SUMMARY
My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.
Summary from Goodreads.
REVIEW
It was finally time to finish The Hunger Games trilogy. After slowly making my way through the series over the last few years, I was interested to see how Suzanne Collins would wrap everything up. Having never watched the films either, I went into Mockingjay knowing very little about how the story would end.
Overall I thought it was a solid conclusion to the trilogy, but much like Catching Fire, it didn’t completely win me over.
One thing I really appreciate about Suzanne Collins is that she never shies away from the realities of war. Mockingjay feels much darker than the previous books, shifting away from the arena and focusing instead on the emotional and psychological consequences of everything Katniss has endured. The action takes a back seat in many places, making room for themes of propaganda, trauma, grief and the cost of rebellion. It’s a much more mature story than I was expecting seeing as this is a YA series and I admired the direction Suzanne Collins chose to take.
Katniss continues to be a compelling protagonist because she never feels like the typical chosen one. She’s exhausted, broken and carrying more responsibility than anyone should ever have to. Rather than becoming an unstoppable hero, she’s constantly questioning herself and the decisions being made around her. I liked that she remained flawed throughout the series because it made her feel believable.
Unfortunately I never found myself completely invested in the story. I could appreciate what the book was trying to do, but emotionally I always felt like I was watching events unfold rather than experiencing them alongside the characters. While there were certainly emotional moments, they never hit me as hard as I expected them to.
I also found much of the plot fairly predictable. As the story progressed, I could see where many of the major developments were heading, which meant some of the tension was lost for me. For a finale that’s often praised for its emotional impact, I personally never felt surprised by many of the twists or outcomes.
The pacing was another area where I struggled. There were sections in the first half that felt slower than they needed to be, particularly while the story focused on military planning and political strategy. Then once the action really began, everything seemed to happen very quickly. I would have liked a little more balance between the quieter moments and the major events toward the end.
That being said, I do think Mockingjay provides a fitting conclusion to Katniss’s story. Not every ending has to be triumphant and I respected that Suzanne Collins chose to focus on the lasting impact that war has on the people who survive it. It felt honest rather than overly heroic and I think that was the right choice for this series.
Overall, I enjoyed Mockingjay, but I never loved it. It was a good ending to the trilogy that stayed true to its themes and characters but it didn’t leave the lasting emotional impression I was hoping for. I’m glad I finally completed the series after putting it off for so many years and although my opinions seem to be in the minority, I’m looking forward to finally watching the films and seeing how they bring this story to life.
-Rachelle
I’m on Instagram at @rachellesbookshelf
