Mockingjay- By Suzzane Collins

BACK COVER

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 plains - 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

REVIEW

Can I start by writing I DIDN'T love this book? I have mixed feelings about it. It was... Disappointing. The end left me wanting more, but not in a good way.

I warn you, there will be spoilers, so you can't say I didn't tell you.

At the end of the book, there's a epilogue and honestly, when I want a book, I see if there's an epilogue. I think it says a lot about a book. This one did not. The end was so abrupt, and said nothing about the book. Katniss is definitely one of my favorite main characters because she cares about her family so much, but she's also this strong, awesome fighter. One of the other main characteristics I like about her is she's really, hmm, how to say this. Um, i guess she isn't really friendly. She doesn't trust, because of all she's been through, and she is okay being alone. The epilogue is that Katniss and Peeta get married and have kids. To just end the series like that, it's like, what? Katniss just gets married? Just like that? What about Gale? Oh yeah, he just moves away. That's it? Everyone has a happy ending? So I thought about it, read some other reviews. I also read some books people write about the Hunger Games. Some good titles are just, the Hunger Games, if you search that on chapters you'll get a few, as well as the Girl Who Was On Fire, where famous authors write what they think.

Anyway, I did some thinking (don't look so surprised) and I realized, sometimes, after all that's happened, after all that happens to Katniss, sometimes you just want a happy ending. you just want to read that the character is happy. I, for one, am a stickler for happy endings. And I admit, I watch the barbie movies with my sister. ( By the way, Barbie and a Mermaid Tale 2 is NOT as good as the first movie). I like to have the end settled, and to know what's going to happen in the fictional future. So, sure, the epilogue sucked, but maybe Suzanne Collins wants to say, even in this horrible future events there is some hope and happy endings.

So now I was all philosophical (yeah, I've read the dictionary), and now it's time for more of my complaints. When I read books, I like some romance. My favorite is a character like Katniss. I like watching the strong, awesome fighter, slowly fall in love. Another reason Katniss rocks is because she didn't get swept off her feet by a strong, handsome hero who saves the day, then she spends the rest of the book obsessing over him. ( yeah, I'm talking to you, BELLA). If Gale or Peeta tried that, she'd probably beat them up. And she did get her soft moments. But she never really admitted her feelings. Seriously, Peeta can't be the only one announcing his undying love all the time. THAT, would have this book perfect.

Moving on to the death of Prim. When I read that, my jaw might have hit the floor. I had to read it again, to be sure that's what it said. The Hunger Games are different than other YA (Young Adult) books, in the sense that they have no magic or sparkly immortals. It's set in real life, in the future. There's nothing in these books that couldn't happen. Suzanne Collins uses a lot of violence, but not too much. Suzanne Collins isn't afraid to kill of characters, or torture them. But when she killed Prim, that seemed like TOO much. It was unnecessary. The reason Katniss entered the games in the first place was because of Prim, she was always doing it for her family. Oh, look, your family's dead. Yay!

Last paragraph (maybe). The abduction of Peeta. This might have been my favorite part of the book. Peeta is awesome, of course, in books one and two. He loves Katniss, and he really wants to make a difference in the world. That's who he is. But in Mocking Jay, he's captured by the capital, tortured until he's convinced Katniss is evil and must be killed. He's not gentle, he kills more people, and says some things to Katniss I didn't think he could say. He makes Katniss reconsider her life. I was all ready, sure Peeta was going to get hit by a piano or something and become back to normal. But there were no pianos, no bricks, dynamite, nothing. He never goes back to normal. Instead, he learns to love Katniss again, but differently. He really sees her, and stops trying to protect her. He sees her faults, but he still sees the good in her. And THAT, in my opinion, is why he is the best in mocking jay. He becomes more real, he has a couple breakdowns, he gets really confused, but he works through it, and slowly gets better.

That's all I have to say about Mocking Jay. Defiantly a recommended read, a great end to a great series.