained bestseller about such a dismal future that it requires children to fight to the death annually for the happy consumption of an unbelievably coddled ruling class? Readers of The Hunger Games or any of its cousins in the world of literary dystopias won't be particularly surprised at the twists Collins takes in Catching Fire, but the sequel is suitably grim and maintains a sufficient, if tenuous, grip on originality to make it enjoyable, if slightly un-challenging. We open, suitably enough, a while after the events of the first book have had a chance to create new tensions across Panem, and though this forces Collins to tell much of the intervening story through flashbacks, it allows heroine (and narrator) Katniss to jump directly into the thick of things, again employing the urgent present tense narration that drives the story along though it is prone to second-book stagnation. The story fits nicely alongside that of the first book, and the particular plot point that occupies much of the book's second half presents a finely pointed jab at the dystopian Capitol's rule that oh-so-carefully treads the line between surprisingly subtle and just a tad too obvious

Just like its predecessor, however, Catching Fire displays the author's frankly disturbing talent for cooking up sadistic twists and turns, again much appreciated in a young adult novel that does not shrink away from displaying the full, nasty range of human capabilities. The central conceits of the 75th Hunger Games, both the special quality shared by its participants and the arena itself, are captivating, even if the grand climax and, indeed, the general progress of the plot, leaves a bit to be desired. There are, of course, heart-pounding, gut-wrenching moments that fully captivate readers, and they may more make up for those that seem merely convenient. The teenage leads are predictably emotional, yet realistic enough to prevent any severe resentment by the reader. Katniss does succumb at times to the whiny, wishy-washy kind of teenage girl one expects, but Collins knows how to maintain dramatic tension and character development without allowing anything, or anyone, to get too carried away. And thus, the love story at the heart of much of Catching Fire rings true. Katniss is flawed, and a bit nearsighted, but she seems, above all, real. Whether this makes her likable or callous is another debate, but she is certainly complex and multi-dimensional, and she more than makes up for the occasional one-dimensionality of her supporting cast. And despite the occasional feeling that Panem is populated by stock characters, a few simply leap off of the page, with unexpected complexity developing from unexpected directions and stagnation, sadly, stalling in some quarters where development is sorely needed. Catching Fire is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, sacrificing a bit of nuance for screen-ready simplicity but satisfying nonetheless, despite the final pages' indications that the series is headed for groan-worthy predictability.

Grade: A-