Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Trilogy #3

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.

In this book, Katniss finds herself yet again as a pawn for someone else. District 13 wants to manipulate and use her to fuel the rebellion. Katniss has had about all that she can stand, but she knows a pawn is only as good as its usefulness. When she sets out to be the Mockingjay, she does it because she feels it is right, but as things go on, she starts to question everyone's motives. District 13 is nothing like she expected and their strict regime and rules are extremely oppressing. Is it really worth it to fight the capital to only pass the chains of bondage to another "master?"


It seems the previous events have finally caught up and we see a much more fragile version of Katniss in this book. When I first read it, I was slightly annoyed at the change in character, but now looking back I can only see it as realistic. The horrors she lived through are not something that you forget easily. They change you, shape you, and eventually break you. Many times Katniss did snap under the pressure, but somehow she still hung on by a thread to her sanity. 


I was glad to see more of Gale in this book, as I didn't feel a strong connection to him. By the way Katniss described him, he was always strong and rebellious. However, in this book, after seeing District 12 burn before his eyes, his anger becomes a wildfire. He turns into a calculating, detached soldier, who has lost most of his compassion. He truly believes in the phrase "All's fair in love and war."  Even Katniss who is a very calculating rather than emotional person doesn't have the ability to kill mindlessly.

There rarely is a happy ever after when it comes to war, and this book is no exception. I am glad I waited a few days to review this, my review would have been much different if I hadn't. When I first finished the book, all I felt was despair and anger for the shambles the characters were left in. Now, looking back, everything fits, it all has its purpose. War is not pretty, it is not kind, and it spares no one. Even the ones who survive will be irrevocably altered. 


I recommend this book, just don't read it expecting a happy ending. It really shows the gritty horrors of war and the knowledge of no matter the outcome, nothing will ever be the same. I would suggest reading the book and then waiting a day or two before making any opinions on it. You will probably find your feelings will change after the despair settles. It definitely did not take the direction I was expecting, but that does not in anyway diminish it. I have a feeling these books will be talked about for years to come.

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Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)