How long have I been waiting to read the sequel to The Hunger Games? Well, ever since I bought my first copy of The Hunger Games one year ago and read it within twenty-four hours! Am I disappointed with the next book in this series? Absolutely not!
I will not spoil the ending of the book in this post because I love you too much to do that and I haven't quite finished the book yet. But I will tell you that this book has made me stay up late on school nights, has give me several nightmares, and that I can't wait to read the next installment and am almost wishing away this entire next year so that I can get to it. And it's not often that I wish was entire years.
In this second book of the series, Katniss and Peeta return home as victors, unaware of the impact they've had in the other districts. Their rebellious approach to the Games has caused a ripple of rebellion in some of the worse-off districts. This rebellion jeopardizes the not only the personal safety of Katniss and Peeta, but of their families and their entire district. The Capitol's reaction to Katniss and Peeta's changing of the Games is shocking and disturbing. You will be shocked and disturbed. That's all I can say about that.
Now, the question that I often get asked about sequels is can you read this one without reading the previous book? Will it still make sense? Some sequels do make sense without prior knowledge of the characters and plot from the previous book. This sometimes happens because authors try to write their series with new, unfamiliar readers in mind. I kinda love that Suzanne Collins doesn't do this. She takes off right where the last book ends and I think that this book requires a reading of the first. Not a big deal for all of you, though, because I have several copies of The Hunger Games right in our classroom. Make sure to read it before picking up this newer title, Catching Fire.
