Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins was an amazing book that was just as intriguing as the Hunger Games. While the Hunger Games was a gripping novel, there were some aspects of Catching Fire that made it more enticing.

First of all, this book reflected reality a lot more than it did with the Hunger Games. Now I know the whole aspect of the hunger games is outright unrealistic, but there were certain points in Catching Fire that really seemed to reflect how people act in today’s world. One of the aspects that seemed realistic is the publicity that Katniss and Peeta received. Since they won the hunger games, they are followed everywhere by journalists and reporters about their personal lives and have very little personal space. This is a great reflection on life today because if celebrities such as Justin Bieber or the Kardashians are spotted anywhere in public, they are immediately crowded by people who want to find out more about their personal lives. Katniss and Peeta have to put on different personas for the cameras, as do people in our lives today. The next way the book reflects reality is the need for power. In this novel in particular, President Snow is doing whatever he can do to stop the districts from rebelling and maintain his power. With Katniss as a spark for revolution, Snow wants to get rid of her and Peeta before things get too out of hand. This is a reflection of societies in the world because although the United States is not a dictatorship, there are countries such as North Korea who want all the power in the world and will do whatever they can to have it.

The second aspect that made this book really interesting is its artistry. Even though the Hunger Games seemed to be written with vivid imagery and colorful descriptions, I feel that Catching Fire was even more descriptive and beautiful than its predecessor. An example of this artistic description would be when Katniss enters the new dome for the hunger games. The previous one she described was green and lush with trees everywhere, and this one is similar, but with a twist. Not only does it have a jungle in the outermost part of the dome, but the middle is basically a lake. Each contestant is placed on a small pedestal and has to swim to get to the cornucopia or the beach area near the jungle. The way the water is described in this section is beautiful yet gruesome considering the fact that people are murdered in this area.

In my opinion, Catching Fire was slightly better than the Hunger Games, and anyone who read the Hunger Games should definitely read this book. This book has aspects that relate to real life, and it is so simple for the reader to envision it with all of the colorful details and phenomenal descriptions. This book is a must read.