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I decided to wait until all the hype had died down before watching Catching Fire as I didn't want it to give me any false expectations and I'm so glad I did. Catching Fire is a really great film that's actually even better than the first film in this trilogy, The Hunger Games.

Some time has passed after the end of The Hunger Games and Katniss and Peeta have not spoken to each other at all since returning to District 12. Catching Fire opens on the day of the 'Victory Tour' around the country and President Snow unexpectedly arrives to tell Katniss that he is angry with her for sparking what could be a rebellion in all the districts. He wishes her to convince the public that the threat to eat the poisonous berries in the arena was an act of love and not one of rebellion or else he'll hurt her loved ones. Katniss reluctantly agrees but as the tour gets started and they move through each district, they see more and more acts of rebellion in the crowds and become more and more horrified by the Capitol's brutal treatment of these rebels. Later, it is announced that for the 75th Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell, there will be a twist and the volunteers will be picked from the pool of previous victors. Katniss and Peetasoon find themselves back in the arena, this time with allies Finnick and Mags from District 4, and things are even more brutal before.

Catching Fire has you gripping the edge of your seat from the very beginning. Now I know that sounds like a massive cliché, but it is actually true! There is such a tense atmosphere in this film as rebellion seems to be brewing and no one knows who to trust. This film is highly exciting and much flashier than The Hunger Games but this is definitely a good thing. The special effects are much better and highly impressive, as is the setting and the costumes.

Although this is quite an action packed film, there were also many very emotional scenes in which I was on the point of tears in. This plot is actually quite moving as a lot of people are wronged and killed unjustly throughout the series and I'm glad that this more melancholic tone was able to shine through as well. That said, there are also several funny parts so it's not too depressing.

I really liked the way that Katniss' character has developed since The Hunger Games. She was always a strong and brave character, but she's put up even more walls between herself and everyone else and seems to have age several years since she went into the arena. Although she is admirable, she is not always the most likeable of characters as she comes across as a little cold. In Catching Fire we see the relationship between Katniss and Peeta develop some more and we see more of Katniss' sensitive side which is interesting. Jennifer Lawrence continues to portray Katniss as a very real and raw character and seems to get it just right.

I was a little disappointed by Peeta's part in this film as I felt that he didn't have a substantial role. Although he was often being talked about or seen on screen, he doesn't do a great deal of talking and his presence wasn't felt very strongly in my opinion. There were lots of sweet moments from Peeta but apart from these Peeta/Katniss moments, I don't think he was given much attention. I got the impression that Peeta doesn't really exist without Katniss which I did not get from the books. Although I expect Katniss to have a more dominant role, not least because she is the more dominant character, I still thought that there would be lots of emphasis on Peeta's character.

This film is much more exciting than the first film as there are lots of new characters who all bring new plot developments with them. Finnick Odair, played by Sam Claflin, is a really great addition to the cast as he is both funny and serious, not to mention extremely hot! His other films coming out this year include Love, Rosie and The Riot Club, the two films I am most eagerly anticipating this year so I think Sam Claflin will be one to watch!

Catching Fire was my favourite book in The Hunger Games book series and it will probably be my favourite in the film adaption too. The plot is a lot more intricate in this instalment with many twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Whether or not you've read the books, this is a must see film, though I would highly recommend watching the first film first so that you truly understand what they are fighting for in part two. This film is very long, lasting almost two and a half hours, but at no point during that time did I feel bored in the slightest. Time passed very quickly and before long the credits were rolling and I still wanted more! Speaking of the ending, Catching Fire ends on a massive cliffhanger so you absolutely must see it before watching the next instalment Mockingjay which comes out in November 2014.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

Within minutes of finishing Catching Fire I grabbed my copy of Mockingjay eager for more. However, I'm sorry to say that I was bitterly disappointed by the final novel in The Hunger Games trilogy. I'm a sucker for a good love story so after Catching Fire I was looking for many more romantic moments leading up to the end of Mockingjay, but I did not find them. Instead I was presented with a story miles away from its two predecessors. The atmosphere was completely different with characters separated and all over the place as well as numerous new additions. Some people see this book as a brilliant ending to the series, but for some reason, I just don't see it that way and after reading this book my Hunger Games high has most certainly been subdued.

This books kicks off straight after Katniss has been removed from the Arena of the Quarter Quell by a mysterious hovercraft. She wakes up to find herself amongst a group of rebels taking her to District 13 where it turns out there is still a thriving and rebellious population despite the fact that the Capitol has claimed for years that the old District is deserted. It is on the hovercraft that Katniss realises that Peeta hasn't been rescued from the Arena as she was, but instead he has been captured by the Capitol. Katniss attempts to recover from the heavy injuries she sustained during the Quarter Quell whilst fearing for Peeta's life. After swearing to keep him safe and bring him home alive after the Quarter Quell, Katniss is desperate for news of Peeta - her supposed fiancee and father of her 'child' - and is also furious with Haymitch for double crossing her. In this book we see the fight of the rebels against the Capitol play out

One thing I do have to give credit to Suzanne Collins for is surprise. I could not have been more shocked at the way that the events played out in this novel and it was absolutely unpredictable. This book really reinforced my view that it's not just the ending that matters, but how you get there, and I wasn't very pleased at all about how this book played out. All the characters go through dramatic personality changes which altered everything that had been set out by events in the previous books. Whilst there were many moments that filled with me much emotion and even left me with a few tears streaming down my face, the predominant emotion I was feeling after I'd finished was frustration. I didn't feel like my hunger (excuse the pun) for The Hunger Games had been satisfied and I needed more. I'm sorry I can't say more, but I don't feel that I can express exactly why I am so dissatisfied without revealing what exactly the plot line is.

For me, this was definitely the worst book out of all three in this series and the ending really let me down. I was incredibly frustrated for a couple of days and then I discovered The Hunger Games fanfiction, which really has been the only thing to stop me from killing myself after the s*** ending to this series. For those of you who haven't yet read Mockingjay, I'd almost suggest that you just don't, because it almost ruined my love for this series, but then again, I can't imagine any true fan only reading two out of the three books. Some of my friends disagree with me, but there are also many who agree with my point of view. I've read reviews about how brilliant and about how disappointing this book is so I suppose this is a love/hate novel and it really will be up to the reader to decide. Despite the less than satisfactory end, this is still my all-time favourite series after Harry Potter and I highly recommend to it boys, girls and adults for a captivating read.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

After watching the new film, The Hunger Games, my love for this series has been rekindled and I was eager to get back into reading the other books in the series. Faced with a stack load of revision I decided that this was going to be the holiday that I picked up a good book again. Not one that's on my English reading list, but some good old teenage fiction. It is fair to say that I was slightly distressed when 30 pages into reading this novel, the select button on my Kindle decided to stop functioning rendering it useless. I immediately ran for my laptop determined to keep reading this captivating novel and I haven't moved since. Six hours later, I have finally finished Catching Fire, my bum is completely numb from the lack of activity and my laptop has heated up so much I think it might just melt - but it was worth it.

Catching Fire is the second instalment in The Hunger Games trilogy and picks up right where the first book left off. After Katniss and Peeta were both crowned victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games, there have been murmurs of rebellion in all twelve district of Panem and it's fair to say the Capitol is not happy. The whole point of the Hunger Games is to remind the twelve districts of the power of the Capitol and Katniss has seriously undermined their authority by threatening to commit suicide alongside her 'lover' Peeta at the end of the last Hunger Games. The Capitol had no choice but to let there be two victors that year or face having no victor at all but now Katniss and Peeta must bear the consequences. Katniss has become a Mockingjay, a symbol of rebellion for all those in Panem and the Capitol is determined to suppress this. With the 75th annual Hunger Games coming up, or the third Quarter Quell, a special Hunger Games with a twist that comes about only once every 25 years, the Capitol's got a trick up it's sleeve to quiet the unrest in Panem, and it's a shocker.

Whilst the first instalment of the series is predominantly a dystopia novel, there were some suggestions of a romance forming between Peeta and Katniss. This is explored much further in the second novel as the pair have to face the Capitol together. Whilst their relationship was all an act in order to survive in the arena (at least from Katniss' point of view), their lives are now forever intertwined by the Capitol. Personally, what I find most interesting about this series is the love triangle between Peeta, Gale and Katniss and since the first Hunger Games is over the focus moves onto this strand of the plot.

As I mentioned before, I literally just sat down and read this book for six hours straight. That is how addictive it is. I was completely engrossed in the novel and was basically dead to the world until I finished it. This book is a real page turner that's really easy to read. The plot flows from page to page seamlessly so you don't even realise how much content you're going through. There were a lot of shocking moments for me during this novel that I, in no way shape or form, saw coming, which is refreshing after reading so many predictable teen novels. This book took hold of me from the moment I read the very first word and I was completely drawn into the world of Katniss Everdeen. There are some really beautiful and heart warming moments but also some which have you tearing your hair out or clasping your hand to your mouth in shock. This book made my heart pound like few books have done before it and is definitely one of the books at the top of my recommendations list. Whilst there are some elements that are similar to those of the first book, this book is still full of completely original ideas and it isn't in the least bit repetitive.

Now that I've finished reading the book and it's review, I'm straight off to read the third and final instalment of the trilogy, despite the mountainous pile of revision I've got to get through. Yep, it's so good that A-Levels have been completely shoved to the back of my brain. If you haven't read the series or watched the film then you are seriously missing out on what's deemed to be the 'next Harry Potter and Twilight' and I highly recommend this book to boys and girls of all ages for a thoroughly gripping read.

The Hunger Games.

Article first published as Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on Blogcritics.

The Hunger Games is genuinely one of the best books I have ever read. I literally could not put it down once I started reading it; there was just too much suspense and surprise from the onset. There are so many things about this book that just shouldn’t work, but somehow they do.

Initially I thought that this was an action book but as the story progressed it started to turn into a romance novel. I was also under the impression that the story was set in a time or place completely different to our world now but I soon realised that in fact it was set in modern times complete with television sets and advanced science technology. There is such a juxtaposition of the world where the main character Katniss lives and ‘The Capitol’ where the rich people live. There should be an awful clash as Collins tries to mix two very different sorts of environments together but in fact there is an explosion of brilliant literature.

Katniss’ world reminds me of one similar to Robin Hood’s, where people hunt with arrows and kept under strict control by the Capitol. However the Capitol seems very much like the centre of a busy city, like London, with stylists and televisions and posh hotel suites. Suzanne Collins has created a twist on the popular reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ where contestants are placed inside a locked arena. The difference is twenty-four contestants go in, but only one can make it out alive. There is so much attention to detail and each and every one of the main characters are explained in full, details which many other authors would have skimmed over. What makes this book really interesting for the reader is that Collins seems to include us in it. The ‘Hunger Games’ are broadcast on screens everywhere for the general public to see and we feel like we are the ones at home watching it and cheering on for different players.

Katniss is a brilliant character as she is very aware of what the audience wants to see and makes sure that she gives it to them (and us). This is one of the most sophisticated and engaging novels I have ever read and I am sure that it will appeal to people of all ages, not just teenagers. The suspense is continuous throughout the book, right until the very end, and it leaves the reader wanting to know more about Katniss and her story. There is even the suggestion of a love triangle between her and two other characters.

The reader assumes that at the end of The Hunger Games the worst is over for our protagonist but in actual fact it may be just beginning. Katniss has done something that no one else has ever dared to do, and has made the Capitol look like fools. This book definitely leaves you begging for more and excited for the next two books that make up this trilogy.

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