Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins
Young Adult Fantasy
Hunger Games trilogy/Book 3
Scholastic Press/August 2010
Purchased

*Spoilers for Books 1 & 2*

From the inside cover ~

MY NAME IS KATNISS EVERDEEN.
WHY AM I NOT DEAD?
I SHOULD BE DEAD.

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 over throw the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans - 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.

Mockingjay is not a book for the faint of heart. It's very graphic in it's description of the tortures and deaths. But war is bloody, it is gruesome. Do I think Mockingjay is too graphic? At times, yes. Is it any more graphic than The Hunger Games or Catching Fire? No. But it's graphic in a different, more disturbing way. In the first two books, the majority of violence - most is against children, is done for survival. In Mockingjay, the violence, again much done against children, is not always done for survival but for intimidation, demonstration of power, information and revenge. And sometimes simply - Because. They. Can.

Dark, bleak with little happiness or humor. I kept thinking we would get that euphoric moment, that sweet smell of victory but it never came. Everything kept getting darker and darker until you can't see any light at the end. It's been snuffed out.

Towards the end, the color seemed to leach out of the story. It's as if Katniss' weariness was showing to the point that routine had taken over, her fire was gone, extinguished. To come so far and have it all just fade away. The epilogue was like a fairy tale ending tacked on to a war story. The two didn't fit. There was no sense of victory for Katniss. She had lost so much, any victory she had seemed hollow. The epilogue was, I believe, there to give hope but it felt a little too shaped to fit a neat a tidy ending. All the strings tied in bows but those bows seemed to have the shine worn off them, drooping a little.

I enjoyed parts of Mockingjay, but compared to The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the enjoyment was less. Do I think it fair to compare the three? Of course. They are all parts of the whole and while the writing was emotional and well done the impact of Mockingjay was easier to shake off than that of The Hunger Games and to a lesser extent, Catching Fire. There are scenes in Mockingjay that do stay with me. Violent scenes. Emotional scenes. But very few uplifting scenes. There were some interactions between Katniss and a few of the characters that had me smiling but they were fleeting and few.

Wow - it sounds like I didn't like it at all, which isn't true. I did like seeing the characters I had come to know and care about. I did like, and still do like, Collins' writing. She has a very evocative way of painting a scene, of giving voice to emotions. I liked learning more about the politics of the world Collins has created. I do think my enjoyment of the story would have been less had I not already come to care about these characters. The main problem, and why this wasn't an A read for me was the diminishing lack of hope. And the expectations I had for this final book of the trilogy - oh, boy, those reader expectation can really bite us in the ass can't they? I was hoping/expecting something more along the lines of the ending of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King or Star Wars. That feeling of triumph and hope. Big and out there for the world to see. Instead, Mockingjay was far more subdued and went out with a feeling of quiet solitude.

Rating: B

My Reviews ~
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire

Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
Young Adult/Futuristic
Hunger Games/Book 2
Scholastic Press/September 2009
Purchased

*Spoilers for Book 1*

From the inside cover ~

SPARKS ARE IGNITING.
FLAMES ARE SPREADING.
AND THE CAPITOL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their lvoe for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I bought this shortly after it's release and only read it right before Mockingjay, the final book's release. Part of the reason I held off reading Catching Fire was because of hearing of the cliffhanger ending and the fact that I have a ton of books on the tbr pile. And there's the anticipation/expectation factor. Anticipating what will happen next - it's exciting not knowing. And expectations for the next step in the story arc. Will it go the way I want it to go or will the author take another route? The Hunger Games totally blew me away so I may have been hoping but not expecting Catching Fire to do the same. It's similar in that there is still a threat hanging over Katniss, even with winning the Games. She's wealthy now with a new home and plenty of food for her sister and mother. It seems like things are great but there's a darkness stalking Katniss and it's about to show itself.

The Games are over and Katniss is back in District 12. She's in familiarly territory with her family and friends. The problem is that she doesn't know what to do with herself. She suspects President Snow isn't done with her. He blames her for the troubles he's currently suffering and wants to pass on that suffering to Katniss. You can feel the tension in Katniss, she's waiting for the ax to fall, waiting for Snow's next move. She's also getting ready for the Victory Tour and she's dreading it. I don't think Katniss would have felt so alone if she had either Gale or Peeta by her side but they've both deserted her. You can't help but feel sorry for Katniss and how everything has turned out for her. Which is odd because it could have all turned out so much worse. She and Peeta are both alive but the changes that have happened and those still to come will prove to be just as arduous as the Games themselves.

The whole Victory Tour was hard to read. Katniss and Peeta had to practically relive the deaths of the other Games participants. Every stop on the tour meant the possibility of seeing the family and friends of a dead tribute. If you've read The Hunger Games then it comes as no surprise that the stop at District 11, Rue's district, is an emotional one. Katniss had grown so close to Rue during the games that seeing Rue's family was hard on her. ~

As usual, a special platform has been constructed at the bottom of the stage for the families of the dead tributes. . .


~ On Rue's. . . I'm not prepared for Rue's family. Her parents, whose faces are still fresh with sorrow. Her five younger siblings, who resemble her so closely. The slight builds, the luminous brown eyes. They form a flock of small dark birds. page 58

Peeta uses his gift of words and tries to ease the sorrow of the families from District 11. It is Katniss who speaks from her heart, as is her habit, stumbling a bit but giving the families of Rue and Thresh something that only she can give. The way Collins writes Katniss' thoughts and dialogue, feels like it comes from Katniss' very soul. The thoughts and feelings of a young women who was thrown into situations that no amount of training could prepare her for.

The rebellion continues to heat up and President Snow has devised a way to show the rebels that the Capitol is where the power is and will not sit by and do nothing. There will be consequences for anyone who defies the Capitol and that puts Katniss and Peeta front and center. It is a dark, sinister and violent world that Collins has created but there does exist traces of hope among the violence and death. We saw it in The Hunger Games and again in Catching Fire. The hope isn't always easy to find and Katniss has her moments of doubt and despair but she does go on. I think sometimes, if you want a meaning or message in these books, that could be one of them. Finding the will to go on when others have given up or when you so desperately want to give up yourself. It's one of the main reasons I love the character of Katniss. She been through hell and she's not done but she continues on. Her years of taking care of her mother and sister have given her that will to go on and not give up.

While I didn't like Catching Fire quite as much as The Hunger Games, it is certainly a worthy addition to the trilogy. It shows the aftermath of what happens when you survive the games, making an enemy of the powerful Capitol in the process. We see how Katniss and Peeta deal with their fame and fortune as well as their guilt and sorrow. I do think this is a trilogy best for the older teens. It is violent and shocking at times and explores some very serious subjects. Collins is a gifted writer who brings out the emotions in her characters, making it an intensely emotional read.

Rating: A-

The Hunger Games (review)

Cover Love ~ Mockingjay

Scholastic has released the cover for the third book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. I loved the first book, The Hunger Games, have book 2 Catching Fire in the tbr pile and it looks like I've got until August 24 to read it before Mockingjay comes out. Scholastic is keeping a lid on what will happen in Mockingjay. No synopsis yet. You can go here to see what they have to say about what you won't find in Mockingjay.

The cover looks pale in comparison to the first two but I think it's one of those that will look much better in person. Go here if you want to read my review of The Hunger Games. Per the little blurb on USA Today, Suzanne Collins is finishing her screenplay for The Hunger Games. I think it would/could make a great movie. What do you think?

Numbers and Favorites of 2009...

2009 marks the first year that I actually kept track of what I read. I used a simple Excel spreadsheet, keeping track of basic information. I plan to do the same thing for 2010 with maybe a few more columns of information - like date reviewed and grade. I'm still playing around with it but it's getting there.

Total books read- (includes ebooks and audio books): 156

Out of those 156 there were 5 ebooks (I think I missed a few and this is higher) and 33 audio books. Which leaves 118 print books. What surprised me are the number of audio books. I did get a new mp3 player for a birthday present last month and it is wonderful! I download the books from the library website and then upload to the mp3 player all in under 5 minutes. It's so much better than lugging the CD's around. And I can do it all from home!

My favorites of 2009:

Since I didn't review every book I read I decided to use the spreadsheet. As it turns out, I reviewed all but one on the list. I went through and selected my 10 favorite reads of the year. Why 10? I had to stop somewhere and 10 is a nice round number. Most do a top 10 list so I figured why not me? I decided not to include re-reads since many of those are keepers and would have probably taken up half the list. :)

When choosing, I picked the books that stood out and left the most vivid memories. Not all are A+ books but they all left an impact on me.

Stranger/ Megan Hart

Moon Called/Patricia Briggs

Magic Strikes/Ilona Andrews

Gabriel's Ghost/Linnea Sinclair*

Deathwish/Rob Thurman

Dream a Little Dream/Susan Elizabeth Phillips

A Reason to Live/Maureen McKade

The Hunger Games/Suzanne Collins

How I Live Now/Meg Rosoff

Joe’s Wife/Cheryl St. John

Special Mention ~ Promises in Death/J. D. Robb (audio) - this book was such an emotional read(listen) for me. It's definitely one of my favorites in the series.

*I don't know why I didn't review Gabriel's Ghost. I do remember reading it and getting sucked into the amazing world that Sinclair created. If you haven't read it, you're missing a wonderful story.

And that's it for 2009. Here's to some great reads for 2010!

Review: The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult/Futuristic
Series: Hunger Games Trilogy/Book 1
Published: October 2008

*Very Minor Spoiler*

From the inside cover flap ~

COULD YOU SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERYONE FIGHTING AGAINST YOU?

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

If you haven't read The Hunger Games you really need to, it's that good! Yes, this is young adult for grades 6 and up per Scholastic's website. It's a story for anyone who simply wants to read an amazing tale of loss and hope, fear and courage. Of friendship and family. Collins doesn't pull any punches with the reality of life in District 12 nor does she take the easy way out when describing the deaths that occur in the Hunger Games. They don't all occur off the page but the reader gets up close and personal with what these kids go through and die for. It's not always an easy book to read but it was always a compelling story that grabs hold doesn't let go even after the games are over.

Katniss Everdeen is the head of her household. Her mother has taken a long time recovering from the death of her husband in a mining accident and has left most of the responsibilities to Katniss. Katniss still misses her father terribly and keeps his advice and wisdom in her heart and mind to help her through the tough times. She also has a younger sister Prim, who is 12 years old which makes this the first year that she is eligible for the games. Prim is sweet, kind and gentle and you can't help but feel protective of her. Besides her mother and sister, Gale, a local boy, is the other person Katniss cares about and is close to.

Gale is a good friend of Katniss and someone she trusts. They both have huge responsibilities when it comes to their families. Gale is 18 years old and the oldest child in his family. His father is also deceased, leaving Gale to provide for his mother and three younger siblings. To provide for their families Gale and Katniss hunt in the woods beyond District 12. To access the woods they must get past the fence that blocks off the woods from District 12. If they are caught, they will be punished but it's a chance they must take to keep their families fed.

I liked what we saw of Gale. His feeling for Katniss were genuine, caring for her as a person, not because it was easier to hunt with her help but because he truly cared for her. He also agrees to watch over Prim when Katniss must leave and she knows he'll be there waiting for her if she returns. There wasn't too much of Gale but he was with Katniss in her thoughts during the game. She doesn't have many people in her life she cares about but Gale is one of them.

The boy chosen from District 12 for the games is someone that Katniss only knows from school. She has never talked to him but has seen him in the district. Peeta is the baker's son and is something of an enigma. Katniss isn't sure if he's looking out only for himself or if he would be willing to help her during the games. Ulitmately there is only one winner but alliances are formed in the beginning if only to reduce the ranks of the players. What can I say about Peeta without giving too much away? He's an interesting character that never once left me bored. He kept me engaged in the story and curious as to his feelings towards Katniss. :)

When Katniss is taken to Capitol for the games it's like another world from where she came from. The setting is the United States but completely different than what we know. Katniss is from the area we know as the Appalachians, part of the U.S. where coal mining is the main source of employment. She comes from one of the poorest districts and has never seen the splendor that is Capitol. Capitol is in the Rocky Mountains and maintains it's isolation from the rest of the country by using those mountains as a physical barrier between it and the twelve districts.

The Capitol is a place of beauty and plenty. Where people have the best of everything and never worry about going hungry. Many of the things that are commonplace in the Capitol are things that Katniss has never seen or experienced. And the people she meets are just as different as the city they live in. The games are the biggest entertainment event of the year and the enthusiasm the people show for the games is both overwhelming and offensive. Knowing that only one child out of 24 will live through the games while cheering on their favorites is sickening to me. But there are things going on behind the scenes that we only get a sense of. The rulers of this new America rule through fear and punishment. They don't allow for even the hint of rebellion. The people of the districts are afraid to speak out against anything that the Capitol and it's rulers do for fear of severe reprimand.

As a heroine Katniss is one of my absolute favorites. She's a survivor in a world were many barely exist. She has such determination that she infuses that determination into those around her. Her love for her mother and little sister is only part of her strength. Her loyalty and kindness make themselves known even in the most dire of circumstances. What she is able to do during the games only strengthened my feelings for her. The games did not break her but they did push her into doing things she didn't think she was capable of.

The games are meant to test the participants, to push them beyond their limits and show their true selves. I think the ultimate purpose of these games is to show the power of the Capitol to the districts. The fact that the districts have no choice as to whether they participate and they have no choice but must watch the games as they are played and their children die. The games are made to maximize the drama and to shock the audience. Katniss is aware of this and hates the fact that she has to fight and kill to live. She doesn't want to get to know the other kids, knowing that some will most likely die before her and some she might have to kill. But her inherit goodness can not be suppressed.

There were scenes, most especially during the games, that left me in tears. Fearing for these children and knowing that they will most likely die was very emotional and difficult to stop reading. I wanted to find out what happens but at the same time I was afraid to find out who it happens to. Like I said before, The Hunger Games isn't always an easy read but it is a very good read. Obviously it's not a lite, day at the beach read but an edge of your seat, emotional read.

The Hunger Games is one of the best novels I've read in a very long time (and I've had some very good reads lately). The emotions that Katniss, Peeta and all the other characters evoked in me ran the gamut from sadness, horror, frustration, hope, despair, anger and love. I was left with a need to get to know these kids, these fascinating people, better.

Information on author Suzanne Collins can be found at her website. Scholastic also has a bunch of info on The Hunger Games and the second novel in the trilogy, Catching Fire. Included on Scholastic's site are those "look inside the book" features which I find interesting. Warning - there is music on the Catching Fire page and if you're like me you find that annoying so consider yourself warned. :)

Rating: A+