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michellemaas 's review for:
Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I will start this review by saying that even though Mockingjay was my least favorite book in the trilogy, it was still an amazing book that I enjoy rereading on an annual basis since the entire series is a masterpiece, so please keep that in mind when reading my more negative opinions.
I loved the symbolism with Alma becoming the same evil they were all trying to fight and Katniss killing her in the end. Twas a plot twist for the decades and I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Now that that's out of the way, something I didn't like was the "76th Hunger Games" part of the book. Now I can enjoy and appreciate a good revolution (I mean is it even a dystopian novel if the witty and wise-beyond-their-years teenagers don't overthrow some sort of corrupt organization) but I missed the arena. Again, I realize that doing the arena for 3 books straight would not have been a good decision and that the revolution had to happen to show growth but it does not escape me that the arena (aka the "hunger games" part of "The Hunger Games" series) was a huge part of the book's allure and its absence was probably why this book is my least favorite. Does that say something about me? Probably, but it's just the facts. It almost felt like when "The Vampire Diaries" characters stopped writing in their diaries from season 3 onward, but the show's title was still the same. Something just feels off.
On another note, my favorite part about this book was the way Suzanne Collins dealt with mental health. The main focus was on Peeta in this area, but even in the epilogue with Katniss still having nightmares was very sad but felt so right somehow. Mental illness is just either not openly talked about in these types of books or overcome in the blink of an eye and that is not a good representation. Katniss went through an ordeal at 17 that many adults wouldn't be able to stand. The fact that she wasn't magically better so we can get a cookie-cutter happy ending brought me such a sense of peace. The epilogue showed Katniss' growth and acceptance of her trauma but didn't dismiss it. It formed an integral part of her identity and personality and the fact that she will carry those mental scars after all those years was very accurate and realistic and are something that many readers could relate to.
Anyway, I LOVE this series so despite my complaints it will still go down as one of my all-time favorite series, but also one of the best series ever. Fight me if you must, but I guarantee you cannot win. I will die on this hill.
I loved the symbolism with Alma becoming the same evil they were all trying to fight and Katniss killing her in the end. Twas a plot twist for the decades and I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Now that that's out of the way, something I didn't like was the "76th Hunger Games" part of the book. Now I can enjoy and appreciate a good revolution (I mean is it even a dystopian novel if the witty and wise-beyond-their-years teenagers don't overthrow some sort of corrupt organization) but I missed the arena. Again, I realize that doing the arena for 3 books straight would not have been a good decision and that the revolution had to happen to show growth but it does not escape me that the arena (aka the "hunger games" part of "The Hunger Games" series) was a huge part of the book's allure and its absence was probably why this book is my least favorite. Does that say something about me? Probably, but it's just the facts. It almost felt like when "The Vampire Diaries" characters stopped writing in their diaries from season 3 onward, but the show's title was still the same. Something just feels off.
On another note, my favorite part about this book was the way Suzanne Collins dealt with mental health. The main focus was on Peeta in this area, but even in the epilogue with Katniss still having nightmares was very sad but felt so right somehow. Mental illness is just either not openly talked about in these types of books or overcome in the blink of an eye and that is not a good representation. Katniss went through an ordeal at 17 that many adults wouldn't be able to stand. The fact that she wasn't magically better so we can get a cookie-cutter happy ending brought me such a sense of peace. The epilogue showed Katniss' growth and acceptance of her trauma but didn't dismiss it. It formed an integral part of her identity and personality and the fact that she will carry those mental scars after all those years was very accurate and realistic and are something that many readers could relate to.
Anyway, I LOVE this series so despite my complaints it will still go down as one of my all-time favorite series, but also one of the best series ever. Fight me if you must, but I guarantee you cannot win. I will die on this hill.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Injury/Injury detail