The second installment to the series trilogy the Hunger Games, has given readers a set up for something more to come. This novel is based around the two heroes of the first book, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Malek. In a twist of events, although they had won the Hunger games from the year before which automatically makes them exempt from future games. Unfortunately this year is the 75th year of the hunger games and thus what is known as the Quarter Quell. Where by President Snow, makes an announcement which changes the Hunger Games rules, the tributes where to be drawn from previous years victors. Which in turn means that Katniss and Peeta are at risk of being dragged into the arena, again.
When the inevitable happens and they once again become district 12 tributes, they find that they are in a similarly dangerous arena, acting the roles of star crossed lovers, hoping to entice sponsors to help them during their time in captivity. But this time they have formed allegiance with other victors in a hope to survive the games. Both of them suffer both mentally and physically. Horror and danger surrounding them each time they turned a corner. Some unlikely allies become friends to the pair, but even so, it’s not always as it seems. There is still a hidden agenda that Katniss and Peeta remain oblivious to till the very end.
The relationship between Peeta, Katniss and Gale is explored further in this installment of the series. It gives a little more light to how Katniss really feels about both of them, and how it affects her mentally as well as physically. The torment. The torture. The will to live as long as there is hope.
The second installment gives a whole new chapter in the trilogy but overall, it feels as though it’s setting up something more. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy Catching Fire but I did expect more from such a creation from the first novel. The rating I give this book is 7/10 stars.
Eaving Shores 