Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, book 3) by Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Edition Reviewed: Hardcover
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Mockingjay (1)
My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.
Review:
Man I love it when a series comes full circle. Even if it's tragic. Because the truth is things in real life don't always get a HEA. The way reviews had poured in for Mockingjay I thought everything had hit the fan and it had all ended in a blaze of terror. Which made me super excited! An author with the balls to not deliver what the fans want? To go out in one glorious BOOM!
Sadly, I found it all predictable. I called all the deaths, though a few characters I had pegged as DOA actually survived the ax. Which to me for a series that is all about a government pitting children against each other in a killing game to keep the citizens in line was pretty tame. A true shame. Problem is most wrap up titles are never truly good. They're the most predictable and can either be comfort food to end the series. Or just piss you off. For me this was comfort food to end the series.
That being said Mockingjay isn't bad. Just the usual ending predictability that most series enders suffer. Mockingjay was still exceptionally good. No matter how much I moan about ending books never being great. Because Mockingjay plays out excellently the downfall of the capital and the questionable motives of District 13. The Hunger Games has never been about good vs evil. No it's all about motive and political crap. Most people don't truly care, everyone has a personal motive and power play going on. Whether it helps support the good or not. Which is why genuinely good characters are such a treat in the series.
Katniss is still pretty stupid. Being crazy and suffering a concussion does not improve things. Especially since I've always found her very cold. The fact is I love having this kind of a female lead in YA. Washes away the horror that was Bella Swan. Sure I wouldn't want her as a friend, but I'd take her as an ally in a fight.
Mockingjay is a ramble. The confusion and the fight of the people. It bothered me that despite everything Katniss was just a mouthpiece. She did try to do things, but the issue is for the most part she's a pawn. Even her final act as the Mockingjay was a pawn move, even if it was the right move. The display of two powers trying to take over a people. One oppressing the other and the other trying to hide behind an uprising of the people. Both sides do some pretty despicable things. But what makes one power right over another? In the end it's the people fighting who truly need to end up calling the shots.
Mockingjay ends up being a bit more of a romance then I had anticipated. Don't get me wrong there's a lot to do with the rebellion and uprising. However, every thing is entwined with Katniss's love triangle. Or really her lack of interest in romance. At this point we get why she never wanted to consider falling in love. Gale even calls it when he states that Katniss only kisses him when she thinks he's suffering, and she'll chose who “she can't survive without”. In the end it was who's ideas hadn't been used in such away to make the resistant actions about as horrible as the Capital's. The drama is not about who she loves. Nope. Instead it’s a decision of if Gale is too much of a zealot or if Peeta will unbrainwash. Overall the romance has always been wishy-washy to me. Even though I always knew who the obvious choice is and should be. The problem is that Katniss's personality makes it impossible to fall in love, and she's as much a pawn in her romantic life as much as any other aspect.
There's issues here. Ones that have been present since book one. And then the regular problems that every end book has. Sadly Katniss never became the “complete package” of a lead I wanted. All of her actions for the uprising and her romantic life are all do to being lead around by other people and predictable actions. In some ways she is a bit of an empty shell. But who can blame her, I’m still claiming she’s flawed. The struggle of the people against political power and agenda is realistic. The power of the media is chilling. You never no the agendas behind it, nor how much of it is true. Overall well played. After all how many young adult books try to do much else then swooning and love triangles?
Sexual Content: Uh, some kissing. Mild sexual humor.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| The Hunger Games (1) Catching Fire (2) Mockingjay (3) | The Hunger Games (1) | The Hunger Games (1) |
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