Julie's Review: 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. ~powells.com  

Review: While I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of the ending Mockingjay , that's not really the true focus of the novel. For me it was more of Katniss' fight within herself and the fight with the Capital. Not only that but she was trying to figure out her role with the Rebels. It is in the beginning of the book where I wanted to smack Katniss because she just couldn't see things for what they were. She couldn't see that she did have a role to play but that she was also being used. This is when I remind myself that she's still 16/17 because it is easy to forget at times. I loved the young woman that Katniss turned into. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have made it through the series. She is a wonderful heroine for young women to read about, she's complex, caring and sometimes naive.

 I loved that Peeta changed. That isn't to say that I grew to like him, but it does mean that I respected his struggle more than previously. I always appreciate when a character grows and has some kind of change. I loved the build up to the final confrontation between Katniss and President Snow. It is what Katniss has been waiting for, it is her time to exact revenge for all her pain and suffering. I loved seeing Gale and Katniss grow closer and just in their trust of each other. For me, I feel that Gale knows her best. I loved seeing Prim blossom into a bright, young woman. I enjoyed seeing Finnick become part of the inner circle. Haymitch is who he is and even though he changes for a brief period of time, he's seen too much in life to be able to take it sober.

Ms. Collins does an excellent job of creating Panem but she also does an excellent job destroying and repairing it. She shows the good side and bad side of humanity. She portrays both Coin and Snow as the power hungry people they are. It is not easy to look at the dark side of humanity but Katniss and her crew remind us that even in the dark there is light. 

Overall Mockingjay was the perfect end to a series that I definitely enjoyed. I wouldn't necessarily classify this as YA either. I think it starts off that way but the themes and subject matter that wind through it are not light or for the younger age groups.

Final Take: 4.75/5

Alice's Review

 Google+