This was by far the strongest of the trilogy, so much so that it's a great payoff to Hunger Games (which was good in its own right), and worth making it through Mockingjay, which I had problems with. 
 In Catching Fire, Katniss' story really takes off, and the reader is shown far more of the world she lives in. We're introduced to new characters who we grow to love, and are left with a cliffhanger that will force you on to the next book without missing a beat.