Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (#3)

**There may be some spoilers if you have not read the first two books in the Hunger Games series - The Hunger Games #1 (review) or Catching Fire #2 (review)**

So I finally read Mockingjay and finished off The Hunger Games series. I was off college ill yesterday so I literally sat in bed all day reading this, I was so hooked. Even by 6pm, I was still reading! I'm kind of sad it's all finished now. Because when I was reading, I literally had NO IDEA what would happen at the end and now I do know, I wish I could read the series all over again like the first time. And I wish I read it slower. Oh well. 

I finished it!

Synopsis: 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.

(From Goodreads.com)

Review: Oh my lord (sorry). OH MY GOSH. 

That was my reaction when I closed this book for the last time this morning. Out loud. To an empty house. 

Why such a reaction? THIS BOOK IS JUST...EPIC. That is literally the only word I can describe it as. Epic. So much happens. So much action. So much heartbreak. So much sadness and so many lovely things too. I felt so drained after reading this book, I felt so many things. Thank you, Suzanne Collins. Just, thank YOU. 

So this is probably going to be a fan girly rant. Let's go.

This is how my reading of this book went:

First I started like 'WHAAAT?'. I mean I've read Catching Fire but that was in April! Although I thought I remembered everything that happened in that book, I was totally wrong. At first I didn't know who all these people were etc. Then I re-read the end of Catching Fire AND IT ALL MADE SENSE. 
So Top Tip: re-read Catching Fire or read this soon after Catching Fire to understand what is happening. And also Catching Fire is the best one in the series. Everyone thinks so (okay, everyone being the 10 people that I have asked). 

A large part of the beginning is set in the underground world of District 13 and for some, they may find it a little boring as Katniss adjusts. Looking back now, this did seem to go on for a while but I liked learning about this different place. I mean, it's not exactly like we have read about this setting before. When we started the series, a reader wouldn't know it existed until Book 2. 
Then the action started and I was horrified, disgusted and waving a 'Go Katniss!' sign all at the same time. Readers by now will hate the Capitol, especially after Book 2. But by this point, I was with Katniss the whole way. Talk about empowerment of women...I still can't believe Katniss goes through all this and she's only 17!
So I'm feeling GO KATNISS and BOO SNOW. 
Then, Peeta comes and something so unusual, unexpected and just so surprising happens between Katniss and Peeta that I was just in a state of shock. I actually sat there for a few minutes thinking WHAT JUST HAPPENED. WHAT? WHEN? HOW? 
Nothing seems to be looking up, at all. And at this point, there's like 40% of the book left and I had no idea what to expect. Ever in a million years would I have been able to guess.

Then, this girl called Delly appears who was apparently mentioned in The Hunger Games. Don't remember that part...

Without going into too much detail (sorry for the extreme vagueness), a big event/mission happens that includes Katniss, Gale, Peeta, Finnick amongst others. Now. That was epic. Again, so many unexpected things, twists and turns that left me surprised, upset and relieved in so many ways. 
And then the ending. Well, for me there's kind of two endings. The first, EPIC ending where you're left in shock, surprise and dismay over what just happened. And then the calmer 'epilogue' ending, set 20 years later. In all honesty, the epilogue was disappointing, so disappointing after such a great book and series. The person Katniss chooses, well the 'other' is not mentioned at all. THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE SERIES SINCE BOOK 1 AND YOU DON'T EVEN MENTION THEM? I would have liked to know what the other major characters still alive were doing twenty years on. Were they okay? Did they move on? WHAT HAPPENED?
So yeah. Lovely ending. Just the bit right at the end was severely disappointing. It did feel like Suzanne Collins just wanted this book over, done. 

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So that's how the whole book went for me overall. It may make sense, it may not. That is literally my thoughts being put into a jumbled mess. 

I have to admit that this book was good. Very good. But I think Catching Fire is slightly better than this. This is an entirely different type of 'Games'. I just felt this book had its best moments in the middle of the book. 

I enjoyed Katniss again as a character. Although I agree with others that she does lose some of her spirit at the beginning of Mockingjay, she sure makes up for it as she realises how much impact she has in Panem. I liked that Gale was more prominent in this book compared to the other two, he came across as a character, before reading Mockingjay, that was kind of 'there' and only a main character because he was Katniss' friend. But in this book, he's more prominent and it was nice to see that. I like Peeta but I wanted some more Gale. 

There is a whole cast of characters featured in this book, which I think is going to be interesting to film for the movie. There are some in it from the beginning, some introduced in Catching Fire and some completely new. Although most of the time I wasn't confused by this host of characters, at the beginning of Mockingjay, I was a little bewildered by the names Katniss mentions, a Dale dropped in here, another name there. I was like 'Who are these people?!' Gladly, the characters you need to know are explained. 

Collins' writing was as engaging as ever and I was hooked most of the way. I was off college ill and I spent the whole day reading this book because I just NEEDED to know what happened in the end, and soon. And that's always great to have when you're feeling down. Collins' is the master of creating twists and turns throughout her novels that leave you so shocked by what just happened. It is a true skill that only some authors I think can do really really well. 

On the subject of the movie, I know this is being made into two films and I can certainly see why. I was a little sceptical when I first heard that but after reading this, there is just too much action and intensity to fit in one film - you would be exhausted after it finished. I think I know where they will finish the first movie but I'm so looking forward to see this come to life on the big screen!

This series is one of the best I have had the pleasure to read and I can't believe it took me SO long to read this series. It really is as good as everything says (and the movie is brilliant too!). For those that have made it through the first two books, definitely read this, for sure. It is a brilliant conclusion and I was not expecting half of what happened. At all. Go, read it!

I give it a 5 out of 5

The adaptation of The Hunger Games (Book 1) is out now. Catching Fire (Book 2) will be out in 2013 and the first instalment of Mockingjay will be out in 2014 with the last instalment being released in 2015. Oh my, so long!

Author's Website: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

Pages: 390

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Challenges: None

Related Posts:

Review: The Hunger Games

Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (#2)

If you haven't read The Hunger Games, then there might be a few spoilers in this review.

Actually, if you haven't read The Hunger Games DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW because there are major spoilers for the ending. 

Instead, click here for my review of the first book in the series!

Like the whole of this series, this review is long overdue. I got all the series at Christmas after reading the first book and finally understanding what my friends meant on how great this series is. 

I'm not one to follow the crowd when it comes to book to movie adaptations. Example: I've never read any of the Twilight books because I didn't want to and sure, I saw the movie, but a) vampires in books are NOT my thing and b) I was dragged kicking and screaming to see that movie by my Twilight-obsessed friends at the time. So, basically, there might be something very special for me to start to follow this series with the release of the trilogy of movies...

Synopsis: 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 long-time 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 love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

(From Goodreads.com)

Review: This series is quite something so far and it hasn't failed me yet. 

Sometimes books suffer from as one blogger I saw put it 'second-book-syndrome' where you have this AMAZING first book that wants you to read on and on from this author but then the second book? It's a bit of a let down. An example I found was The Luxe series. Rumours, the second book, was not as great as the first, The Luxe, or for me the third, Envy and a little disappointing but still really really good. 

Well, you don't have to worry about that for this book. In some ways, I was more hooked in this book because I was used to Suzanne Collins writing and knew what the series was like - this was just another instalment. I loved The Hunger Games for the action, the characters and the setting but for me, the beginning was quite slow to get into it, although once on the train to the Capitol, everything was fine. This, however, had me from the first sentence. I loved finding out about Victor's Village and life after The Hunger Games which of course, the readers know nothing about. I liked seeing Katniss, Prim and their mother adjusting to live there. To see the consequences for all the characters and the setting for District 12 winning. And finally, seeing the reaction from Katniss' actions at the end of the book with Peeta. I had all these things I wanted to find out more about and these were all catered for in this book.

Here, we had the things we recognise from the first book about District 12 such as Katniss hunting. However, with changes as a consequence of Katniss, it was interesting to see how this would happen or turn out like. There is suspense and mystery surrounding some things at the beginning of the book that later are revealed and really drive the story along with both you and Katniss wanting to find out.

There are the same old characters from the previous book: Octavia, Gale, Prim, Cinna, Haymitch, Peeta. Plus there are some new characters of Finnick, Joanna, Plutarch, Wiress among some of them. I found none of these characters distracting or annoying at all despite their personalities and they really enhanced this new chapter of Katniss' story. 

Although some of the setting is in District 12 (which still seems as small as ever to me), we also see more of the setting of the Capitol. Mostly I found this place so corrupt and disgusting that I could start to imagine a world such of this at present. The Capitol is really an interesting place as a setting and I enjoyed finding more about from Katniss, when not being a tribute. 

Whether you find out from the blurb of Mockingjay or somehow find out, something very big happens at this year's Hunger Games in Catching Fire. Something that does impact the winners completely. I did read the blurb of Mockingjay before reading this and it gave the BIG thing of the book away, but don't worry if you do, I found I was still surprised by how and why this happens and what happens within it. 

The ending hosts one of the most annoying cliffhangers I have read in a while - Suzanne Collins is really a master of them. It ends so suddenly and so well that - ah, I cannot describe it well really. The title does reflect what happens in the book although not perhaps obviously. The events Katniss goes through make it seem like every aspect of her life is 'catching fire' or starting something new. 

The book is just pure brilliance and a great next instalment for the Hunger Games trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with the marvellous characters, setting and the depth of suspense and tension that is built constantly. This was such a nice chance from some other books such as this with the moments of intense action with ones where it is interesting although nothing much is happening. This is a book I would recommend to anyone that has read the first book and I cannot wait to see this on screen. Really, read it. 

I give it 5 out of 5

Click here for my review of the first book. The last book in the series, Mockingjay, is out now. 

The movie adaptation of the first book is out now and the adaptation of Catching Fire is due out next year

Author's Website: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/ or http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/

Pages: 391

Publisher: Scholastic

Challenges: None

Related Posts:
Book #1: The Hunger Games
Book #3: Mockingjay

HUNGER GAMES OFFICIAL TRAILER.

HUNGER GAMES HAS HOOKED ME. I found out about the first airing of the official trailer for the movie adaptation being aired on Good Morning America today, but I forgot about it!

Anyway, here it is. AMAZING. I cannot wait until next March.
Enjoy and tell me what you think :)

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (#1)

Okay, so I know this review is probably WAY long overdue. I don't know why but when the Hunger Games came out and then, the hype around them, I was never interested in them. This is the type of book I like, but something made me not want to.
Maybe I was just being 'indie' (I use that term lightly) and didn't want to join the hype train for this series of books. Actually, I was with my friend Joey when she saw the copy of the last one in this series, Mockingkay, screamed and then ran to the till in Waterstones, her purse already in hand.
I laughed but even after her influencing other of my friends to read it, I still didn't read it AND I'M THE ONE WITH THE BOOK BLOG. So, when I heard there was going to be a movie which I knew I'd probably be taken to, I thought this is it. I'm going to read them.
And then I mentioned it and my friend then gave me his sister's copy of the first book and I knew it was kind of time to finally read it. Dramatic I know, but when I started reading it never felt forced, although it sort of was on my friends part. Anyway, before I bore you, I have no unthinkable excuse why I never read this book before and WHAT THE HELL HAVE I MISSED?! *runs off happily*

Synopsis (if you've been living in a cave): Annually, the Hunger Games are held at the Capitol, the capital of the future North America: Panem. Two tributes, a girl and a boy, aged between 12 and 18, come from the twelve different districts to compete. Only one can win. However, there is only one rule: kill or be killed. Tributes battle to kill one another to get the ultimate prize: survival.
Sixteen year-old, Katniss Everdeen, from District 12 - the poorest and less likely to win of all of Panem, takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games. But in the wilderness of the outskirts of District 12, Katniss has learnt how to survive, hunting has become second nature. Will she win or will she fall like so many others before her?

Review: My first reaction after reading this book: WOW. Just...wow. Also, firstly, I am SO sorry Suzanne Collins that I didn't read this book and hopefully the whole series sooner because erm, why Rebecca did you put them off so long? This review is basically going to be me rambling how amazing this book is, I can not think of any negatives to be honest. And the end...oh the end, I had tears. Oh my god, just wow. I am such a idiot for putting them off. Oh and Peeta and Katniss, oh. And oh the end. And oh.

Okay. Sorry, gushing over. This book is one of those books I think will be around for a while. I mean, they're making a movie of the series! So it has to have stuck out in the bookish world.

I have read a lot of dystopian since I discovered the genre, but nothing was quite up to scratch as this one. This has (I'm going to say it again...) everything you could want in a a few hundred pages. I don't quite know how Suzanne Collins does it. When we entered the arena, I think, around the 200 page mark, I thought 'How is she going to make time past so 23 tributes die while making it entertaining, funny and interesting with all readers rooting for Katniss? But she does it. And she does it well. The antics that happen within the Hunger Games arena are so engaging and portray a side of humanity we rarely see: the fight for survival.
Something about Katniss' whole situation brings out this cruel raw emotion in me. I mean, Katniss is sixteen. That's my age and I don't think I'd be ready to do what she does in this book. Or any Hunger Games for that matter. The thought of some day dying makes me cry and disappointed of the days where I haven't appreciated living. How would anyone feel to enter a place where you know that the odds are in favour of you probably dying? And these guys are teenagers as young as twelve. It's a sad, disgusting thought to think of in  the future.
So why the Hunger Games? Why did Panem just decide to kill 23 young people every year? There is a reason and I don't know whether to share it or not. If you want to know, email me, I think that's fair.
The reason is stupid really and unreal for us but I can see why the Capitol would make the Hunger Games to avenge.

Now, Katniss. I love the name for starters. I loved Katniss' voice throughout the novel and she became a part of the book I think would not be complete without her. She is young, less strong that she may seem but the Hunger Games matures her within the first hundred pages of the book. Then, Peeta.
While reading this, my Hunger Games fan friends kept saying 'Oh Peeta, he's so cute' while I sat there thinking 'Erm, really? Not seeing it'. Until one moment. And then I understood everyone's love for Peeta and the whole love triangle with Gale (although he doesn't feature heavily in this book) and him. The Hunger Games provides a cast of characters so diverse, original and entertaining, that you enjoy this book more. The writing slows down and speeds up in the appropriate places and makes you feel so many emotions in the space of a dozen pages. This book is an emotional roller coaster to read for both Katniss and yourself.

Suzanne Collins, pretty unknown before this book was released, has created this amazing world of Panem and gives a possible insight to what our world could become with the continuation of war. She successfully hints future events (I only know from reading synopsis of the two other novels) and put me as a reader on edge so much, you are practically screaming for their survival as the pages turn. And the end. Wow. The end is cruel, truthful, happy, heart breaking and just...I don't know how to describe it as it kind of jumped on me as I started to think of what to write for this review. This book is, ultimately, perfect and I cannot praise it enough.
Verdict: Every young adult should read this book. I haven't read a book this good in a while.

I give it a 5 out of 5

The next two book are released already, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The Hunger Games movie is due to be released April 2012.

Author's Website: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/ and http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/
Pages: 454
Publisher: Scholastic
Challenges: None

Related Posts:
Book #2: Catching Fire
Book #3: Mockingjay