mother knows best's Reviews > Mockingjay
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
by
by

** spoiler alert **
SPOILERS!!!
****
Ugh. I was just thankful that I decided to be grown-up and not wait until midnight to get this book and then stay up all night reading it. I kindled it early this morning and ignored my kids for 4 hours and got through it. This book makes you realize how much the storyline in the first two depended upon the tension created by the love triangle. In Mockingjay, the author robs her readers of what they (I) crave! By the end, everything is so messed up that Peeta vs. Gale became "OH snap. Who even cares anymore?" I couldn't help but be disappointed--it was so violent, everyone dies (I CANNOT forgive Collins for taking away both Finnick and Prim!!) and even though there is a nicely packaged epilogue, I wanted more...EXPECTED more out of this final installment. I have to chalk this work up to "Twilight Syndrome"...gifted authors with an original page-turning first book, followed by hurried, increasingly poorly written and thought-out sequels.
Bottom line: You have to read it, but don't spend money on it- wait and borrow it from your friend. And then fondly recall the excellence of the first book.
****
Ugh. I was just thankful that I decided to be grown-up and not wait until midnight to get this book and then stay up all night reading it. I kindled it early this morning and ignored my kids for 4 hours and got through it. This book makes you realize how much the storyline in the first two depended upon the tension created by the love triangle. In Mockingjay, the author robs her readers of what they (I) crave! By the end, everything is so messed up that Peeta vs. Gale became "OH snap. Who even cares anymore?" I couldn't help but be disappointed--it was so violent, everyone dies (I CANNOT forgive Collins for taking away both Finnick and Prim!!) and even though there is a nicely packaged epilogue, I wanted more...EXPECTED more out of this final installment. I have to chalk this work up to "Twilight Syndrome"...gifted authors with an original page-turning first book, followed by hurried, increasingly poorly written and thought-out sequels.
Bottom line: You have to read it, but don't spend money on it- wait and borrow it from your friend. And then fondly recall the excellence of the first book.
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August 24, 2010
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Lori
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Aug 25, 2010 07:34AM

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Wow...obviously you missed the entire message of this book.


I love goodreads- this is so much fun to have book club discussions with strangers in the middle of my day! And Collins does deserve much acclaim for her excellent and original ideas. Lissette, glad this was a satisfying conclusion to the series for you.
I completely disagree with you. I think you wanted romance and happily ever after. The book is not romance. It's about war. I think the first two books did not express the cruelty that Panem represents. Mockingjay was an amazing young adult book (an amazing book period actually). It was a book about revolution and death. There can be no neatly wrapped happy ending. I applaud Suzanne Collins for knowing that the story is more important than reception.

However, I was so conflicted because, like you I was disappointed in how she ended it. I also agree that the ending felt so rushed and I didn't see the point of some things in the book. But mostly, I wanted Katniss and Gale to be together, but I saw she was steering the story to end with Peeta. Although I liked Katniss's explanation and it made total sense.

I think she does realize she is in love with Peeta. She is forced to realize this when he doesn't know he loves her. She has to help him remember and thereby makes an active decision (instead of the indifference she had through the other books).

I have such a hard time picturing this as a YA book. What age group is YA anyway? I have a hard time as a 30 year old "adult" handling the torture scenes and death.
So much carnage - Finnick and his Annie reunite - only to kill off Finnick. And why in the world of this book would Prim ever be allowed on the front freakin' lines? They didn't even want Katniss on the front lines - why is her sister there?
I understand Collins created a brutal world - and that world at war would be even worse on the body count - therefore I can't truly point out that this or that person should have lived. But that doesn't keep me from being a little disgusted.

I think you missed the point of Prim. Coin put Prim on the front lines to die because she knew that would incapacitate Katniss, and she needed Katniss out of the way to consolidate power.
This book was never about the love triangle, but If you understood Gale, then it was clear that Katniss could never be with him. He designed the trap that killed the people in the Nut and the bombs that killed Prim. He was a rebel devoted to the cause and Katniss could never be with someone that cold hearted. She had to be with Peeta because he offered her something she's never had: comfort and protection.
It's cool if people don't like it though, but the focus of the story was never the love triangle.


I also think Katniss took her time in coming to terms with her love for Peeta and her relationship with Gale falling apart. Throughout the book, you see her clutching the pearl, and although she doesn't confront Peeta directly right away, I think her actions spoke the loudest. Meanwhile, she and Gale seemed on edge the whole time. I thought it made sense (and I don't think the love story was the central plot - more of a subplot.)
That being said, I totally respect your opinion, and I'm sorry that you were disappointed in the book. I'm just planning on writing a spoiler-free review so I wanted to comment on someone else's review.

I think your comment is spot on Shaun. The romance is a nice addition to the story. Collins probably knows that romance will drive readership. But this book was about power, justice, and compassion. The characters were wonderful; their decisions and actions consistent throughout the book. I can't see why people who read the first two books wouldn't love this one.

I think your comment is spot on Shaun. The romance is a nice addition to the story...."
I honestly think it's hard to love book three because it holds a mirror up to all the worst parts of ourselves. Because there's no real happy ending, there's no catharsis. For three books, we've had it shoved in our faces that humans are brutal, cruel, petty, and mean. A happy ending would mean letting ourselves off the hook. It would mean we could tell ourselves that it all works out in the end. But sadly, it doesn't all work out in the end for Katniss the same way it doesn't all work out in the end in real life. And I think that's why some people are bummed out. I felt like the ending was realistic and true and perfect. But it's also a tough pill to swallow. You walk away with only the seeds of hope but with no real redemption. No one is absolved of their sins in the book and that makes it tougher for readers to absolve themselves of their own sins. Collins' message is tough. Humans are a stupid, ridiculous species that probably doesn't deserve to live but her hope, and our hope, is that we learn our lessons before we obliterate ourselves.


Lol. You're so sad. Truly, truly sad.


Yeah. I was expecting the group to actually reach Snow. Kill him? Maybe not. But reach him, yes definately. When that didn't happen, it felt like all those deaths in the group were in vain.



Lol. You're so sad. Truly, truly sad."
And the message is ????? (Don't write a stipid book)

Um, did you read the first and second books? I didn't care about Gale vs. Peeta vs. Katniss, but Catching Fire was hideous precisely because of its focus on the love triangle. C'mon.

I think the outcome was consistent with the characters she'd created though.

I didn't mind that the love triangle had virtually disappeared (we expected that when Peeta was taken hostage), but I was disappointed that Katniss did nothing significant through the whole book (except shoot Coin).
I do think it was well written and believable, so I gave it a 3.

I think your comment is spot on Shaun. The romance is a nice ad..."
That's what I'm talking about!

I came to respect Suzanne Collins more because of Mockingjay. She wasn't afraid to stay true to life and to herself even if it meant that a lot of her fans would be disappointed. To be honest, I think I would've liked the book less if Finnick and the other didn't die and not because I hate them. I actually adore Finnick, Prim and Boggs. They’re deaths weren’t in vain as it seems because it sends the audience a deeper message. Prim's and Bogg's death represented the thousands of innocent lives that are taken in war. While Finnick's symbolized any soldier at the same time father/husband that never made it back home to their family. It's heartbreaking but realistic. That's what Suzanne wanted to go for. So that the readers/ the next generation may realize that war does not do any good and thus preventing it from happening. THAT IS ONE OF THE MANY MESSAGES. The love triangle was nicely played out for me. I disagree that she chose Peeta just because he was the only one left. From the very beginning, it was shown that Katniss indeed needs Peeta. She broke down every so often because of him; she missed him, she needed him because no one else seemed to understand her. Not even Gale and that's why they argued a lot. You could see them drifting apart. Prim's death only made it more final. I mean I would be unforgiving too if the person right in front of me planned the trap that killed your sister. We all know Katniss loved Prim very much. Katniss isn’t perfect nor is she the heroine type that always does the right thing like forgiving someone. She is just like us who has flaws and grudges. Peeta's hijacking coincided with the theme of the story- In a war, no one is left undamaged even the kindest people. I never thought it was possible but I loved Peeta even more when he was hijacked because even though he was hijacked he managed to fight it and regain himself. Even if he didn’t trust Katniss, he still saved her from killing herself. That makes him strong. Broken pieces can still be made whole but there will be cracks in it that can never disappear. That's true to Peeta and Katniss- two broken people. I admit the ending seemed rushed to me too but I think that's because healing takes time. If she were to write their rehabilitation time, the book would probably be a thousand pages more. Also, I think she didn't write it in detail because our imaginations are supposed to fill the gaps left. In short, this isn't a book meant for fairytale endings and I loved it. It’s a pity you didn’t like it but I respect your opinion as I hope you will respect my opinions too.
Oh I forgot, Katniss was clearly depressed about the deaths of the members of her squad as she took the time to mention them. She simply didn't have the time to mourn for them because the living needs her to be sane. It also possible that she had no more tears to shed because of all the things she lost. Finnick's death was sudden but that's just how it is when in battle. Not everyone's death is epic. They had a mission to complete under pressure/stress. :)


I really loved Cinna, but he never was fleshed out, and for that I'm pretty mad. Same with the Avox girl, Bonnie and whoever her friend was, and about a jillion other minor characters...
Mockingjay was just so disappointing.

Funnily enough, I think the last book was even more about romance than the first two. I wanted to see Katniss get up on her hind legs and fight back. I wanted MORE war in the last book. Instead, Katniss becomes a pathetic mess who doesn't do anything to protect her people.








NOOOOOOOOOOOO SHE KILLED FINNICK HOW COULD SHE! For me, waiting for Finnick to have a happy endinfg with Annie was close to the sole point of reading Mockingjay. I do agree with the symbolism someone pointed out, about Finnick being the metaphorical husband, never to return to his new wife and kids et cetera, but honestly I could have strangled Suzanne Collins.