challenging dark emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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dark sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Sometimes when I finish a book and I don't know what I'm feeling about it, I like to check out other reviews to see what opinions resonate with me. I finished this book having really enjoyed it but also feeling unsure and I gotta say, the negative reviews have really convinced me this time.

As a standalone, this book is pretty decent. The characters are a little blank and it just feels like one of those super easy, quickly digestible YA reads. But it also doesn't really work as a standalone, naturally, falling somewhere in the middle of a 5-part series. And it also does NOT work with the series.

It really overuses characters from previous books to give itself credibility but that doesn't hold the book up. It's kind of just a bad rewrite of the first Hunger Games book if I'm honest. Very formulaic and predictable. Suzanne Collins really lost the magic with this one. I mean, it was sputtering out pretty badly with the previous book but this one absolutely doused it.

I'll still watch the movie and I still love the original trilogy but the more she adds on to it, the sloppier it gets unfortunately. I don't regret reading it, I did still enjoy it. Let me be clear, Suzanne Collins' mediocrity is still better than a lot of people can ever hope to be. But it did not feel like a true Suzanne Collins masterpiece.

Read at your own discretion and temper your expectations. It'll still break your heart, just like 10% of the usual amount for this series.

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was close to tears constantly. Two chapters in and I was already devastated. Haymitch's story is a sad but important one that shows the power of propaganda and media manipulation. I loved Maysilee as well. We lost a queen too soon.  



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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Suzzane really said stop with the Snow's edits on TikTok! 

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A

You know the saying... Suzanne Collins writes when she has something to say. And boy does she. This book was fantastic. I don't know how Suzanne Collins writes a story we know the ending to in such a way that has you hooked from the first sentence. She masterfully worked with propaganda in this book. I'll reread it soon, after I wipe the tears from my eyes.

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emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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