Continuing my annual reread of the Hunger Games trilogy, but listening to the audio version of it for the first time. 

This is my favourite of the three books, I think because it has a slower build which ratchets up the tension constantly- there's not a moment of respite anywhere. The narrative is so tight; it doesn't feel like there's a wasted word or scene - everything has meaning, and everything is necessary, even if it does mean the 'action' doesn't really get going until part 3 of the book. It also reflects the fact that Katniss has to live with this tension for an extended period, with worry and fear weighing down on her constantly for the year between Games.

While I don't think Katniss' character development is great in this one, I do love the changes wrought in Peeta and Haymitch. Likewise, the introduction of the other victors really adds an extra layer of understanding as to what it actually means to win the Games, and what it costs you. They're all such distinct characters as well; even characters like Seeder and Chaff, who don't feature that heavily, are easily conjured in the mind's eye. 

Having gotten used to the narrator in the last book, I did find her easier to listen to this time, but equally I still found her voice a little robotic, and a bit too well spoken - it just doesn't quite match up with the tale being told IMO. And in a few places she either used a character voice when reading the narrative, or forgot to put on a character voice when speaking, which I did find a little frustrating. That being said, she did throw in a few more accents this time, which kept things fresher.

I do think I prefer reading this book myself, but I won't deny I enjoyed being able to close my eyes and zone out while listening.