Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

Release date: August 24, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic/ 390 Pages/ Young Adult/ Book Three

Source: Amazon for Review (Hardcover)

Other books in the series: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Review:

After turning the last page in Mockingjay I just sat there, going over every chapter, page, paragraph, sentence, word, in my head. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are two of my all time favorite books and I was terrified that I was going to be disappointed in Mockingjay. Luckily, it was just the opposite. Mockingjay was an intense and amazing conclusion to the trilogy and it left me immensely satisfied.

To start off, all of my favorite characters returned and had a chance to really show what they were made of. Not only did Katniss and Peeta have a chance to shine, but also Gale, Finnick, even Prim.

The plot was engaging and emotional- I had a hard time putting it down, but at times I just had to. It was so intense and just… wow. Every page was filled with a new plot twist and there was endless fighting, violence, death. Of course it’s war, so what do you expect? Suzanne Collins didn’t hold anything back. She described everything in vivid detail and the reader isn’t spared from imaging anything. The pain and suffering the characters have to endure tugged at my heart, and by the last few chapters I was holding my breathe, needing to know how everything would end.

There is still some hope and romance that shines through the fighting and darkness, but do not go into this book expecting to be smiling. I know a lot of people were disappointed with Mockingjay, but I have to say it is one of my all time favorite books and an intense, emotional, and gripping conclusion to the trilogy.

I didn’t go into too much detail above because I didn’t want to spoil anything, but if you’ve read the first two books in the series and haven’t read Mockingjay what are you waiting for? And if you haven’t started this series yet- you need to. It was fantastically written and will draw you in from the start- I’ve already gotten a bunch of people hooked on this series (including my parents).

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars