Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Like everyone else out there on the blogosphere, I am posting a review on Mockingjay. I’ll skip how I acquired the book, since I did write a whole post on it…. But anyways, I was very determined last night to finish the book already. I was halfway done by that point. I had a whole day of orientation, but all I could think about was Mockingjay, Katniss, and Peeta, Peeta, Peeta.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. – GoodReads

I think the biggest and only problem I encountered with this book was that I didn’t have the chance to reread Catching Fire entirely. I had only gotten up to the first two chapters before I had gotten the book. Naturally, I should have kept going and finished the book, but I was so busy, I didn’t know when I would end up reading Mockingjay. I pretty much knew the story line, but I found that I forgot a lot of the other tributes’ names and a lot of details that were really relevant. It was confusing at first because Mockingjay doesn’t give me much to work with. I only end up with a vague recollection of what happened. I tried not to dwell on details that were fuzzy and instead I focused on the story line.

I think what makes the third book so different from the rest is the fact that there is no arena in a literal sense. It’s the Hunger Games in a whole new way. It is a lot more political and war-centered than the first two books. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to live up to my expectations. But there were just so many twists and turns in the plot that got me hooked. There were so many times that I told myself, okay, last chapter before bed, but then a chapter ends with a massive cliffhanger and I couldn’t put the book down. Katniss’ voice is just so strong and she has a way of telling her story that makes me want more. However, since I don’t see Katniss as a romantic at all, so all the romance scenes to me were just up to par.

True, the plot was great. But really the element, or I should say character, that left me hanging on every page was Peeta. He makes the books for me. I think he is the highlight of every book.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the book and it’s ending. To me, a series has to end just right or all that time and investment goes to waste. I like to end a series with a warm, fuzzy feeling, not with a bad taste in my mouth. Endings leave the lasting impressions.

Rating: StarStarStarStarStar

2 Comments

  1. I read multiple people say that they were disappointed by how dark and depressing this last book was. But I think the realistic depiction of war was magnificent & really made me THINK. Not to mention, it reduced me to tears. Finnick! Cinna! Boggs! Peeta! Just…everything and everyone. ugh! Anyway, here’s a link to various discussions regarding MJ, its symbolism, themes, character arcs, etc.: http://moourl.com/2hzro

Leave a Reply