Alice's Reviews: Mockingjay

Summary: 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. ~amazon.com

Review: I can’t find the words to express how sad I am this series has come to an end. Yes, I loved it. Yes, I believe Mockingjay was best in the series. Yes, Suzanne Collins wrote a brilliant trilogy. And Mockingjay is the very best kind of novel.

There are many things I can gush about. I loved Katniss in this installment. Although she remained true to character, in Mockingjay Katniss blossomed into a wonderfully complex woman. Suzanne Collins did a brilliant job of showing her vulnerability, which is such a stark contrast to the strong fearless leader we have seen in the Hunger Games stadium.

I love Peeta’s dark side. I love how steadfast and faithful Haymitch remains to Katniss. I love that we finally spent some time getting to know Primrose. I’m happy Ms. Collins developed her as a real character. I felt that in the past she existed only for Katniss and not for the rest of us. I loved Prim. I loved that like Prim, we got to know Gale more. I have a new appreciation for him that I didn’t have before. In the first two novels, I couldn’t separate him from his desire for Katniss. Mockingjay was the first time I saw him as a man with his own plan.

Ms. Collins throws plot twists in with such ease, I never saw them coming. And the ending! Oh, I thoroughly enjoy how believable and realistic it was. I think that is what impressed me the most. For a dystopian society, I could see it happening exactly as written.

There isn’t much else I can say without ruining the entire novel. If you have read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Mockingjay is a must. And yes, you should read all three.

Final Take: 5/5