Catching Fire Review

*~CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE CRAZY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE HUNGER GAMES. DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR CATCHING FIRE~*

Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: 14+
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)


Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen 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 enjoying their freedom. After all, they won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty of food. 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, and they want revenge.

---------------------------------------------------

Wow. I just finished this book moments ago, and am speechless and will most likely remain this way for some time. I know that people who have read The Hunger Games do not need me to tell them to pick this book up, but I feel like I need to contribute my thought and feelings about this book. Maybe for me, but I need to speak nonetheless. So:

To Whom It May Concern,

...Wow. When I started this book it didn't seem like it could live up to the high expectations that I had set for it after reading countless rave reviews on it. It seemed like I would be disappointed. I was wrong. DEAD WRONG. It was amazing. The ridiculously original, suspenseful, and overall fantastic plot that Suzanne Collins created did The Hunger Games more than justice. The gut-wrenching twists and turns left me gasping and hyperventilating.

Of course, Catching Fire wouldn't have been nearly the book it was without it's fantastic cast of characters. Katniss is the same tough-as-nails heroine with feelings AND extreme doses of bravery. How often do you find that in YA fiction these days? No very often, my friends. I didn't know I could love Peeta any more than after finishing The Hunger Games, but Catching Fire, again, proved me wrong. His unconditional love and care for Katniss isn't the only thing to love him for; he's also ridiculously brave and provides those few chuckles that even an action-packed dystopic book craves. Gale? Oh, that Gale. I don't care for him much. He's...whiny, almost. I'm definitely Team Peeta. Haymitch is great, too. Although hate-able, at the same time.

The writing in Catching Fire was great, as expected by Suzanne Collins. She was a little more descriptive in Catching Fire than in The Hunger Games, and for that I was grateful; it helped me imagine the characters more vividly.

The ending left me gaping at the book, expecting more words to jump out on cue. They didn't. There was a huge cliffhanger and I'm already expecting the next book to appear in a recurring dream. After I was finished, I closed the book and smelled it. I don't know why, maybe to savor every possible bit of it, but I did. Overall, in case you couldn't tell this was a wonderful sequel to The Hunger Games that leaves you begging for more. I probably would've devoured it in 1 day had it not come on the day where we had company, followed by a crazy-busy week. But, I still LOVED it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to discuss it on Shelfari since m friends are cheap and waiting for me to loan them my copy.

Oh...wow, this review is long...sorry, but I LOVED it!

Was it better than The Hunger Games? GO. AWAY.

Teaser Tuesdays (September 8th, '09)

I'm back! I went away to my aunt's for labor day weekend and didn't get any time to post. But I haven't forgotten about you, actually it's quite the opposite; I've been planning my 100th followers contest, which could happen any day now.

And, also, I've kinda put my blogging life on hold. Why? Catching Fire, silly. I've checked on my Blogger account and skimmed through posts, but I've only read a very select few. It just seems like a waste of time when I've got Catching Fire next to me. But, when I finish Catching Fire, there will be a CRAP-LOAD of blog posts for me to read! Anyways, onto the teaser of a book that has taken over my life:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should

Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine:


"Yes. This is the thing to remember when fear threatens to swallow me up. What I am about to do, whatever any of us are forced to endure, it is for them."- Page 123 of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. (I'm on page 257.)

My Month of Reading: August and Happy Release Day!

Yay, the computer's working!!

Not nearly as good of a month of reading as July. I only read 5 books (maybe 6 if I can finish Shiver tonight). That's pathetic. there are 2 excuses that I have come up with: A. Summer is definitely coming to an end; I've been running around like crazy. B. Most of August's books were not nearly as good as July's books. But, here they are:

1. The Devouring (3 stars)

2. Shattered Mirror (3 and 1/2 stars)

3. Hawksong (3 and 1/2 stars)

4. Prophecy of the Sisters (3 and 1/2 stars)

5. Fade (Favorite)

Favorite book from August: No contest. Fade.

Worst book from August: The Devouring.

Other posts of significance:

(My First!) Contest: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening


September brings not only a new month of reading, but a whole crap-load of new releases! Here are just some books that come out...tomorrow (two hours):









Yay! These are the ones that I'm SUPER excited for! Guess which one I'm most excited for? September's gonna be an awesome month...I can feel it.

What Would You Do For Catching Fire?

(Sorry it's so small.)


3. MORE. DAYS. UNTIL. CATCHING. FIRE. I'M. EXCITED. (In case you couldn't tell.)

And, on a different note, I'm more than halfway through Shiver. It's taking me longer than I'd expected to read, but in a really good way... I'll explain exactly what that means in the review.


Oh, and while I'm being random, it's the perfect time to announce my brand-new award from Sarbear at My Life Is An Effing Fairy Tale (an awesome blog name, in my opinion)! Thanks Sarbear!

I have to pass the award on to some fellow bloggers. If I gave it to you and you already have it, sorry. I nominate:

1. Writer's Block Reviews
2. Poisoned Rationality
3. I Was A Teenage Book Geek
4. Read Now, Sleep Later (It's where I got the Catching Fire comic.((see above)
5. The Neverending shelf

Thanks again to Sarbear!


And now I'm off to continue being dead-tired. (8 is early for me.)

Books I'll Pule For! (2)

These are all unreleased books that I would pule to get. Dictionay.com describes pule as: "to cry in a thin voice; whine; whimper."



*SPOILERS FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T READ THE HUNGER GAMES*
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.
















For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.







(No description yet. Evernight and Stargazer were great, so I can't wait to read Hourglass!)



























For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

There’s something about the new guy at Crossroads High . . .
Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
• One can time-travel.
• One can raise the dead.
• One can tell the future.
• And one can possess another human.
With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they’re causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he’ll blink and suddenly he’s a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he’ll change the future. Or, he’ll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she’s going to die. He’s so over it. All he wants is peace. And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he’s with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He’s a loner; she has friends. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it’s too late. . .

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden. . . doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger. . . but not everyone will come out alive. . .



All of these books look fantastic, don't they? For a complete list, check out my wishlist on my sidebar.

Book News

OK, first of all, is anyone else having trouble getting to Lauren Barnholdt's website? I'm trying to enter her Catching Fire giveaway, but no matter what link, or where it comes from, I can't get to it. Is it just my slow Internet connection? It's making me really mad.


I also got another award! This one is from Meggin from Serendipity Book Reviews! Thanks Meggin!


I'm not sure what this award is exactly for, so I'll just give it to 5 of some of my favorite blogs (but not necessarily my top ones, and in no order). Sorry if you have it.


1. Bloody Bookaholic

2. GreenBeanTeenQueen

3. FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW

4. Library Lounge Lizard

5. Pop Culture Junkie

Thanks again to Meggin!


Oh, and if you won't mind a rare fan-girl moment (not about Rob Pattinson, mind you): I got City of Ashes! When my dad brought it home from the library, I sware I could've jumped up and down and screamed. Unfourtunatelty, I need to read other library books before their due date...great.


Alright, so that's it for my book news.