Mockingjay
Title: Mockingjay Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Hunger Games #3
Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 392
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:
Also in this series: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sunrise on the Reaping
My Thoughts
I can’t believe I know the outcome of this series. I feel like I’ve been waiting for so long and to have it over feels kind of surreal. I’m glad I was able to savor my first read of this story, even though I was aware of a few spoilers.
Reading MOCKINGJAY was bittersweet and I had a lot of mixed feelings. I was happy, sad, and a little disappointed. Yet, I was actually quite satisfied with how the series ended. There were a few things I wish would’ve happened differently, mostly because I didn’t want them to happen because it was too sad. I think Collins did a phenomenal job of showing how war, torture, death, grief, PTSD, etc. can affect us and change us.
I think Katniss was right and justified in killing Coin. Coin would’ve turned into another Snow if she had been allowed to live. I also think Peeta was the right one for Katniss. Between him and Gale, he was the only one who could empathize with her regarding being in the Games and witnessing the dichotomy of the Capitol firsthand. I was devastated that Prim died and I think it was necessary because it illustrated that no matter how people try, they don’t have control over what happens in war.
I was glad I got to enjoy more time with some of the minor characters in the first two books. But, I also missed the interaction between a couple of the major characters, even though it was pertinent to the story. The ending felt a bit rushed because I wanted to experience the aftermath in more than just a few pages or paragraphs. I wish Collins had slowed it down, even knowing she needed to cram a lot of information regarding Katniss, District 12, Panem, and the other characters into those pages. I really liked the epilogue. I thought it was a great way to show Katniss’ growth and trust in the new system.
I thought MOCKINGJAY felt different from its predecessors. It wasn’t necessarily a bad different. It was just different and it took some getting used to. The story was still an emotional roller coaster like the previous two, and it was very intense. I savored the beauty and sweetness when it was there because of the brutality of the subject matter. I expected to cry more than I did, but I only cried at one point during the story. Overall, I’m very happy and I look forward to reading more books written by Suzanne Collins.
Update: When I read this for a second and third time, I listened to one of the audiobooks. The first audiobook was narrated by Carolyn McCormick and the second was narrated by Tatiana Maslany. Both do a great job, but I prefer the second audiobook the best.