Second read (2014): 4/5 stars. As I suspected, I enjoyed (well maybe not enjoyed...let's say appreciated) this book much more on my second read. I remember just hating Katniss the first time, but not I feel like I understand her so much more. She's 17 - still a child. She hasn't experienced child-like things, but emotionally she is. She has experienced unbelievable trauma and naturally responds to it the 'normal' way I would think. This book is soooo dark, which is to be expected based on the world Collins creates in the first two books. I don't really know what else to say about it other than I'm intrigued to see what they do with the movie and if they can keep the excitement from Catching Fire in the film.

First read (2010): 3/5 stars. Man, this book just wasn't it for me. It was consistently depressing. I mean, literally the. whole. book. Don't get me wrong, it was satisfying, and effectively closed off the trilogy - but too many of the good intensity was drowned out by bad intensity (i.e. Katniss becoming "mentally unstable" multiple times throughout the book, but always pulling it together miraculously?). I loved this series for many reasons, but this book is not one of them.