Catching Fire

Part Two of the promised series.

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins

7 out of 10
YA post-apocalyptic fiction.

This book is a clear example of giving your fans more of what they like, but not as successfully as the first time.

****HUNGER GAMES SPOILERS******

You've been warned.  Okay, if you liked the Games in HG, there's more of that here, and it's good.  The games are different, but I'm not convinced they had to happen at all in this book.  It seems somewhat contrived that Katniss and Peeta end up in the games...again.  I mean, didn't I read that already?  I do like the secondary character development, though.  In fact, that's what made this a positive read.

All in all, I think this book is worthwhile to read, though not memorable on its own.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

8 out of 10
YA post-apocalyptic fiction.  This is part of a three-part series leading up to my review of Mockingjay, book three of this trilogy, which came out just recently.

Essentially, I loved it.  It had great pacing and was at times thrilling, sensitive, and romantic.  One major issue which pervaded the entire series was the lack of practical writing, which is explained in the podcast.  Collins seems unsure of how many people are really present in Panem, how big each of the districts are in terms of both population  and physical space.  I know district 12 is the most sparsely populated, but the inconsistencies require a suspension of disbelief that could easily have been fixed with an understanding of basic economics.

The games themselves are intriguing and thought-provoking as well as full of action.  I highly recommend this book to both young adult and adult alike.  There is mature subject matter, but little to no sexual innuendo.

Uglies

Uglies

by Scott Westerfield

10 out of 10

I loved this book. So much so that I bought all of the trilogy (and I'm a library kind of gal) and then made my husband read it. He is currently sitting in the bedroom doing just that.

Tally is an Ugly, and has not yet undergone the surgery that everyone in her society gets at age 16. She befriends a group who have chosen not to get the surgery to be Pretty, and this book is about the fallout of making that choice. I don't want to give away too much of the plot because YOU HAVE TO READ IT. Seriously. You HAVE to.

It's a post-apocalyptic novel and coming-of-age all in one, and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait until book 2 comes in the mail!