I really, really, really enjoyed this book.  The Girl Who Was on Fire is a compilation of essays written by other YA authors. The essays are all on themes and ideas from the Hunger Games trilogy. The book was put together by Smart Pop Books. I have been rummaging through their site and they have essays on a lot of my favorite books and television shows. My personal favorites are A Taste of True Blood, Filled With Glee, Investigating CSI, and The Psychology of Dexter. I think it’s really great to get another perspective on these sorts of things. Now, the book is unauthorized (clearly stated on the cover), but it is still all sorts of awesome. I really liked reading what other people had to say, and I came away having gained some knowledge. While reading the essays, I kept having to stop and say, “Oh. That explains it.” I think that the first time I read the series, I was so caught up in the excitement I may not have realized some things. Now, re-reading them, I notice how “on purpose” some things are. This book just gave me a whole other reason to love The Hunger Games. Here are a few of my favorite essays:

• Team Katniss by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Your Heart is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist by Mary Borsellino
• Reality Hunger by Ned Vizzini
• Crime of Fashion by Terri Clark
• The Politics of Mockingjay by Sarah Darer Littman