So disappointing! I felt like the heart of this book was hijacked, along with a satisfying romance and climax--even though she ends up with the boy I expected. Heartbroken. I read the trilogy aloud to my kids and after the glorious writing of the first two books this book felt uninspired.
Review by jaidan (LibraryThing), September 5, 2010 The premise: ganked from BN.com: 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 The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. My Rating Worth the Cash: This book is utterly and entirely different from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire that it's not even funny. It's a helluva lot darker too on many levels and really ramps up the fact that this is science fiction dystopia. Bad things happen to good people, and there's a war that Collins doesn't flinch away from. There are heart-breaking moments in this book, and Katniss really takes a beating psychologically. It's a good read, but I have to say I wish I'd had some time to process Catching Fire before jumping right into this one. First because of the pain meds I was on while reading both, but second so that I could've solidified my thoughts on the second book before having them warped by the third. Still, it's a very satisfying conclusion, and while this trilogy isn't an OMG-I-LOVE-IT type thing, I'm still glad I got on board, even with the hardcovers! Review style: once again, this was read early in the painkiller stage, and to be honest, I kind of wish I hadn't read Catching Fire and Mockingjay back-to-back. I'll talk about why, talk about why Collins simply can't convince me that she's given me a real love triangle, as well as how romance works in general for this series. I'll talk about how this book differs from its predecessors and why that's a good thing, and touch on the epilogue that has so many readers up in arms. Also, there's either an intentional nod to Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse in this book or I'll eat my hat. Spoilers? Yes. and one more warning--in the course of talking about love triangles, I'm going to spoil the hell out of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. Why? Because I can. If you want to read the full, SPOILERY review, just click the link below to go to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :) REVIEW: Suzanne Collins's MOCKINGJAY Happy Reading!
Review by devilwrites (LibraryThing), September 5, 2010 The book isn't perfect, no book is, but I kinda loved that. War is messy, love is messy and I was glad there was no easy ending. Katniss was so completely broken by everything she had been through that it would have been silly for Collins to reduce the series to a shallow love triangle, so I'm thrilled she didn't. Instead, that triangle became a moot point by the end. Katniss ends up with the one who she needs to be with after everything unfolds. I wasn't shocked, but I wasn't expecting it either. To be honest I never thought too much about the love aspect to begin with. To me, it was fitting that the focus of the story was on all of the people she lost during the series, instead of who she decides she loves more. The book is heartbreaking. So many characters that we love are killed, but that's war. That's the grim reality that Katniss has to deal with everyday. Sometimes it's hard to remember that Katniss is both a girl and someone who has been repeatedly broken, both psychically and psychologically. This book gave me more of an opportunity to see that pain because she wasn't in the midst of staying alive in every scene. She's really happier when she is in those situations, because she understands how to deal with them better than the stillness. When she's not fighting she's flooded with all the pain she's experienced. In the end I felt like it was a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and I'm glad I read it. It's not my favorite book of the series, but I think it gave the whole trilogy more depth and gravitas than the other two books. It took the horror that Katniss faced in during the Hunger Games and spread it throughout all of the Districts, explaining the importance of the rebellion to anyone who had yet to realize it. Just like many other readers I had a few things I wished would have been handled a bit differently. Some of the deaths felt too sudden and abrupt, but then again, that's how war truly is. You don't always get a glorious death moment. In the end there was more good than bad and I'm firmly in the camp of liking the whole series.
Review by bookworm12 (LibraryThing), September 4, 2010 Loved the ending to this trilogy. It started slowly, and seemed like the author was pushing herself to get through the first part, but picked up steam and produced another hard-to-put-down tale of war and its consequences.
Review by fromthecomfychair (LibraryThing), September 4, 2010 One month after Quarter Quell and Katniss is still healing. Katniss returns to the ashes of her home District 12 to see the devastation with her own eyes. Katniss is still trying to put the pieces and players together to figure out what's true and what's not. She feels guilty for the deaths of District 12 for her actions in the Quarter Quell ~ upsetting the Capitol to make them do this to her home district. In Katniss's state of mind and distress over what has happened with the games she can't decide if she wants to join up with the Rebels and be the image they need her to be... the Mockingjay, to give hope to the other districts while fighting. Yet the help with clothes, speeches and such all sound just like the position Katniss played before each game. This book starts off slowly with learning who and how the rescued ones are. You learn there are great worries for the ones who were captured by the Capitol, and you see how devastating it is to the ones who are alive and... well alive. Here in District 13 you start to see there are rumors about the place and you wonder slightly on it while learning interesting details of the place, but the people are safe and accepted here. I was aware from the previous two books that President Snow and the games really affected these kids' minds, but it really shows in this conclusion as to how badly it really was/is. The clouded view and instability of Katniss from the previous and even current happenings really comes into focus here. This is also what makes this book so heart wrenching for me. Suzanne definitely does NOT take the easy road for her characters. She is very bold in taking this great stand with them, which makes them that much more real to me. I was wanting to see more of the government and the views of what might have been "wrong," "right," or where they "went from here". But again, these books are from Katniss's view so we are a little short on these explanations. These books are of Katniss as she grows in the role here. You do get your conclusion to the story. But the idea implanted from this world and the reaction of these characters keeps you thinking. As much as I loved the book and was drawn into these characters once more, I felt left wanting more in the end. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Maybe the frantic pacing in parts of the book once it got rolling and then slower in others might be why. I'm not sure. Maybe the trauma periods for Katniss, when she is sedated, is what I felt as I'm missing things, I wasn't sure I was getting all the information or even the right information. But I was seeing Katniss's view on everything to understand her even more. It might be that I don't really get my closure with what happens in the government and politics. But the book left a huge impact on me. The thought to do what is right and needed in the bigger picture. Is this the perfect ending to the trilogy? I don't know. I do know I was drawn right to the characters and the destructive world they live in. Drawn so much I was heart broken in the end. But there is a short ray of hope given after it all. For me this book is about more than how Katniss chooses to be with, it is about what you choose in life to fight for and what you will do for it, but keep your eyes and ears open to not be tricked to do for others.
Review by MelHay (LibraryThing), September 3, 2010 This is the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy. As predicted, I do feel a bit sad to have to leave these characters, especially Katniss and Peeta. Mockingjay has a different feel to it than the other two books -more dark. Things are topsy-turvy just like the mental status of key characters. The beginning is a bit slower than the other two, but it was almost like coming out of a state of confusion. All I can say is I love this trilogy. Considered YA novels, but not to be dismissed as such. The theme runs much deeper than violence. A must read for young adults and adults, male or female. There is something for all.
Review by LauraT81 (LibraryThing), September 3, 2010 Many reviews talk about disapointment with this third installment in the Mockingjay series. I thought it was an excellent conclusion to an excellent series. Is it dark? Yes. Is Katniss self-centered? Yes, but I think any book written in the first person is going to seem that way. Do the characters fall down and make mistakes? Yes, that is what makes them more real. Do some good characters die? Yes, which makes the pain more intense. I thought it was was well concieved and well written, and if you look at the cuases instead of simply reading the story, it is compelling. And I think the story was sound and entertaining by itself.
Review by ASBiskey (LibraryThing), September 3, 2010 I'm so sick of ranting about how disappointed I am in this book and in Suzanne Collins, so hopefully this will be the last time I do. It was terrible compared to the first two. What a letdown! I was so excited for the final book and I can't believe that it actually ended that way. It was way too slow in the beginning and way too fast in the end. Many of the things in the book were pointless. This may have ruined the series for me. :(
Review by MickTheChick (LibraryThing), September 3, 2010 An excellent ending to an amazing trilogy. This slightly darker novel takes Katniss into District 13 where she heals from the latest Hunger Games. Her body has healed, however her mind is still in disarray. Labeled "mentally disoriented" she is given some leeway, however the president of 13 is getting impatient on Katniss's decision on whether or not she will become the Mockingjay. With her home destroyed, Peeta captured by the capitol, and everyone looking to her for guidance Katniss must make a decision that may cost the lives of her friends and family.
Review by jhughes84 (LibraryThing), September 2, 2010 I was very anxious to get this book and had to buy it the day it came out. Mockingjay was different then the first two books where Hunger Games and Catching fire were mainly on the games in the arena and everything Katniss went through during those games. This book deals with the aftermath of the Hunger Games and Katniss trying to come to grips with the things she has done to others to stay alive. Mockingjay started right were Catching Fire ended. I love this book but I also have to be honest it was not as good as the first two books but the first two books were perfect so the third is still an awesome book and a must read. Katniss and Gale and Peete were always so strong during the first two books and seeing them cope and deal with everything that has happened it was hard to see them struggling. Everyone in this last book had changed and not for the better. I do like how this book does wrap everything up for you and you know how Katniss and Peete life turns out. I do wish I would have some more information on Gale. Did Gale's life go on to live happy with someone and did he ever come and see Katniss again when she went back to district 12. At the end I did shed some tears and will not give it away as to why but it was a very sad part and one I did not expect. I do feel that the final book completed the story for me. All three books are a journey that I absolutely loved. My nine year old is too young to read these but in a few years I want him to live this journey too. These are a trilogy that is worth reading more than once which I already have read twice and in a year or two I will have to relive them again.
Review by shellierb69 (LibraryThing), September 2, 2010 I enjoyed this book. I dont think it is the best out of the series, but over all I did enjoy the book. The only part I really did not like was the epiloge (sp). If you have read the book, then you know what I am talking about, If you dont know, then you will just have to wait to read the book. I hope that you guys enjoy the books, and if Suzanne Collins writes more YA books, then I will be sure to read those books when they come out.
Review by Conner23456 (LibraryThing), September 2, 2010 ***SPOILERS!*** ***SPOILERS!*** ***SPOILERS!*** ***SPOILERS!*** ***SPOILERS!*** ***SPOILERS!*** The Short of It: Although I enjoyed the series as a whole. this last book was a total letdown. The Rest of It: I imagine that the pressure to write a satisfying third installment to this series was great, but from the get-go the book sort of limps along with poor pacing and writing that was so forced in places that it actually made me wince. I mean really, what happened here? In my opinion, I feel as if the author did not event attempt to deliver with this one. Why bother? People will buy it, good or bad just because of the popularity of the series itself. I am so angry over this book that I would have thrown it across the room had it not been on my Kindle. Things that contributed to my dislike of the book: -Katniss. I never got the “girl on fire” thing. To me, that title belongs to a heroine that blazes a path to victory. Katniss is SO not that. The constant self-deprecating, the wide-eyed innocence, etc. Girl!! Get a grip. Get it together and kick some ass! -Gale. What happened to my lovely Gale? Bitterness! Although a lot of you may think differently, this is the only character that I feel was true in the end. Yeah, he was a bit more violent in this book and seemed to have a blatant disregard for human life, but I could see where he was coming from. His eyes were on the prize, so to speak and that prize was not Katniss. I can’t fault him for that. I mean, how many times can a guy be turned down? My issue with him is that if he really wanted to end up with Katniss, he should have fought for it as he did for everything else. -Peeta. Good lord. What the hell happened to Peeta? I know he was brainwashed but come on, even before the brainwashing he was…meh. He always seemed so juvenile to me and not as mature as some of the other characters. Supposedly he was a good-looking hunk with curls but it seemed as if he was sort of vacuous in my book. -The suicide pill. So much mention of the pill yet no one took it. I sure wish some of them had. -The entire book had this detached quality to it. Big things would happen but there would only be a little bit of description about it. Usually a startling image to send it home instead of a paragraph or two and then the chapter would predictably end with a shocking sentence like “…and then his legs blew off.” Ugh. -The pomp and circumstance. The costumes and make-up and base zero beauty were all too much for me. Perhaps if I thought they were going on a true hero I’d think differently, but for Katniss? Seemed like a waste of good lip gloss to me. -Prim. Killing off Prim in a one-liner seemed like a pot shot to me. She was one of the few characters that seemed to have her act together. -Finnick. Sort of the same feeling here. No future for the good ones I guess. -Katniss deciding to have kids just because Peeta wanted them. What? So now you are breeding weak-minded, ambiguous little darlings to boot? Overall, I found myself cringing throughout the book. The story itself, the plot to destroy the Capitol had promise but with such a weak crew carrying out the orders, it’s no wonder it fell apart. When they put that crack-pot team of snipers into one special unit I couldn’t help but think they were leading the lambs to slaughter. I suppose at the end they succeeded in taking down the Capitol and that could be interpreted as success but I would have preferred a true battle of the wits instead of them putting on wigs and going undercover.
Review by tibobi (LibraryThing), September 2, 2010 My husband told me not to rush through this book, but how could I not? I was looking forward to reading through it in one sitting, just as I did with its two predecessors (which I absolutely need to reread). I love these books. I'm so happy about the resurgence in YA, after the vast wasteland of Sweet Valley High and their ilk. Next up, making him read the series.
Review by hairball (LibraryThing), September 1, 2010 Mockingjay is the third and final book in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series. This is not the kind of series where you can jump right in; if you haven’t read the other two books, do that before even considering this one. I have to admit that while others I know LOVED the series so far, I was more of a liker of the series and found they had a certain draw that made me keep coming back. This final one really delivers and I found myself devouring it in one sitting, staying up past 4 am to finish it. (To shed a little perspective on this last statement, I can’t remember the last time I did this with a book, but it may have been when I was in junior high.) The book is full of the series’ usual action-packed adventure, with a dash of humor here and there, and an addition of some political intrigue only hinted at in the last book. There’s also some element of romance, as Katniss again finds herself trying to decide between Peeta and Gale, but this storyline is more sidetracked in this particular book and thereby less annoying to me. (I’ve always found the ploy about Katniss suddenly thinking she might be in love with Gale only after Peeta says he’s in love with her to be a little forced.) As is touched upon briefly at the end of the second book, Mockingjay opens up with Panem fully in a state of rebellion against the Capitol and the rebel forces want Katniss to become their rallying point by becoming the face of the rebellion (fittingly as the “Mockingjay”). As there’s an actual war now, rather than the fabricated let’s-throw-kids-together-in-an-arena-and-watch-them-kill-each-other Hunger Games, I found the violence more bearable and less creepy than in the first two books, but it’s still a tough book in the respect that human lives are easily expendable and you can’t get too attached to anyone in this world. The ending actually seemed a bit anticlimactic to me, but in an effort to not give away any spoiler details, I’ll refrain from commenting on this more. Overall, however, I was satisfied with the trilogy’s conclusion and am wondering what’s next for Ms. Collins.
Review by sweetiegherkin (LibraryThing), September 1, 2010 wow. the only thing that I could expect in this book was to be blown away by unexpected events. One of the best reads in a long time. I absolutely love this book!!!
Review by jubjub_luver1 (LibraryThing), August 31, 2010 Wow, this book drove me crazy.
Review by VivaLibrarian (LibraryThing), August 31, 2010 Absolutely wonderful, beautifully written, with a gorgeous world, a wonderfully strong and believable and breakable heroine, difficult choices, desperate moves, heartbreaking sacrifices, and satisfying endings. Fantastic end to a fantastic trilogy.
Review by Aerrin99 (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 Was a worthy follow-up to the first two, but it did seem rushed. A lot was pushed into the last third of the book and it seemed that some elements, such as the conclusion of the war and the romances between Katniss and the boys, were never given a chance to fully develop. Would have liked to follow Peeta's recovery a little more closely. However, still loved it.
Review by leen3rs (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 I didn't like this book as well as the previous two, but I sort of expected that would be the case. In particular, I got tired of Katniss going into a meltdown every time something bad happened. Maybe I am being too harsh; she is only a seventeen-year old girl, but it seemed out of character. I was also unhappy with the direction Collins took Gale. His rage and aggression seemed over-the-top. Actually, I would have liked to see Collins do more than three books in this series. It would have worked better if this book had been about the war against the Capitol and what life was like in the rest of Panem. Showing the war and concluding the series all in one book felt too rushed. Collins had so much to work with and a lot of it got left by the wayside. Still, this is a wonderful series and I look forward to having my kids read it when they are older.
Review by Menagerie (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 Great ending to the trilogy. The Hunger Games was never quite predictable and even the last book kept you guessing until the end.
Review by exploreacademy (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 I think Suzanne Collins hit another home run with Mockingjay, the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy. This really was one of the best series that I've ever read. Each book delivered and left me hungry for more. Even with this final book where we're given the answer to the question: Peeta or Gale? I still want more. Although I enjoyed the series with its endless action, I'm sorry to see it come to an end.
Review by cmeilink (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 Wow. I am blown away. This third and final book in the groundbraking Hunger Games series is a complete roller coaster. It's deeply tragic and moving - I cried multiple times - and nothing is ever simple or straightforward. Friend and enemy, good and evil, justice and cruelty all blur together so that there's never a clear cut answer. Katniss is faced with so many difficult choices and ends up crossing lines that irrevocably change her. All the characters, in fact, undergo major transformations as they respond to and try to cope with the atrocities of war. Some events I could see coming, but others left me stunned, jaw on the floor, not believing (or wanting to believe) what just happened actually happened. There's no happily ever after. It's not all wrapped up in a neat little package at the end. But that's what gives the story an undeniable element of truth. The author may have set the world and the people in it in motion, like a spinning top, but she follows the story wherever it must go with brutal, pull-no-punches honesty even when everything ineveitably spins out of control. It's haunting and thought provoking in ways few novels I've read have been able to achieve. This series, which I almost can't believe is geared mainly for young adults, has grown with each installment into an outstanding work of literature - yes, literature. With this final book, I can honestly say it's one of the best series I've ever read, one that will stay with me and beg to be read over and over, if not for entertainment then to try to extract some measure of truth and hope for the human race from it's pages. I loved it. So goodbye, Katniss. You will remain one of my favorite heroines of all time, and thanks for your story. It's changed me.
Review by les121 (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 This was the perfect conclusion to one of my all-time favorite trilogies. It was definitely worth waiting for.
Review by coralsiren (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 So-- I am not really going to review this one right now, I might whenever people have plenty of time to read and process. I will say that I loved it, Collins writing gripped me once again. I flew through this book, and felt all sorts of emotions. Her writing is superb, and she weaves a beautiful story. I give it 5 stars, and I appreciate the way that she ended the book. I am not quite sure what I wanted but she did better than I ever could. It is as happy an ending as could be warranted by this series. Katniss remains strong and true to her character, though she is of course drug through even more hell.
Review by brandileigh2003 (LibraryThing), August 30, 2010 I read the first two volumes of The Hunger Games during last fall's 24-Hour Readathon, which was a pretty intense experience; reading Mockingjay was less intense, taking the better part of two days. Either that, or it was so much *more* intense I needed breaks from it...I think it may be a mix of both. After Katniss destroyed the arena in which the Hunger Games took place and was airlifted out of it at the end of Catching Fire, she regained consciousness - with Gale at her side - in a hospital in District 13. District 13, which wasn't supposed to exist, and which was believed to have been destroyed nearly a century earlier. District 13, which in reality had literally been driven underground, has been the breeding ground for rebellion against Panem's Capitol...and the rebellion needs Katniss, the girl who was on fire, to be its public face - its Mockingjay. There are no more Games. This is war, and this is real - mostly. Parts of it are very stage-managed, but that's not entirely inconsistent with real-life modern warfare either. If the Hunger Games themselves were high-stakes reality television, Mockingjay is the movie version, and I felt more like I was watching the story unfold than reading it. One of Suzanne Collins' strengths in writing is her portrayal of action, and the action rarely lets up. There's a pattern of sorts: Katniss recovers from injury, takes part in rebel initiatives of increasing danger and violence, sustains injury, recovers, and gets back into battle. But just as she did during the Games, she questions everything and everyone around her, and her primary motivation remains the safety of her mother and sister. Her secondary motivation is the elimination of Panem's President Snow. While creating a strong heroine in Katniss, Collins has also made her far from perfect: she's impetuous, has questionable judgment, and is far from certain about a lot. Collins' book is about war's effects as much as it is about battle; in some ways, it's about PTSD while the traumatic stress is still going on. No one comes out of these conditions unchanged, and while they're not really explored in depth, Collins isn't afraid to refer to the complications. To some extent, the last chapters of Mockingjay reminded me of the hobbits' return to the ruined Shire at the end of The Return of The King (the book - much as I love the Lord of the Rings films, that part didn't make it in). While I didn't find the ending of Mockingjay entirely satisfying, it felt earned - consistent with what the characters had gone through to get there. (The epilogue, however, was unnecessary.) This isn't my favorite book in the series - that remains Catching Fire - but if you've followed the story thus far, it's not to be missed.
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