"This is no place for a girl on fire."
Catching Fire destroyed every single piece of my heart and soul and I don't know if I'll ever be able to put the pieces back together again.
The beginning of Catching Fire is quite slow, but it shows just how much Katniss's life and opinions have changed since the Games. However, when the Quarter Quell starts, Catching Fire is gripping and difficult to put down. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping that the characters would make it out alive - and this is my second read - so I knew exactly how things were going to end. The stakes in Catching Fire are so high.
In Catching Fire, more emphasis is placed on the characters - their emotions, their personalities and their growth. Catching Fire has extremely complex characters who continue evolving and who go through so much. There are characters who seem so shallow at first glance, but later show a surprising amount of depth.
Katniss is still one of my favourite protagonists. In Catching Fire she's even more moody, short-tempered and anti-social, but she also shows more vulnerability. She's a brave, loyal and defiant badass, but she's also kind and compassionate and she'd do anything to protect the people she cares about. All she wanted to do was protect her sister and survive the Hunger Games, but she ends up becoming the spark that lights discontent in the districts.
Peeta is such a unique character. He's a good guy who is kind, gentle, strong and sacrificial, but he is no Gary-Stu. He's witty, perceptive and he lies so easily. We also learn more about Haymitch and I understand his character so much more. Effie, Cinna (whose outfit designs are LEGENDARY), and even Katniss's Prep Team show different sides of their personalities. Also, I am in love with Finnick.
The love triangle is side-lined by everything else that's going on in Katniss's life, but her feelings and confusion are so real. We see a little more of Gale in Catching Fire, who represent friendship becoming something more. There's also Peeta - a fake relationship borne out of survival and necessity that could become something real. I'm on Team Peeta because he is a sweetheart who understands Katniss and supports her decisions.
Catching Fire is an emotional read. It brought out feelings of anger, heartache and pain, but there are also moments that brought out feelings of happiness and hopefulness. Catching Fire surpassed my expectations, even after a reread. I'm so ready to witness fire catching and burning in Mockingjay.
"Katniss, the girl on fire, has left behind her flickering flames and bejeweled gowns and soft candlelight frocks. She is as deadly as fire itself."