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Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) Review

To be honest...I'm not sure that "loved it" is the correct description for this book. I definitely more than "liked it" but love? Not sure.

If you have already listened to Suzanne Collins wonderful reading of a portion of the first chapter, than you probably already have a good idea on where this story is taking us...straight into a war.

More so than with the previous books in the trilogy, Mockingjay really explores the ugly side of war, and politics for that matter. There are always at least three sides to a story -- his side, her side, and the truth, and in retrospect, very rarely do any of them seem right. Such is life, and Suzanne Collins takes very real current events and spins them into a web of fictional warfare that emanates scenes captured on news reels of military insurgence and guerrilla battles. Perhaps it was my mood at the time of reading, I kept hearing Hendrix playing "All Along The Watchtower" and I believe it's due to the imagery displayed in the text. For those that have watched any Vietnam movies or documentaries on the time, you'll most likely see where my mind made the connection and how the song became an anthem in my head for those first few chapters...if not chalk it up to my mood and forgive my babbling.

The nastiness of war is a dominant theme that overshadows the love triangle and makes the whole "Team Mentality" a moot point. Not to say that the love aspect isn't addressed, but when you are fighting for freedom, your lives, and your entire family's future, the romance takes a back seat. Several other questions were answered and some MAJOR revelations about the extent of the Capitol's wrong doing and the heinous treatment of people from the districts. It is a lot to take in and a very intense roller-coaster of a read.

My thoughts are conflicted on Mockingjay, and I really feel like I will have a much better idea on the precise nature of my feelings after reading it a second time...right now I am numb. I was surprised by many of the events in the book and satisfied by where the author ended the journey. Perhaps on further examination I will be better equipped to give an in-depth analysis on some of the symbolism as I saw it unfold and perhaps my take on the metaphorical thinking that was inspired by the similarities between the human race's past, present and hopefully *non* future.

Mockingjay takes The Hunger Games series to darker depths than expected and is searing and thought provoking. Like coming down from a high, it leaves readers a bit disoriented from the intensity of the emotional ride.

It is an extremely well written series and for that it gets 5 stars!

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) Overview

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.

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Customer Reviews

Amazing. - Amy - Amman, Jordan
I've waited for this book all summer and it was definitely worth the rate. Beautifully written.

Collins does it again! - V. Cheri Simms - California
The Mockingjay delivers. It is every bit as gripping as its two predecessors, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. It is just as grisly and gruesome as well. Collins does not sugarcoat anything, which only adds to the depth of the story.

Katniss Everdeen accepts the role as the Mockingjay, the rebels' icon of defiance towards the Capitol. However, she is tormented with Peeta's imprisonment within the Capitol. He becomes their voice to attempt to stop the rebellions in the districts, while District 13 tries to fuel the cause. Katniss often opposes authority and instead of acting on orders, she often acts on her own accord and tries to do what is right.

If the political themes are not enough, the Katniss/Peeta/Gale love triangle is ever-present and I am sure many people have their own personal opinions as to who Katniss should wind up with and why.

Many characters return from the first two books and there are a host of new characters for readers to love or to hate. Although be forewarned, the book is about a war. If you thought just because the Hunger Games were over, life would be sparred, think again.

My only disappointment in the Mockingjay is that it is the last book in the series.

Worth the wait - J. Prather - IN USA
It's finally here! For those of us who were first captivated by The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the wait to see how Suzanne Collins would end the story of Katniss, Peeta and Gale has seemed endless. I am not going to speak to any specific plot points here because I don't want to spoil anything for those fans that have waited so long. Here's the good news; Mockingjay is an intelligent, complex, well-written and totally satisfying end to this story.

This book is dark. Katniss is wracked with guilt about the roles she has played in so many deaths and what she perceives as her failure to protect Peeta. This runs throughout the entire story, and the author does such an effective job of portraying her pain that the book is at times hard to read. Katniss is often teetering on the edge of sanity as she strives to make sense of what is expected of her and to maintain her sense of self.

When I first started reading the book, I was fully expecting the breakneck pacing and constant action of the Hunger Games, and was a bit distressed to find that this one seemed to be more political. It wasn't long however until I was riveted by the intrigue and the author started to deliver on those signature "goosebump moments". This book takes on war, our reliance on media and how it often seems to glorify death and destruction. In the right hands, it can provide not only an entertaining read but also much food for thought. This is a book of war and it pulls no punches. There are gruesome deaths, betrayals and inhumane cruelty here. Parents of younger readers should be cautioned that this installment is much more intense than the prior two volumes.

This book, with it's intricate webs of intrigue, blurs the lines of right and wrong and challenges everything Katniss (and the reader) has taken for granted. It is sophisticated and wholly original. It serves to bring Katniss full circle and while I don't think it will necessarily please everyone, I thought it was a brilliant ending to a sensational series.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 24, 2010 08:42:25

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010