Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
Katniss tells the story in the present tense, from the Victory Tour back towards an arena, and one actor reads the whole book.
Short answer: for the Catching Fire audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (100% confidence, clear cut). Tatiana Maslany reads it unabridged in 11 hours 3 minutes (11h 3m), the same narrator as book 1, and AudioFile praised her range of voices. Print adds little beyond the part titles and the spelling of a few new names, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
One narrator, one viewpoint, praised voices and a 480-page book, with nothing confirmed that points to print.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Scholastic Audio Books) | Original recording (US libraries) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Tatiana Maslany | Carolyn McCormick |
| Length | 11 hours 3 minutes (11h 3m) | 11 hours 37 minutes (11h 37m) |
| At 1.5x | 7h 22m | about 7h 45m |
| At 2x | 5h 32m | about 5h 49m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Scholastic Audio Books, 17 June 2019 | Scholastic Audiobooks, 2009 |
| Print length | 480 pages (Scholastic UK paperback) | 400 pages (Scholastic Press US paperback) |
| Reading time | About 7h 7m (101,564 words at 238 a minute) | Same text |
Audible UK and Audible US both sell the Maslany recording at the same length; whether they are one file is not confirmed. McCormick’s 2009 reading turns up only in US library catalogues.
Lengths checked 15 October 2026. Speed times are calculated from the listed length, and reading time is an estimate from the word count.
Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
- Genre
- Dystopian young adult fiction
- Series
- Book 2 of The Hunger Games
- Published
- 2009
- Length
- 480 pages (Scholastic UK paperback)
- On audio
- 11 hrs 3 mins
- Narrated by
- Tatiana Maslany
- On screen
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), directed by Francis Lawrence
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), award-winning or praised narration (6), long book (3), 16 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 100% confidence (clear cut).
The recording in detail
- Narrated by
- Tatiana Maslany, solo, unabridged
- Same narrator as
- The Hunger Games and Mockingjay on Audible
- Listener ratings
- 4.9 from 3,223 ratings on Audible UK and 4.9 from 16,984 on Audible US, as of October 2026
- What audio adds
- One actor voicing Katniss and everyone she meets
- What you miss
- The printed part titles, and the spelling of the new victors’ names
What this book actually is
Catching Fire is the second book in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy, first published by Scholastic on 1 September 2009. The UK Scholastic paperback runs to 480 pages and the US Scholastic Press paperback to 400.
It picks up after the first Games. Katniss and Peeta set out on a Victory Tour of the districts, and before long the story heads back towards an arena. The book has 27 chapters in three parts: “The Spark”, “The Quell” and “The Enemy”.
It was one of Time’s Top Ten Fiction Books of 2009. Francis Lawrence directed the 2013 film, and he also directed The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, reported for UK cinemas from 20 November 2026.
The case for reading it
Print has little to add here. The three part titles show you where you are in the book, and whether the audio reads them aloud is not stated. If you like to see a name written down before you hear it, the new victors (Finnick, Mags, Beetee, Wiress and Johanna) are easier to remember in print.
Reading speed is the other point. At 101,564 words it takes about 7 hours at an average reading pace, against 11 hours 3 minutes at normal audio speed, or about five and a half hours at 2x. No maps, diagrams or documents are reported in the book.
The case for listening to it
Everything that made The Hunger Games easy to follow as an audiobook is still here. Katniss narrates in the first person and the present tense, the story moves in one line from home to the tour to the arena, and there is no second timeline to keep straight.
It is also the same narrator. Tatiana Maslany reads all three original books on Audible, so if you listened to book 1 the sequel carries on without a change of narrator. Listeners rate it 4.9 on both Audible UK and Audible US, as of October 2026, and praise her range, though not everyone likes her Peeta.
The audiobook in detail
Scholastic recorded Catching Fire twice. The version on sale on Audible UK is Tatiana Maslany’s, released on 17 June 2019 and running 11 hours 3 minutes, unabridged: 7 hours 22 minutes at 1.5x and 5 hours 32 minutes at 2x. Carolyn McCormick’s 2009 original runs 11 hours 37 minutes, 34 minutes longer, and as of October 2026 turns up only in US library catalogues.
Audible UK and Audible US list the same Maslany edition at the same length; whether the two stores sell one file is not confirmed. We found no full-cast or dramatised English version, and no bonus material is listed for this book.
Who should ignore this verdict
Anyone meeting Panem for the first time: start with book 1, which is scored on the same criteria. Readers who keep track of characters by how their names look, who will find the new victors easier in print. And fans of Carolyn McCormick’s original reading, which you will need a US library to find.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
The Hunger Games
Book 1, read by the same narrator.
Mockingjay
Book 3, with the same narrator and a bigger cast.
1984George OrwellSame verdict1984
A dystopia about state control, where our verdict is to listen.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Catching Fire audiobook?
Tatiana Maslany, in the 2019 recording on Audible UK. Carolyn McCormick read the 2009 original.
How long is the Catching Fire audiobook?
The Catching Fire audiobook is 11 hours 3 minutes (11h 3m) in the UK edition, which is 7h 22m at 1.5x and about 5h 32m at 2x (calculated).
Is the Catching Fire audiobook abridged?
No. The Catching Fire audiobook is unabridged.
Should I read or listen to Catching Fire?
Listen on our checks (100% confidence, clear cut). One narrator reads a single forward story, AudioFile praised her range of voices, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Is Catching Fire read by the same narrator as The Hunger Games?
Yes. Tatiana Maslany reads all three original Hunger Games books on Audible. See The Hunger Games verdict.
Do I need to read The Hunger Games before Catching Fire?
Yes, ideally. It is book 2 and picks up after the first Games, and the RIF discussion guide advises reading book 1 first.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.
Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.
How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: the Scholastic listings on Audible UK and Audible US, US library records for the 2009 recording, Scholastic UK and US edition details, the Accelerated Reader word count, and reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
Deciding about a different book?
Search for it. If we've written it up, we'll take you to the verdict. If not, we'll add it to our list of books to check.