Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: August 24, 2010
Genre: young adult
Hardcover: 390 pages
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis (from GoodReads): 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 plains--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.
My Thoughts: I had pretty high expectations for this book. I felt like the second book was better than the first book, so I was expecting the third book to be even better. Unfortunately, I was left feeling disappointed and wanting so much more once I had finished the novel. For me, I felt as if Suzanne Collin's was just holding back. All of these action scenes in the book just felt mundane, as if they weren't really action scenes at all. I constantly felt like Collins was on the verge of writing a great scene, but held herself back. Another issue for me was Katniss. She was like a brain-dead zombie in the book. She complained the whole time about the rebellion. She may not have realized the part that she played in starting the revolution, but she is a part of it, and she just seemed to complain the entire time about what was going on. I just wanted to slap her and scream, "Pull yourself together!"
I also hated how Katniss was continually going back and forth between Gale and Peeta. In real life, if someone isn't sure, they typically tell everyone back and give them some time and space. Not Katniss. I understand that Collins used these two to help with the story, but it was just awful how she treated both of those boys. I also hated the ending. Katniss shoots Snow. She is locked in a tower for awhile, then gets to go home to District 12. There was no explanation of what was happening at this supposed trial! Definitely frustrating to read about.
I did like how the epilogue. I felt like Collins wrapped everything up without being too cheesey or overly sentimental. For me, this was my least favorite book in the series and a huge let down. What did you think of this one? I would love to hear other people's opinions on this one!
Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: September 1, 2009
Genre: young adult
Hardcover: 391 pages
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis (from GoodReads): Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
My Thoughts: Picking up right where The Hunger Games left off, Suzanne Collins pulls you deeper into the world of Panem with the second novel in this trilogy. After a brief recap, you are back in Katniss's world of District 12, but everything has changed now. Not only has she won the games, but she has changed as a character. Collins makes you aware of this from the beginning, that there is something changing with in Katniss, that she is grappling with something that she might not ever be able to come to terms with. I loved that Collins lets this build throughout the novel, this angst that Katniss is dealing with.
I also loved that Collins keeps you guessing throughout the entire novel. Just when I think I know what will happen next, she throws a curveball and surprises you. The suspense continues to build and you are wondering, "What is going to happen next?!?" For me, this is a mark of a great action novel. You have no clue what's going to happen next, how Katniss will handle this, how Peeta will react, what Haymitch will do. I also liked that Haymitch was featured more prominently in this novel. Although Katniss doesn't always follow his advice, the reader is able to learn more about him and how he became a victor.
The other great thing about this book? The ending! Seriously, such a cliffhanger! I was just lucky that I was able to get both books from the library at the same time or I would have been a very unhappy reader! As I said in my last review, I don't read young adult novels, but this trilogy is something worth taking a look at. If you have wondered whether to read it or not, just give it a chance!
The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: October 31, 2008
Genre: young adult
Hardcover: 374 pages
Source: personal copy
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis (from GoodReads): Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.
My Thoughts: If you have been following my blog for awhile now, you should know that I don't do young adult. I find it to be a pretty easy read and something that just isn't relevent to me. But I got swept up in all the hype. With The Hunger Games moving coming out, I just had to see the movie, but I never see a movie without reading the book first. So, I picked up the first book in this trilogy and expected to be wowed. I wasn't wowed, but I was intrigued enough to decide that I wanted to continue reading the trilogy.
I won't discuss the plot, so if you haven't read it and want to, I won't ruin anything for you. For me, I felt like that was a good story but didn't have the pull that I was expecting from such a hyped up book. I didn't feel that pull that I did from Harry Potter, where I didn't want to put the book down or go to sleep. I felt fine closing the book and going to do things. It was interesting to read about, this fight to the death among children, and scary to think about the power that a government can exert over it's citizens. I thought that the themes carried throughout the book, those of absolute power, omnipotence, loyalty, Suzanne Collins carries the themes throughout the story. I felt like those points would make it a great book for kids to read in school (and I'm not an English teacher). The only downside of this novel for me was that it was written for young adults, so the writing felt a bit simple at times.
I am continuing with the series and hope that it gets better with each book. If you haven't read this series but have been curious about it, I would encourage you to give it a try.
