Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (#3 in Hunger Games trilogy)

Rating: 4/5; Really liked it, but it was only slightly bette than an "okay" read. Would re-read, but I had many issues with it.

Release Date: August 24, 2010

Series: Yes it is (as pretty much everyone knows). #3 in The Hunger Games Trilogy.

Synopsis:
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. 

Thoughts:
I liked and hated this book (no wonder it took forever to get my thoughts about it straight). No matter what, I just can't say I loved the ending to this great and violent (what do you expect, fluffy kittens?) dystopian trilogy. I felt that Collins ended up with a tragic case of bad-ending-to-a-trilogy syndrome with this book. Over and over again I was disappointed. I hated how the book began (so darn slowly and boring it was!) and how it ended. The readers are left with so many unanswered questions that begin to pile up since book one while twists and turns add to the pile. The readers of course expect resolutions, but so many of those were handled very badly. Some of those was how Katniss was to deal with this world she was thrust onto and how she would choose between Gale and Peeta (we are all suckers for a love triangle aren't we?). Unfortunately, Katniss and many of the characters we have come to know and love end up being very bland in this book. I remember flipping pages like crazy for The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but for Mockingjay, it just wasn't the same. Many a time, I had to take a break from the book. That feeling and excitement was not there like it was before. It mainly has to do with the fact that Katniss is mostly dealing with the depressing aftermath of a world that needs to be put back together (plus all the other gruesome events she experiences), but Collins could still have done so much better. She obviously has it in her. To her credit, it must be extremely difficult to live up to expectations after creating the first two books in this series. They were after all so very good.
The only reason I would recommend this book is because one needs closure. I did enjoy quite a bit of it, which helps make this a worthwhile read. I would have preferred to check this out of the library had I known what I was getting into though.

Blow off steam (highlight to view but beware of SPOILERS):
I HATED how Katniss didn't end up with Gale! He was my favorite. I liked Peeta just fine, but it seemed like Katniss was more attracted to Gale and then I ended up liking his character so much so of course I wanted him to be with her. I suppose I'm not too upset that she ended up with Peeta, but what really pisses me off is how Gale was removed. Seriously Collins? Seriously?! Psh. Lame. 


Farewell for the moment.
~~Lisette~~