Scholastic, 2009
Fantasy
ISBN: 0439023491
400 pages
Synopsis
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Critique
Although still a book worth reading, especially as a sequel, it’s lacking much of what made the first book, The Hunger Games, so powerful and compelling. Throughout most of the read, I found myself wondering why The Hunger Games needed a sequel in much of the same way that I found myself hating the fact that there were follow up films to The Matrix.
Comparably, The Matrix is a film that is unique, philosophically moving, and creates an incredible experience that sits with you like few films have the capacity of doing. The Hunger Games was the same for me as a book. It’s a potent reminder of what our future could be if we continue to go down the path of rampant voyeurism as entertainment, and a government that oppresses people for the sake of maintaining its authority. This second book, while still certainly entertaining, lacks much of the quality of writing and the social commentary that the first one exhibits.
The other book so far in this series is The Hunger Games.
For the Classroom
Although this isn’t directly applicable to any specific studies within a classroom setting, it’s a book that I recommend to all late middle school and high school students. If there’s a point where you are studying dystopian literature, this is a great example and something that the average teen reader may enjoy more than 1984.
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