A review by mitskacir
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

4.0

Definitely the least engaging of the three books (mostly due to my lack of interest in descriptions of war as opposed to the hand-to-hand combat in books one and two), but still worth a read. The major strength of this series is Katniss - she is a complex character, not only unwilling to be the hero but frankly not well suited to it. This makes this third book particularly interesting compared with any other series I've read - Katniss is called to the role of hero but is unable to rise to the position. In fact, she spends a significant portion of the book hospitalized, sedated, and/or drugged. But even beyond that, we are called to question the motives of those calling her to be a hero in the first place. The ending is particularly painful, and therefore refreshing, befitting the world and characters that have been created.

2022 reread update: This book is a bit of a slog because it is so extremely bleak, but I also really appreciate it for just that. All the characters are forever impacted by their experiences and they still have inward and outward signs of their trauma. I particularly appreciated how Katniss became fully aware of everyone on all sides using her as a pawn and how her own agency had always been curtailed or coopted.