Summary

In the first book, we saw that Panem is a country with 13 districts. The 13th one was destroyed earlier because they rebelled against the capital. As I reminder every year now, the remaining 12 have a competition where they send 2 12 to 18-year-olds – one boy and one girl – to the competition named the hunger games. The games are broadcast throughout the country. The aim is only to survive till the end.

Last year for the 74th Hunger Games, District 12 selects two candidates Peeta Mellark and Primrose Everdeen. Only Prim’s elder sister, 18-year old Katniss, decides to volunteer in place of her sister. And Peeta and Katniss make it out alive by winning the game.

Only that’s not the end of their worries. When they challenged the Capitol, threatening to end their lives if they both weren’t crowned victors, going against the games' rule, they both unknowingly ignited a spark of rebellion against President Snow. Not Snow wants to play the real game- a game of power and privilege and dictatorship. The 75th Games are announced with a twist. Since it’s also the celebration of a quarter, all reaping of tributes will take place among the previous victors in the Games.

Katniss automatically becomes a tribute with no other female winner from her district, and Peeta volunteers in place of Haymitch, their mentor, another previous winner. Snow visits Katniss and warns her that if she doesn’t convince him that she has no interest in challenging the Capitol and her last act in the Games was only for Peeta's love, he will harm her family.

The Games begin in a tense atmosphere because everyone is unhappy that they will soon lose their beloved victors. There is a new arena, with new challenges and new alliances and what unfolds is a series of breathtaking tasks. Does Katniss manage to keep Peeta alive and sacrifice herself? Or does Haymitch have something else in mind?

My Review

Every bit of the page-turning suspense in the second novel was familiar to the first one. It’s action-packed, it’s thrilling, and it's full of twists, down to the last word on the last page. You’ll be compelled to pick up the third and the last book in the series.

The language is easy to follow, and the writing is fast-paced. The world-building for the arena is mind-blowing. I loved the intelligent way the arena was designed. You cannot help but get impressed with Suzanne Collins's brilliance and creative imagination. Mind you, it's not all blood and gore; there’s sci-fi, there’s technical know-how, there’s battle warfare, and there’ also a touch of a refreshing romance. In short, it has something for everyone, every reader.

Final verdict

The ingenious plot is what takes the cake, though. Planning the 74th Games and then the 75th in such an elaborate manner is not as easy as Collins made it out to be. I give her a full score just for the intricate plot lines. She can hold your attention all right.

Who Should Read This

This book is an excellent novel, better than the first. I recommend it to fans of Fantasy, Dystopia, YA, and Sci-Fi. It could go well as a stand-alone novel, too, as they’ve covered the story in brief here too. But I would recommend reading the first book to get a good hang of the characters, background, and detailed plot.