Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy) [Paperback]

 

 

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Because I've been waiting months for this book, I'd promised myself I'd read it slowly and savour it, becuase after I'm finished there's no more. As it turns out, I read all of Mockingjay the day I received it in the mail. As expected, it was excellent. As dreaded, I didn't like it.

Suzanne seems to be one of those writers whose books get better and better with each installment. I thought Catching Fire was better than The Hunger Games, and Mockingjay is written even better than Catching Fire. After the end...you just have an unquenchable hunger for MORE that will never be satisfied, but that's okay, because it's the mark of a good series.

Despite all that, the problem with Mockingjay, (for me at least) is that it wasn't any fun to read at all.

Sure, it's intense, suspenseful, poignant, and it cuts to the action faster, but I missed Peeta; Katniss's usual spirited and brave demeanor was replaced by a "Who cares?" attitude, and while it might be completely justified, it wasn't any fun on the reader's part; the whole book hangs a downcast, depressing and overly serious tone; I hated the anticlimax.
In lieu of spoilers, I will not mention names, but a certain important character was somewhat randomly dropped off at the end. We weren't given any closure about his relationships with his fellow characters. May or may not leave you feeling cheated.

Another reviewer, on amazon.com I believe, called this book a work of "nihilistic anti-war propaganda;" in other words, Collins is biased into thinking that war is the most disgusting, horrible, and awful thing that ever existed. And while she's entitled to her opinions, especially when they are well-supported, it's untactful to try and force her readers into seeing things her way, instead of giving them the facts and allowing them to form their own opinions.
This seems to be the reason for much of the unnecessary tragic events that happen in this book, and why it's so depressing: the author is putting out propaganda to 'help' us see how very very bad war is, instead of giving us a balanced view of the reasons people go to war, and why it may or may not be the best way to solve a conflict.

Now, the end. We never expected a completely happy ending for a series like this one. We would have enjoyed a bittersweet ending thoroughly. But I think the downer ending was just overdoing it. Did the author purposely twist the ending to a level of heartwrenching sadness? Probably. Was it necessary? Hmmm.

So, the writing was intelligent and unique to its author. The plot was (excepting the anticlimax) tense, winding, and fast-paced, the action neverending. The characters, especially Katniss herself, were depthened even further. Despite that, I didn't like it, I'm sorry.

Just as like my Catching Fire review, this book is magnificent. People can argue about the ending, how it was "rushed" but I find she made it perfectly. She gave the reader a sense of what happened, how the "Star Crossed Lovers" ended up, and give freedom to the reader for some specific things. Not so much that it feels rushed, but amazing. The book is just as long as its predecessors 391 pgs. The book comes with many twists and turns, and has an extremely realistic ending. It is not your typical love story. Twilight is baloney, this is extremely well crafted, and a successful ending only adds to the experience. The ending is true to the characters, and very great. Like Catching Fire, the quality is amazing, nothing wrong with the pages or hard cover, slip cover was also not ripped. The book gets 5 STARS.

Alright I will admit I read the entire series in the course of 5 days so maybe when I got to Mockingjay I had high expectations. Those expectations certainly were not met by Mockingjay. I don't think this is a bad book but, at least for me, it was the worst in the series and had many areas I found the author left unpolished.

This installment in the series is definitely takes a change of pace. Katniss is literally thrown head first into the symbolic role for the entire rebellion. She struggles with physical aliments, moral dilemmas, serious debilitating changes in old friends... Altogether you see Katniss more as what she is, a 17 year old girl. She is fallible and fragile throughout the entire book and you see the darkness in the world around her definitely taking its toll on her in this book. If your expecting the same strong Katniss you read in Hunger Games or Catching Fire your going to be very disappointed.

Another thing that struck me was the author seems to really focus both on the war and on how it is affecting Katniss while throwing in random character developments here and there. Altogether I found this approach shallow and I was left wanting more of everything. There isn't enough focus on Katniss and her struggles for me to really resonate with her like I could in the previous installments, yet there also isn't enough explanation of the war for me to every really know whats going on either. My biggest complaint though was the treatment of supporting characters....

The most infuriating thing about this book was definitely the treatment of supporting characters. First the development of supporting characters in Mockingjay is poor at best. You are introduced to a few new characters that you get to know very little about as the book focuses on Katniss being a pale shadow of her prior self. 3rd party characters you liked in the past fall to the sidelines and are essentially ignored. Sure there are a few developments in characters like Johanna or Finnick but they are shallow at best and the writing doesn't make you feel anything for them. The characters developed most are Gale, Petta and Katniss which I guess is obvious because the love triangle thing. But as I mentioned with Katniss above, all of these characters are developed drastically different then in the past. One such development leading to a rift being developed between the characters.

Also unlike the other books where you basically know that characters Katniss has hardly met die off as sport, everyone is on the chopping block in Mockingjay. Many characters that you've come to really like over the course of the series are killed off indiscriminately. This wouldn't normally bother me as I find it can really emotionally engage you into a book if done well, like how the author handled Rue. Unfortunately again in Mockingjay author seems to make no effort to show the impact of the loss of these characters on Katniss or the reader. Often their deaths are absolutely and utterly meaningless and you get either; no sympathy/emotion from the author or Katniss, or, not enough time/exposure to feel anything about the loss other then confusion.

For me the first half of the book was much better then the end. As other reviewers have mentioned I found the last 100 pages or so to be very rough, rushed and altogether annoyed me in their shallowness. The plot is pieced together and while it makes sense the sheer hatred you feel for Snow is dulled as he falls to the sidelines like pretty much every other 3rd party character in this book.

In closing I found this to be a good book that shows off the darkness, and futility of war and the moral flaws in human character. I would still suggest reading it, and would recommend the series for sure, but do expect to be surprised by the change in pace in Mockingjay.

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4.0 out of 5 stars MockingJay
I liked the book. I bought it even though the reviews posted about the ending I thought were negative. Lisez davantage

Published 4 days ago by lander

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Book is really great. Kept me wanting to read for hours. I'm not a huge fiction reader but this is a definate must read.

Published 18 days ago by Tana

2.0 out of 5 stars not as good
after the first two great books, i was really expecting them to just get even better. this was something of a let down, although it had some good points too.

Published 1 month ago by jensev

4.0 out of 5 stars It just keeps getting sadder and sadder...
Warning: This review contains a lot of spoilers

Every page, it just keeps getting sadder and sadder, especially at the end when Prim dies. Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Z.A.C

4.0 out of 5 stars THE END OF A GREAT TRILOGY...
I confess that I was heartbroken to see this fabulous story come to an end in this third book of the trilogy. Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Lawyeraau

4.0 out of 5 stars Will Mockingjay stay with you for always? Absolutely.
This review has spoilers! Read at your own discretion.

I finished reading Mockingjay within 5 days after reading the first two books in the previous two weeks... Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Siriusgray

2.0 out of 5 stars A real disappointment!
Book 1 I give 5 stars, book 2 I give 7 stars! They were fantastic!

Book 3 - OMG what a huge disappointment! Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Michel

3.0 out of 5 stars Let down
This isn't my favourite genre and I picked up the first installment with reluctance. But I literally tore through it, after staying up to the wee hours a night or two. Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Poetkitty

2.0 out of 5 stars Rushed, and an ending that didn't feel like it fit the series.
I enjoy the first two books. I felt the third was rushed. It definitely took me longer to read, as it had less of my interest and attention. Lisez davantage

Published 1 month ago by Jennyh

4.0 out of 5 stars Not my favourite of the series, but good!
While I'm pretty impressed with myself for hunkering down for three straight days reading the entire Hunger Games trilogy, I have to say that this wasn't the most impressive... Lisez davantage

Published 2 months ago by Reading in Winter

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