Once again, I feel stifled by these darn starred rating systems. How can I only give Mockingjay five stars? Is there no justice in this world?
Needless to say, I liked Mockingjay. A lot. Ms. Collins does not disappoint in this culmination of her wildly popular Hunger Games trilogy. My only disappointment is that it is the last book of the series.
Mockingjay is a grim and gritty book -- more so than its predecessors, which is really saying a lot. The story picks up shortly after the conclusion of Catching Fire. Katniss and her fellow rescued tributes are recovering from the trauma of the arena in the once-hidden District 13, now hub of the rebellion against the Capitol. Unfortunately, not everyone made it out -- Katniss' district partner and fiance, Peeta, has been captured and is assumed dead. Other notable friends from the series are also missing in action, or have met with untimely and unpleasant ends at the orders of the ominous President Snow. And Katniss' home -- and most of her neighbors and friends -- are gone as a result of the mass bombing of District 12 at the end of the Quarter Quell.
Katniss takes center stage in this final phase of the rebellion, agreeing to serve as the symbollic leader of the resistance -- the Mockingjay. Her love triangle is put on hold, both due to Peeta's captivity and Gale's growing political and strategic entanglement in the uprising.
Mockingjay takes readers into a new sort of game, but the traps, betrayals and deception that were so riviting in the first two "Games" books are not missing from this conclusion. The landscape is different, but the stakes are just as high and the drama just as compelling.
I found Collins' portrayal of Katniss in this book refreshingly realistic. She doesn't write this herione as a superhuman girl that unerringly comes out ahead, even against impossible odds. The Katniss we meet in Mockinjay is broken, emotionally, mentally and physically. She's lost almost everything she loves, and is weighing the benefits and risks of the additional sacrifices she's been asked to make for her fellow rebels. She's every bit the reluctant hero, and a sympathetic one at that. I loved how Collins allowed her to be a flawed leader, and was satisfied with her arc and her ending.
However, some supporting characters really disappointed me in this book. As a mother, I found myself repeatedly shaking my head in disgust over the actions of Katniss' mother, for example. On the other hand, I feel I know Haymitch after reading Mockingjay, and understand and like him much more after reading this book. Collins is masterful at picking up threads from her previous books and weaving them unexpectedly and effortlessly into the final work. Her circles back to characters like Finnick and Annie made the story richer and more satisfying for me.
Overall, I am sad to see the series finish, but thrilled that I was along for the whole ride. Great job, Ms. Collins.
Needless to say, I liked Mockingjay. A lot. Ms. Collins does not disappoint in this culmination of her wildly popular Hunger Games trilogy. My only disappointment is that it is the last book of the series.
Mockingjay is a grim and gritty book -- more so than its predecessors, which is really saying a lot. The story picks up shortly after the conclusion of Catching Fire. Katniss and her fellow rescued tributes are recovering from the trauma of the arena in the once-hidden District 13, now hub of the rebellion against the Capitol. Unfortunately, not everyone made it out -- Katniss' district partner and fiance, Peeta, has been captured and is assumed dead. Other notable friends from the series are also missing in action, or have met with untimely and unpleasant ends at the orders of the ominous President Snow. And Katniss' home -- and most of her neighbors and friends -- are gone as a result of the mass bombing of District 12 at the end of the Quarter Quell.
Katniss takes center stage in this final phase of the rebellion, agreeing to serve as the symbollic leader of the resistance -- the Mockingjay. Her love triangle is put on hold, both due to Peeta's captivity and Gale's growing political and strategic entanglement in the uprising.
Mockingjay takes readers into a new sort of game, but the traps, betrayals and deception that were so riviting in the first two "Games" books are not missing from this conclusion. The landscape is different, but the stakes are just as high and the drama just as compelling.
I found Collins' portrayal of Katniss in this book refreshingly realistic. She doesn't write this herione as a superhuman girl that unerringly comes out ahead, even against impossible odds. The Katniss we meet in Mockinjay is broken, emotionally, mentally and physically. She's lost almost everything she loves, and is weighing the benefits and risks of the additional sacrifices she's been asked to make for her fellow rebels. She's every bit the reluctant hero, and a sympathetic one at that. I loved how Collins allowed her to be a flawed leader, and was satisfied with her arc and her ending.
However, some supporting characters really disappointed me in this book. As a mother, I found myself repeatedly shaking my head in disgust over the actions of Katniss' mother, for example. On the other hand, I feel I know Haymitch after reading Mockingjay, and understand and like him much more after reading this book. Collins is masterful at picking up threads from her previous books and weaving them unexpectedly and effortlessly into the final work. Her circles back to characters like Finnick and Annie made the story richer and more satisfying for me.
Overall, I am sad to see the series finish, but thrilled that I was along for the whole ride. Great job, Ms. Collins.
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