A review by martinatan
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I read this ten years ago at 12 years old, when it was first released, and for some reason was disappointed by it. I think I was focused too much on wanting everyone to come out alive and perhaps even the flicker of romance that dominated mainstream discussions of the Hunger Games series. Now that I've reread it (in the space of three days, good for me) knowing the cruelty of totalitarianism and imperialist control that presides in the real world I realize how authentic this book is to the trauma that lies in war and endless slaughter, as well as in the aftermath. The metaphor of choosing Peeta over Gale makes a lot more sense to me now. I feel very intensely for the characters of this story and the difficult choices they have to undergo. The book feels incredibly mature for something that I could have consumed at 12 years old and I think I didn't fully respect or understand its message back then, so I'm very glad that I picked it up now that I have lived longer.
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