Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Hello All,

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Yes, I'm adding my voice to the many who will be blogging and otherwise voicing their opinions about this young adult novel. Mockingjay is the best of The Hunger Games trilogy, in my opinion. It heads in a different direction than the other books, namely, there is not a competition called The Hunger Games in it.

Katniss has been reunited with her family and best friend Gale in a neighboring district to her own, as hers has been annihilated. She is disoriented at the beginning of this novel, based on injuries incurred at the end of the last novel (very important--read this trilogy IN ORDER), and the hits just keep on coming. Katniss is used as a hero, and a pawn by several political viewpoints; she realizes this, and tries to keep herself centered throughout the political posturing that goes on. She definitely is a rebel against The Capitol, but she has her own ideas of how she wants to resolve some of the problems. Unfortunately, most of them she is not able to implement; she is forced to follow the goals and ideas of others.

Peeta has been held in The Capitol since the end of their last Hunger Games, and is also being used as a pawn against Katniss. He is mentally tortured into believing that Katniss is his enemy, and once they are reunited, it takes quite a bit of time and help for Peeta to begin to believe he can trust Katniss.

Towards the end of the book, Katniss, Peeta and Gale are among those sent on a mission to attack the Capitol; Katniss's own personal mission is to kill President Snow, but during this mission, amazing things happen, including several very good twists.

Saying much more would give away the end, but I'm happy with Katniss's choice of life partners, and I'm glad the end is honest with how Katniss lives with everything she's been through. Mockinjay brings the trilogy to a well-thought out closure

Happy Reading,
Patti