The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, is as exhilarating as the first novel. The sequel continues to follow victor Katniss Everdeen’s life after the Hunger Games.

After winning the Games, Katniss and Peeta return home to District 12 with tensions between the two continuing since Katniss let slip that she was acting and not actually in love with Peeta. The two and their families are now living in Victors’ village with their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. Before Katniss and Peeta begin their victory tour across all of Panem, Katniss is visited by President Snow, who confirms Katniss’s fear that she has upset the all-powerful Capital by forcing them to allow two winners, Katniss and Peeta, to survive.

The book, like the first one, is divided into different sections: the tour, the selection and training for the Games, and the actual Games. While much of the book doesn’t focus on the Games itself, it still provides plenty of action and suspense. Collins throws in a few surprising twists that I’m sure will anger many readers (like me, for example).

The book moves slower than the first one, which I liked because it allowed me to see how much Katniss has changed and developed as a character. After winning the Games, Katniss really had to change her lifestyle and adjust to the life of a victor. She also had to adjust to not always having Peeta on her side. Catching Fire also introduces a new set of characters that readers will either come to love or hate. Collins does a good job of developing and distinguishing their different personalities, just as in the first novel.

Overall the book was a great read. It was as amazing as the first, and I can’t tell which one enjoyed more.