Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games. The book continues the story of a now seventeen-year-old Katniss Everdeen and the fictional, futuristic nation of Panem.
The book was released September 1, 2009, and was later released
in Kindle and audiobook format. The book had an initial print run of
350,000 copies. Advance reading copies were available at BookExpo
America in New York City, and were sent out to some booksellers, and
offered as prizes in Scholastic's "How Would You Survive" writing
contest in May 2009. Major themes include survival, government control,
rebellion and interdependence versus independenc
Catching Fire takes place in a fictional country called Panem,
which is located in what was once the United States and Canada. The
Capitol, the chief city and seat of government, is located somewhere in
the Roc
ky Mountains District 12, Katniss' home, is located in the coal-rich Appalachian region.There are a total of 12 Districts, but there once was a 13th, which was
destroyed in a rebellion against the Capitol. The Hunger Games take
place annually in an arena specially built for the event in an
unidentified location.
The first stop on the Victory Tour is District 11, the home of Katniss' friend and ally in the Hunger Games, Rue, before she died. During the ceremony, Katniss and Peeta deliver quick speeches to the people of District 11, thanking them for their tributes. When the speeches conclude, an old man whistles a tune that Rue used in the arena to tell Katniss that she was safe. The song acts as a signal and everyone salutes Katniss using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. Katniss and Peeta then proceed to travel to all of the twelve districts and the Capitol. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, hoping to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow. Despite this, Katniss learns that their attempts of subduing rebellion in the districts and convincing Snow of their relationship have failed. Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways from District 8. They explain a theory that District 13 was not wiped out by the Capitol and that its residents have gone underground. President Snow announces that, for the 75th Hunger Games, a "Quarter Quell" that allows the Gamemakers to add a twist, 24 victors from previous years will be forced to compete once again. Katniss is chosen as female tribute for District 12, due to being the only female winner from the district, and Haymitch is chosen as male tribute but Peeta volunteers in his place to protect Katniss.
After arriving at the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta look for potential allies among the other tributes. Katniss meets Finnick Odair, a 24-year-old man who successfully survived the Games at the age of 14, and Mags, Finnick's 80-year-old mentor, both from District 4. She also meets Beetee and Wiress, an older couple from District 3 who are said to be "exceptionally smart" and adept at working with electronics. Beetee and Wiress tell Katniss that the Capitol leaves the control panels for their force fields vulnerable in plain sight.
The Games take place on a beach and jungle terrain, with a dome shaped force field enclosing the tributes. The arena is set up to resemble an analog clock with one lethal event occurring every hour on a twelve hour cycle. When the Games start, Katniss and Peeta form an impromptu alliance with Finnick and Mags. They try to find the arena's perimeters, but Peeta runs into the force field at the edge, stopping his heart. Luckily, Finnick is able to perform CPR to revive him, although Peeta is weakened from the incident. At noon, lightning strikes a tree nearby, and the next hour the Gamemakers release a poisonous fog in the group's location. The fog causes muscle spasms and prevents them from running while Katniss tries to carry Mags and Finnick carries Peeta. Mags sacrifices herself, because Katniss cannot carry her any longer, so the other three can escape. After Mags' death, lightning strikes again at midnight and the group is attacked by mutated monkeys, but all three survive, thanks to the female tribute from District 6 sacrificing herself to save Peeta. Katniss, Peeta and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel victor from District 7, an injured Beetee, and Wiress, who is in shock and repeatedly mumbles "tick tock". From Wiress' words, Katniss realizes that the arena is arranged like a clock, with the Gamemakers' disasters occurring on a timed chart, signaled by the lightning.
While gathered at the central cornucopia the careers attack the group, killing Wiress, and a battle ensues until the Gamemakers cut it short by shifting the terrain. Beetee devises a plan to harness the arena's lightning to supposedly electrocute the rest of the career tributes. At night the group splits to prepare for the plan, but is attacked separately by the remaining tributes. Katniss is knocked out and has her tracker removed by Johanna. Johanna then leads the two remaining careers away from Katniss. An injured Katniss directs the lightning at the force field's control panel with an arrow tied to the wire, destroying the arena forcefield and resulting in her temporary paralysis. When she wakes up, she is being transported to District 13: a place that is widely thought to no longer exist. She is joined by Finnick, Beetee, and Haymitch, but learns that Peeta and Johanna have been captured by the Capitol. Katniss is informed that from the beginning, there had been a plan among most of the tributes, Haymitch, and head Gamemaker Plutarch to break her and Peeta out of the arena. The book ends with Katniss' best friend, Gale, informing her that, although he escaped with her family, District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games. The book continues the story of a now seventeen-year-old Katniss Everdeen and the fictional, futuristic nation of Panem.
The book was released September 1, 2009, and was later released
in Kindle and audiobook format. The book had an initial print run of
350,000 copies. Advance reading copies were available at BookExpo
America in New York City, and were sent out to some booksellers, and
offered as prizes in Scholastic's "How Would You Survive" writing
contest in May 2009. Major themes include survival, government control,
rebellion and interdependence versus independenc
Setting
Catching Fire takes place in a fictional country called Panem,
which is located in what was once the United States and Canada. The
Capitol, the chief city and seat of government, is located somewhere in
the RocPlot
After winning the 74th Hunger Games in the previous novel, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home to District 12, the poorest sector in the country of Panem. On the day that Katniss and Peeta are to start a "Victory Tour" of the country, she is visited by President Snow. President Snow explains that he is angry with her for breaking the rules at the end of the last Hunger Games, which permitted them both to win. President Snow tells Katniss that when she defied the Capitol, she inspired rebellion in the districts. In order for Katniss' loved ones to avoid retaliation by Snow, she must convince Snow himself that she and Peeta are in love.The first stop on the Victory Tour is District 11, the home of Katniss' friend and ally in the Hunger Games, Rue, before she died. During the ceremony, Katniss and Peeta deliver quick speeches to the people of District 11, thanking them for their tributes. When the speeches conclude, an old man whistles a tune that Rue used in the arena to tell Katniss that she was safe. The song acts as a signal and everyone salutes Katniss using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. Katniss and Peeta then proceed to travel to all of the twelve districts and the Capitol. During an interview, Peeta proposes to Katniss publicly, hoping to settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow. Despite this, Katniss learns that their attempts of subduing rebellion in the districts and convincing Snow of their relationship have failed. Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways from District 8. They explain a theory that District 13 was not wiped out by the Capitol and that its residents have gone underground. President Snow announces that, for the 75th Hunger Games, a "Quarter Quell" that allows the Gamemakers to add a twist, 24 victors from previous years will be forced to compete once again. Katniss is chosen as female tribute for District 12, due to being the only female winner from the district, and Haymitch is chosen as male tribute but Peeta volunteers in his place to protect Katniss.
After arriving at the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta look for potential allies among the other tributes. Katniss meets Finnick Odair, a 24-year-old man who successfully survived the Games at the age of 14, and Mags, Finnick's 80-year-old mentor, both from District 4. She also meets Beetee and Wiress, an older couple from District 3 who are said to be "exceptionally smart" and adept at working with electronics. Beetee and Wiress tell Katniss that the Capitol leaves the control panels for their force fields vulnerable in plain sight.
The Games take place on a beach and jungle terrain, with a dome shaped force field enclosing the tributes. The arena is set up to resemble an analog clock with one lethal event occurring every hour on a twelve hour cycle. When the Games start, Katniss and Peeta form an impromptu alliance with Finnick and Mags. They try to find the arena's perimeters, but Peeta runs into the force field at the edge, stopping his heart. Luckily, Finnick is able to perform CPR to revive him, although Peeta is weakened from the incident. At noon, lightning strikes a tree nearby, and the next hour the Gamemakers release a poisonous fog in the group's location. The fog causes muscle spasms and prevents them from running while Katniss tries to carry Mags and Finnick carries Peeta. Mags sacrifices herself, because Katniss cannot carry her any longer, so the other three can escape. After Mags' death, lightning strikes again at midnight and the group is attacked by mutated monkeys, but all three survive, thanks to the female tribute from District 6 sacrificing herself to save Peeta. Katniss, Peeta and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel victor from District 7, an injured Beetee, and Wiress, who is in shock and repeatedly mumbles "tick tock". From Wiress' words, Katniss realizes that the arena is arranged like a clock, with the Gamemakers' disasters occurring on a timed chart, signaled by the lightning.
While gathered at the central cornucopia the careers attack the group, killing Wiress, and a battle ensues until the Gamemakers cut it short by shifting the terrain. Beetee devises a plan to harness the arena's lightning to supposedly electrocute the rest of the career tributes. At night the group splits to prepare for the plan, but is attacked separately by the remaining tributes. Katniss is knocked out and has her tracker removed by Johanna. Johanna then leads the two remaining careers away from Katniss. An injured Katniss directs the lightning at the force field's control panel with an arrow tied to the wire, destroying the arena forcefield and resulting in her temporary paralysis. When she wakes up, she is being transported to District 13: a place that is widely thought to no longer exist. She is joined by Finnick, Beetee, and Haymitch, but learns that Peeta and Johanna have been captured by the Capitol. Katniss is informed that from the beginning, there had been a plan among most of the tributes, Haymitch, and head Gamemaker Plutarch to break her and Peeta out of the arena. The book ends with Katniss' best friend, Gale, informing her that, although he escaped with her family, District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
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