Extra End Chapter For Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Tara

It was snowing. I watched as the white flakes slowly danced in the wind before finally coming to rest on the blanket of snow that had already started to form while we ate. The windows had frost around the edges, making patterns. I traced them with my finger. We hardly ever have snow before christmas. 

"Jeanette!"

I shook my head and looked up at Mari. Her black hair was curling slightly from where the straighteners had started to wear off. It tumbled over her shoulders, moving when she talked. She'd pinned part of it back with a golden pin that had started to fall out. Her cherry lipstick had smudged slightly at the corner of her mouth and her face was flushed from the heat of the restaurant.

"Jeanette!"

I blinked. "What?"

"What are you dreaming about?" she smiled. She had a dimple on her right cheek when she smiled.

I said nothing and continued eating my lasagne. She looked at me, confused, her brow creasing slightly in the middle as they always did when she was concerned. I took a small sip of wine and sat back in my chair, looking at her.

"Marry me" I said.

"What?" she laughed. "We are married".

I rolled my eyes. "A civil partnership isn't a marriage." I watched her as she smiled inquisitively at me, brushing a few strands of brown hair from her eyes. "I want you to be my wife."

"But I am your wife" she teased, pointing at the gold ring on her finger.

"No you're not" I sighed "not really."

Her smile faded slightly, and she looked down to start picking at her scarlet nail varnish, and I saw her  eyes dart nervously around to see if anyone had been listening.

"Why?" she asked. "Why now? I'm fifty years old, I'm too old to be getting married!"

I laughed "since when is there an expiry date?" She didn't look any more convinced. I leaned across the table to hold her hands but she twitched them away. "I want you to be my wife" I whispered "not my… my partner. We're not two kids doing a science experiment together, we're in love"

She looks at me, her brow creased and lips pursed. "I just… we wouldn't even be able to find a priest and who'd- "

"Mari!" I cut her off "this is 2014, being gay is practically fashionable now!"

She laughed, but the worry in her eyes didn't disappear as it should, "but-"

"No buts!" I broke in gently. "Mari, this isn't the seventies anymore."

She smiled resignedly and reached over the table to squeeze my hand. I squeezed back, feeling the cold metal of her ring press into my hand. "So will you marry me?" I asked hopefully. She didn't answer and went back to her meal. Knowing not to push the matter, I did the same.

After the meal we walked mitten in mitten through the snow, not talking, just listening to it crunch beneath our feet. I looked over at Mari, my hood giving me tunnel vision. Her face was partially covered by her scarf, her nose and ears red at the tips and her cheeks flushed. Her eyelashes were wet from the snowflakes and there was a tear coming from one eye because her eyes water in the wind when she's walking. Some of her hair had escaped her hat at the back and was now soaking. She turned to look at me. My breath was coming out in puffs of smoke.

"Chocolate?" she asked, motioning to the store next to us. I nodded soundlessly and followed her up the steps inside. I was immediately assaulted by an overwhelming smell of sweetness that seemed to melt the snow off of my clothes almost as soon as I stepped inside. It baffled me how such a tiny room could smell so strongly that it nearly made me gag. I stood in a corner, picking at the faded green paint on the windowpane as she chose what she wanted. I was angry. Why was she not happy. Why didn't she want the world to know about our love. I was tired of secrets. Tired of having to hide who I was. I thought of Melanie so eagerly repenting in church, pretending not to know me on the street. I thought of Katy, leaving me to face the wrath of our church while she got away. Why was everyone so afraid of what everyone else thought? 

I saw that Mari had chosen and was paying. The short, dumpy woman on the other side of the counter watched for a while as she searched her bag for an extra ten pence, and then decided that she'd go to the back to fetch some extra stock. I impatiently sighed and stuck a hand into my pocket, retrieving ten pence. I hand it over and she placed it on the counter. We said nothing for a while, waiting for short, dumpy woman to return.

Mari muttered something quietly.

"What?" I asked irritably.

She looked up at me. "Yes"

"Yes?"

"Yes I will marry you."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Y- You-"

I was interrupted by the return of short dumpy woman. She handed Mari the chocolate, scowling and I beamed back "Thank you!"

It was all I could do to not skip out of the shop and dance along the road. As we walked we discussed the wedding. Everything, from what we would wear to who we would invite, was decided in five minutes or less. It had started to snow again, and I looked up to the sky, letting the snowflakes land on my face and tongue. 

"Will you invite your mum?" I looked at her. I thought of my mother, how she looked at me when she found out about Melanie and Katy, how she banned me from Elsie's funeral.

"No."

Mari shrugged and offered me a piece of Terry's Chocolate Orange.

"No thanks." I smiled "I hate oranges."

Oranges Missing Chapter Tristan

MIRIAM

When Moses died, it was time for a new beginning, the Israelites were free, and the laws had been set before them. It was the turn of Joshua to hear from God. God said to them, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.’ Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. No matter how many times I read Deuteronomy, I cannot get my head around it. He tried so hard and for so long, only to be told he cannot experience his own achievement. In what way is this fair? Is God really good to all who follow him?

For the next few weeks I made sure to visit Melanie as often as possible. With exception of Elsie, she was the only person whose company I enjoyed. At school, I was not liked. At church, I was liked too much. I didn’t have to meet any expectations when I was with her, I could be myself. She was perfect in everyway.

If I were to be sent from school into the fiery pits of hell, I probably would not notice. The others are so immature. In an RS lesson once, I once heard someone ask how many people fed with five loaves and two fish. They were ignorant, and they ignored me. However, there was nothing I could do. I could see how easy it would be to start a war between my mother and the teachers. As I was walking home I saw two boys sitting on a bench. I say boys, although they were more likely in their early twenties. Both were blonde but one had curly hair, while the other had straight. Just as I was almost out of sight, I saw the straight-haired one take the hand of Curly, and kiss him. I barely registered it until I was through the front door of my mother’s home. I suddenly realised what I had seen, and was shocked that I had walked past, without feeling any disgust or uncleanliness. I began to think that my time with Melanie was softening me up, making me weak. I made a note to tell her the next day.

The next week, Straight-hair turned up at our school, as the new music teacher. I made a note to myself to not talk to him, except to answer the register. After explaining to us about a walking bass, we set to work in groups of seven or eight. When I tried to play out the bass-line of one of my favourite pieces, Lord I lift your name on High, Mr Sairs (I knew his name by now, and I can't keep calling him Straight-hair) came over and mentioned that it was the wrong genre, but that he loved the song too, and that he used to sing it when he was in primary school, and that he loved to sing the tenor part. I wanted to know more about the song in harmony, as we only ever sang it in unison, but I resisted. 'Yes', was all I could say. A boy called out to him, 'sir, who was that man you were with the other day? Was he your brother?' 'No' was the reply, as he went over to another group.

A few weeks later my mother came home with a bag of oranges, complaining about someone as usual. Today, she complained for an hour about Mrs Perryson going on holiday and shutting the bookshop. Mrs. White was also around for afternoon tea. As I went up the stairs I overheard them talking. A teacher at my school had decided to end his own life, and that the school was having to deal with enquiries from the police, and complaints from parents. 'Good riddance. How shameful employing someone like that anyway.' I heard my mother say. I had decided something, the time had come for me to tell her how I felt when with Melanie, and finally answer her questions about the amount of time I spend with her. I decided to get it over with. I wanted to be nice to her. But sometimes, trying to be nice just isn’t enough.

Ham went to find his father and saw him lying on the ground, drunk and naked. He told his brothers and tried to help cover up his father, but could not do it. Noah, seeing what his son had done, cursed the sons of Canaan. Ham had tried to be nice to his father. His reward was for him and his descendants to be the servants of mankind.

Tristan

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

 

'The Help', written by Kathryn Stockett in 2009, is a novel set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 that tells the different stories of african-american maids, working in white households. This is a world where the segregation of black and white citizens is the norm, where black maids raise white children but cannot even use the same bathroom as their white employers.

 

The novel is told in the voices of the three main characters; Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter.

 

Miss Skeeter is a white woman, who has just graduated from Ole' Miss, and has returned home to take care of her seriously ill mother. In contrast to her friends, Skeeter is not married and has never dated, focusing only on her career as a writer. However, in a desperate attempt to make her mothor proud of her, she attempts to act like a normal, southern lady, playing bridge with the other white ladies in the area, and allowing her sanctimonious friend, Hilly, set her up on dates with various 'suitable' men. In Skeeter's social circle, the family servants, called "the help", are exclusively black. The female servants do the cooking and cleaning, but their priority is to raise the child (or children) of their employers. The servants get passed down within families from generation to generation, so the child that they raised will eventually become their employer.

 

Aibileen  is a 53 year old black maid, who is raising her seventeenth white child, Mae Mobley, and working for the Leefolt family whilst trying to overcome the hurt caused by the senseless death of her son, Treelore, a few months earlier. She works tirelessly to maintain a clean home for her employers, while also taking care of Mae Mobley, who is abused and neglected by her mother. Throughout the novel, Aibileen refers to Mae Mobley as her 'special baby', and tries to make certain that Mae Mobley doesn't turn out like her mother, Elizabeth Leefolt, or her friend, Miss Hilly. She raises Mae Mobleys self esteem and tries to teach her about civil rights.

 

36 year old Minny Jackson is also an African-American maid, who works for Miss Hillys mother, Miss Walter. However, when Miss Walter is forced into a nursing home, Minny is made to work for her racist daughter, Hilly Holbrook. She is widely known as a fantastic cook, but her sassy tongue and inability to keep her thoughts to herself means that it is hard for her to stay in the job. Later in the novel, due to various circumstances Minny looses her job, and Aibileen is forced to listen on the phone as Minnys husband, Leeroy, beats her.

 

The novel is centered around an idea that Skeeter has to write a book containing a compilation of stories from the lives of various maids in the area, a book that will both start off her career and raise awareness of the black civil rights movement. This idea is sparked off when Miss Hilly tells Skeeter about her plan to have a law passed that will make it mandatory for white families to build an outdoor bathroom for the help, to "stop the spread of disease". In addition to this, Skeeter stumbles across a copy of Jim Crow Laws in the library, which are a number of segregation laws that were put into use in the Deep South between 1876 and 1965. Skeeter is horrified and starts to talk to Aibileen, who is her friend, Elizabeths, maid, asking her to put forward some stories for a book and try to get other maids involved. Aibileen originally refuses, but a string of events, among them a racist shooting of a young boy, causes her, and Minny, to reluctantly agree to the idea, and between them they get a group of twelve maids to submit their stories. Hearing their stories changes Skeeter as her eyes open to the true prejudices of her upbringing. Aibileen and Minny also develop a friendship and understanding with Skeeter that neither believed would have ever been possible.

 

As they continue with the book, Skeeter learns the truth of what happened to her beloved maid, Constantine, who had, as Aibileen does with Mae Mobley, always supported Skeeter throughout her childhood and adolescence. After Skeeter returned from college, Constantine had disappeared without giving a reason why. However, Skeeter finds out that Constantine had given birth, out of wedlock, to a girl named Lulabelle, who turned out to look white even though both parents were black. Neither the black nor the white community would accept Lulabelle, so Constantine was forced to give her up for adoption when she was four years old. She and Constantine were reunited when Lulabelle grew up, and while Skeeter was away at college, Lulabelle came to visit her mother in Jackson and showed up at a party being held in Skeeter's mother's living room. When Charlotte Phelan discovered who Lulabelle was, she kicked her out and fired Constantine. Constantine had nowhere else to go, so she moved with her daughter to Chicago, where she fell ill and passed away within three days. Skeeters mother-daughter relationship with Constantine, her black maid, in contrast to the cold relationship with her mother, may have been what caused her to go against the social norms in her area and emphasise with the black community around her.

Of course the major theme of the book is racial prejudice and the hatred directed at the black citizens of Jackson because of their race. The fact that racial beliefs were completely normal is highlighted by the fact that every single white character in the novel, with the exception of Skeeter, are racist, even if they don't realise it. It is simply believed to be common knowledge that being black immediately made you stupid and inferior, which is mad clear buy the fact that the help and other balck citizens are often referred to is terms that are usually applied to animals. It is also made clear that the racism, which is so prominent in a southern town like Jackson, can often lead to violence and means that much of the black community live in fear of saying or doing the wrong things, most of which were extremely trivial, that could lead to them or their families being hurt; "they blew up his carport last night. For talking." The fact that racial inequality is so entrenched is emphasised by the fact that many of the maids do not even aspire to be treated as equals to their white employers, as they have come to accept being treated as inferiors to be a part of their lifestyle, and are more concerned with the chaos that would be caused by even trying to be seen as equals, and don't believe it'd be worth it.

 

The repeated reference to segregated bathrooms throughout the novel also symbolises the twisted, racist society that was the 1960's deep south, as it implies that white people whole heartedly believe that black people carry disease and are dirty, and that one of the most effective ways to make sure you didn't catch these germs was to not share a bathroom with a black person. This idea is used to justify building separate bathrooms for the help in garages etc, which eventually becomes a huge issue in the novel. Stockett uses toilets and bathrooms to symbolise how appalling and disgusting the tactics used to maintain a racism and segregation in Mississippi during the early 1960s were.

 

Skeeter’s book is published and becomes a national best seller. However, the women in Jackson begin to recognise themselves in the characters in the book. Hilly Holbrook, in particular, is set on finding out who the author and maids were that were involved in the book. Although Hilly and Skeeter grew up as best friends, their very different views on race and integration are highlighted throughout the book, and they represent the two extreme views on racial segregation at that time. Hilly is only kept silent by a secret revealed by Minny at the end of the book.

Overall, whereas most history books focus on the more public part of segregation in the south, like the Jim Crow Laws and the separation of whites and blacks in public places, 'The Help' is an extremely powerful insight into the more private lives, thoughts and feelings of black citizens in southern America during the early 1960's. It provides a account of what life was like for a black maid in a white household, and, in this way, could be viewed as more helpful than many history books. However, one criticism of the book is that it implies that white people liberated black people, instead of black people freeing themselves from the racial prejudice they were forced to suffer.

Tara

Ranger’s Apprentice; The Ruins of Gorlan

The Ruins of Gorlan is the first novel in the Ranger's Apprentice series written by Australian author John Flanagan. It was first released in Australia on 1st November 2004. Flanagan first regarded the world of the novel in a form of short stories he wrote for his son to motivate his interest in reading in order to inspire him and convince, that the hero isn’t always necessarily big, tall, strong and handsome-looking. Ten years later, he decided to turn them into The Ruins of Gorlan, the first part of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

I personally, seeked an inspiration and a bit more understanding about significant things in life. The book is perhaps more of a story for younger generations to persuade about today’s heroes. Although I am possibly not that small of a child, I believe that a simple book might become far more powerful than more complex writings, where the author tries to astonish us and confuse. The Ruins of Gorlan is not something of a ‘Headmaid’s Tale’, where Margaret Atwood pretends to show the extreme difficulty in comprehending the society in her novel. She regularly interrupts the narrative flow of the text to consider the meaning of certain words and phrases. ‘Ranger’s Apprentice’ is different in my eyes. Sometimes, though You have to create an image in your head to be able to visualize what the author means.

It all begins when Halt, a skilled Ranger agrees to train Will, a boy whose father was killed in war. Will learns how to fight enemies effectively, either by shooting them down with his powerful bow, or by engaging with them in close combat. Morgarath, a Baron who was exiled long ago, wants his revenge upon the kingdom of Araulen. He unleashes two very strong beasts; the Kalkara, which Will, Halt and Gilan (Halt's first apprentice) are assigned to defeat. On the Choosing Day all the wards gather in The Castle Redmont's halls and are each interviewed by the craftmasters. Each of the divisions gets the apprenticeship they wanted until Will's turn comes. Will asks to become a battleschool member. In the end, he was not accepted into Battleschool or his second choice, Horseschool; leaving him very disappointed, he is then rejected by each of the other craftmasters.

However, Halt, the Ranger, came in and raised Will’s hopes slightly by simply handing Baron Arald a paper, which caused the Baron to tell Will to wait until morning for the Baron’s decision. But the unpatient Will couldn’t wait and decided to sneak into the Baron’s office by using his agility and speed to sneak past the Baron’s guards, and then climb up the Baron’s study. This maneuver was unsuccessful, as Halt expected this and was waiting for him. However, Will’s fears as he was caught were groundless, as he was not punished, but appointed to be Halt’s apprentice to train as a Ranger. Gradually, Will becomes acknowledged by many, and as a result of his heroic actions and masterful mind he meets new friends.

I started reading the book simply to pass time while in the tube. It was that much exciting, that I wouldn’t be able to get off my seat and walk out of the train. It was unbelievable. By the cover, though, I was convinced, that it is something not worth a try. Everything is. That said, after I begun reading it I lost all apprehension and throughly enjoyed this great read.  It is a book like millions of others in this world. I am no more influenced to talk about it as being the supreme. Thus, I express how powerful a modest book can be.

A light read is a great way to lose yourself for a spare time in a world of swords, shields, bows and heroic actions. I am unquestionably reading the following parts, which are thrillingly unpredictable, and within each go, are more fascinating and miraculous. The reason also for me writing about this precise book is the influence of English language. It is like a throw of totally new things you would aspire. I unconditionally love English language and its books’ authors. Reading is also the way I became more familiar with such ‘art’. When I came to England, I was disappointed by my vocabulary thus I started from a terrifically difficult book, which would lead me nowhere but confussion, thus I challenged it and read to the very end. Ironically, just at the end of the story I had realized all the mistakings that took me over.

Anyone, who would desire a light and easy read, I would definitely advise this book to. In the modern world, too often are we made to feel inadequate and as such we end up thinking that we're too small, too weak and unwanted to be able to affect change. John Flanagan, therefore, demonstrates wonderfully that you don't have to be the biggest guy to help make a difference. This is a wonderful story that takes the reader on a fantasy journey as an apprentice Ranger discovers friendships can last. It got great courage and fully supports the positive attitude that we all wish we could inspire.

 

Zaneta

Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

After my relationship with the thrillingly raw and mythical ‘Game Of Thrones’ came to an end, I immediately experienced major withdrawal symptoms, resulting in a desperate search for a worthy rebound. It was then that an advert displaying gore, sex, blood and testosterone graced my TV-I now believe in love at first sight. I sacrificed asking for seconds of my dinner that night and ran up to my room to download the first season.

 The show is set in ancient Rome, 73B.C. It follows the key protagonist who was given the name Spartacus. This man is shown from the very first episode to have an issue with authority, as he leads a mutiny against his selected general. This resulted in brutal fight scenes and slashes of Tarantino-style blood filling the reflection in my glasses, as I gazed at my computer screen. To top it all off, the reason for this mutiny and bloodshed was of course for the manliest reason possible, love. His longing to rescue his wife Sura drove away his fear and fueled his rage and determination. Unfortunately, bad luck and heroes tend to come as a pair. In this case, the hero Spartacus is captured and sentenced to death via the infamous Gladiator arena. Spartacus against all odds slays four fully trained Gladiators and becomes an instant celebrity. His original sentencing of death commutes to slavery in the form of forced enrollment into a Gladiator training camp. The sheer intensity of these first few episodes gave me no choice but to continue this TV series affair while my beloved ‘Game Of Thrones’ was away. 

Spartacus: Blood and Sand left its mark on me and I became a different person while following the series. I spent every night pretending to go to sleep then tip toeing my way to the computer to watch just one more episode. A week later, I had completed the first season and was left extremely satisfied. Following the journey of Spartacus as he rose from a mere slave to a gladiator and then finally a leader of a rebellion was enthralling. However, the entire atmosphere the show created was my guilty pleasure. I become certain that Spartacus truly must be good when I remember hopelessly attempting push ups in my room with the idea that I would end up as muscular as the Gladiators after one night. I am a lazy person, the fact Spartacus was able to get me out of my chair was proof enough it is a great show. 

Despite the testosterone overload of men and murder, it is interesting to discover that the women in the series should definitely not be overlooked. Their devious ways and use of seduction allows some characters to get anything they want. The curves under a dress replaced that of a Gladiators shield and razor sharp whispers from the tongue replaced the edge of any sword. Many would argue that the women have more power than the men. At the ear of every general, was a woman with an ulterior motive and the reason for every Gladiator to survive was the longing for a woman. In a way, I compare the title Blood and Sand not to the spilling of blood onto the sands of the arena, but of the two different threats on the show. The sand represents the men: gritty, dry, and hard and the blood represents the women, as it is required as a ‘fuel’ for men to live, the silky smooth texture and the colour of deep lustful red add to my justification of this comparison.

The finale left me wanting more as it ended with Spartacus vowing to make ‘Rome tremble’. Now to prevent giving too much away, I will conclude by saying that I strongly recommend this show to anyone who favours intense drama. If you are wondering how a slave ends up with Rome at his feet then I suggest you download the first season ASAP. 

Harjan.

Breaking Bad

For months I had many people rave to me about the Netflix series Breaking Bad, and for months I really couldn't care less. Until the day I ran out of things to watch and found myself deep inside the Breaking Bad world.

Walter White aka Heisenberg, a chemistry teacher who has recently been diagnosed with cancer and has three years to live decides that his duty is to make sure his family have a stable and bright future ahead of them. To do so Walter starts a career in drugs and crime. After pairing up with former student Jesse Pinkman the two make their way to the top of the meth ladder.

I grew to love Breaking Bad due to the witty humour and dark story line. As the series draws to an end your initial thoughts on each character slowly changes as their true intentions become more apparent. My favourite character by far is Jesse Pinkman because despite the dark nature of Breaking Bad his simple innocence gives a lighthearted feel to the programme. Due to Pinkman's innocence he becomes a vulnerable character which creates empathy and in my opinion this can create a bond between the audience and character. In my opinion Pinkman is one of the most complex characters in Breaking Bad, whilst on their journey up the meth ladder the pair make huge sacrifices which leaves Jesse with a huge amount of guilt, questioning if this really is the life for him. Throughout the series we follow Jesse and come to understand why he did the things he did aswell as follow him on his ups and downs whilst juggling crime and guilt. On the other hand as the story line becomes more serious and risky Walter finds it hard to think about anything but money and power which forces the audience to question their love for the once family man.

I believe that love is a major theme in Breaking Bad. The show gives us insight to the extents that love can make us go to. For example, the simple fact that Walter was willing to put himself in danger in order to see that his family would be alright once he had gone. But on the other hand as the series comes to an end we learn that money can sometimes over ride the amount of love people have, as Walter becomes more than willing to kill his beloved DEA brother-in-law to save himself. Furthermore he was well aware of the guilt which over run his close partner Jesse but again was willing to sacrifice him over himself.

The series as a whole is extremely powerful as it makes the audience sympathise and relate to Walter and you find yourself agreeing with his actions but at the same time knowing that what he is doing is totally wrong. However as he changes and becomes more powerful his morals go down the drain along with his once close knit family. As the years go on we follow Walter on his self-destructive path as he finally realises that his meth empire is slowly falling in on him, and he is left with no option but to give up. The once loving man starts to shine through the hard shell of Heisenberg in the last episode as he puts himself to the side and saves Pinkman's life, therefore absolving himself.

Overall I would highly recommend anyone to watch Breaking Bad and if you're anything like me you will have finished watching it within a few weeks. Breaking Bad is a cleverly written show with fantastic acting from all of the cast and I can't think of anything in which they could improve on. Having been based on such serious and controversial subjects I was surprised to find that in parts it was very humorous . The major subject of Breaking Bad is 'cooking' crystal meth which is an extremely addictive drug very much like the series itself!

Hannah

Catching Fire

Catching Fire

By far my personal favourite, Suzanne Collins’ sequel to the Hunger Games and the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire provides as a follow up on the previous instalment, developing and improving on the popular dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel. It is impressive in its treatment of such important themes such as revolution, love and oppression.

Drawing influenes from ancient Rome, and presenting them in a futuristic setting, Collins’ imagination runs creatively wild in order to bring the fictional world to life.

Unfortunately, this instalment is criticised by many as being only a bridge between the first and third instalments, and does not stand up as an individual book in its own right. While I agree that it may be difficult to appreciate the book fully without reading the others, it in no way makes it a bad book, as the writing and execution, makes it a successful and well made piece of work.

The story once again follows the main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, an unsociable and unhappy girl, who managed to survive the Hunger Games, while also saving Peeta Mellark, a confident and clever young man, who has been heartbroken, by Katniss.

The book feels like it is divided into two sections. The first can be described as thought provoking and political. It focuses on, and develops the ideas first hinted at in the previous book. Katniss is forced to pretend that she is madly in love with Peeta in order to convince the citizens of Panem (the fictional, dystopian nation set in the remains of North America), that when she threatened that Peeta and herself would commit suicide, unless they could both live, it was an act of desperation to be together, and not an act of defiance and rebellion, against the all-powerful and oppressive dictatorship known as the Captiol. Or does she? This book focuses on the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. At a first glance, the concept seems unoriginal, but is pulled off very well as the characters all have their own values, which makes the idea not only understandable, but also very engaging, with the audience guessing who will end up with who. The story shows brutal imagery, with punishments becoming more common and public, demonstrating the ruthlessness of their society. 

The second half takes place in another annual Hunger Games, the 75^th anniversary of the Games, known as the third Quarter Quell. An action packed completion to fight to the death until a lone victor remains occurs, with the stakes much higher than before, as the contestants are all previous winners (“victors”) of the Games, in a cruel twist as an attempt to quash the approaching revolution and killing Katniss, 'the girl on fire', in the process, which ultimately fails.

The fact that the book appears divided is a big disadvantage, as it means that some sections seem more re-readable than others. It also makes the book seem longer than it is, though it is difficult to become bored, as the quality of writing is extremely powerful and impressive.

It is also difficult to classify the book in a particular genre, as the action and political themes run in parallel.

Forcing you to read on to discover the true ending, Catching Fire is an outstanding read for anyone who wishes to submerge themselves in a story full of empathetic characters, intelligent concepts and perfectly choreographed action.

Tristan