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Book Review of Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Bk 3)

Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Bk 3)
tapcat16 avatar reviewed on + 150 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


Katniss has been rescued by the rebels and is living in District 13 along with refugees from District 12, Haymitch, Johanna, and Finnick. Peeta and Annie are still in the clutches of the Capitol, and every day Katniss is plagued with thoughts of what torture they must be suffering at the hands of President Snow. The rebellion is sweeping across Panem, and the leader of the rebels, President Coin, wants Katniss to be the symbol of the revolution--the Mockingjay. It is as if the arena has consumed all of Panem, and there is no escape for Katniss.

Collins struggles to tell a cohesive action tale without the structure of the Hunger Games arena. It also is evident she got a bit of a guilt complex over the violence in the series, and therefore gets too caught up in constantly telling the reader the emotional pain the characters are in. Katniss can only have so many emotional break-downs before it stops being interesting and powerful and starts being annoying and distracting. The writing continues to be sophomoric, but with the plot issues, this is more noticeable in this entry in the series. Thankfully, Collins handles the love triangle with grace and presents a choice that gives teen readers insight into the true emotions in adult relationships. It is a tear-jerking choice no matter whether you are Team Peeta or Team Gale. Overall, Mockingjay is a satisfying end to the series, but does not live up to the power of the first two books. Fans will by no means regret having started the series, however.

Check out my full (spoiler-free) review.