Catching Fire is a 2009 dystopian young adult fiction novel by the American novelist Suzanne Collins, the second book in The Hunger Games series.

As the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games, it continues the story of a now 17 year old Katniss Everdeen and the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem.

Following the events of the previous novel, a rebellion against the oppressive Capitol has begun, and Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta Mellark are forced to return to the arena in a special edition of the Hunger Games.

Six months after winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have returned home to District 12, the poorest sector of Panem.

Snow demands that Katniss convince the country that she was acting out of love for Peeta, not against the Capitol, or her family and best friend Gale Hawthorne will be executed.

Returning to District 12, now overrun with harsher Peacekeepers to enforce the Capitol's rule, Gale is caught poaching and is publicly whipped until Haymitch intervenes.

Bonnie and Twill plan to reach District 13 – believed to be destroyed in the first rebellion against the Capitol – hoping that the residents are actually underground.

Wiress reveals that the arena is arranged like a clock, with each danger occurring at a fixed time and place for one hour.

She learns from Haymitch and Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker, that there had been a secret plan to rescue Katniss, now the living symbol of the rebellion.

Examples noted by Dill include that, "the 75th annual Hunger Games have 'new' rules that cause Katniss and Peeta to be in danger once again.

"[2] Another major theme throughout the trilogy is the media and the influence or power that popular culture has over the emotions, wishes and views of society.

[5] Advance reading copies were available at BookExpo America in New York City,[6] and were sent out to some booksellers, and offered as prizes in Scholastic's "How Would You Survive" writing contest in May 2009.

[12] Publishers Weekly wrote, "If this second installment spends too much time recapping events from book one, it doesn't disappoint when it segues into the pulse-pounding action readers have come to expect.

"[13] Booklist commented on how the "unadorned prose provides an open window to perfect pacing and electrifying world building".

"[15] A review from Entertainment Weekly opined that the book was weaker than the first and wrote, "Katniss pretends to be in love with her sweet-natured Games teammate Peeta Mellark, but she secretly pines for brooding Gale, a childhood friend.

In April 2012, it was announced that Gary Ross, director of The Hunger Games, would not return due to a "tight" and "fitted" schedule.

[22] In addition to the returning cast members from the first film, the film's new cast includes Jena Malone as Johanna Mason,[23] Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee,[24] Lynn Cohen as Mags,[25] Alan Ritchson as Gloss,[26] Sam Claflin as Finnick,[27] and Jeffrey Wright as Beetee.

Several District 11 scenes were also filmed in the rural areas of Macon County, Georgia, and the rest of production took place in Hawaii.