Review : Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title : Mockingjay Author : Suzanne Collins Reading Dates : 13 Oct - 14 Oct 2012 Total Pages : 390
Catching Fire The Hunger Games Catching Fire Mockingjay
From Amazon : 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...This thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

Book Review of Mockingjay.

Mockingjay was an unbearably sad read for me. The ending, which all things considered is supposed to be a good one, didn’t feel like that to me. There were just too many needless and senseless deaths in Mockingjay.

If I could wish for anything regarding The Hunger Games series, it would be for a different ending. So many of the characters, including my favourite, dies brutally and tragically. And the toll that the Districts demands for ending the war is barbaric as well. Worse, when I put myself in their shoes, I can actually understand their need for vengeance. In the end, it all seems to be such a terrible waste because nothing much changes, only the role of victim and persecutor. While the good guys will not always win, I still prefer happy endings or at least endings where I can feel that most of the people got what they deserved. In Mockingjay, it seemed that the heroes suffered a fate worse than the villains.

As for Katniss’s choice for her life partner, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me. It was pretty clear to me by Catching Fire who it would be considering the way she thinks. I’m still disappointed though when she makes her choice. More than anything, it seems to symbolize that nothing changes in Katniss’s world because she lets past events dictate her choice.

To sum it up, The Hunger Games had me wanting to watch the movie while Mockingjay has me reconsidering. The story might have been good but I’d have preferred a happier ending.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes, but not as frequent as I'd like.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series, if there were one ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? Young adult and dystopian readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.

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Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Review : Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title : Catching Fire Author : Suzanne Collins Reading Dates : 08 Oct - 12 Oct 2012 Total Pages : 391
Catching Fire The Hunger Games Catching Fire Mockingjay
From Amazon : Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Book Review of Catching Fire.

I liked Catching Fire but for very different reasons than The Hunger Games.

Catching Fire had a slower pace compared to The Hunger Games and the main storyline in the beginning wasn’t very interesting. At least not to me. What kept me going were the hints of what was going on in the background. It seems strange though how nobody in Katniss’s world catches on.

The second reason I enjoyed Catching Fire was the introduction of a new character and ally for Katniss, Finnick Odair. I even thought that he would have been a better choice for Katniss as a love interest. The funniest moment in the entire Hunger Games series occurs in Catching Fire, between him and Katniss. Considering what he’s been through, I thought it wonderful that he could still keep his sense of humour and even get Katniss to lighten up. In truth, I thought that was the only time Katniss was truly happy, without any strings attached.

As for the romantic triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta, the whole thing just annoyed me. Rather than love, I believe what Katniss has with the 2 stems more from her survival instincts. Gale said it perfectly later on, when he comments that Katniss will chose the one she believes she can’t live without. Its also pretty clear to me who that would be considering her psychological makeup. It was also perfectly understandable considering the environment she grew up in.

A good read but Catching Fire would have been better without drawing out the tension between Katniss, Gale and Peeta.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? Young adult and dystopian readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.

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Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Review : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title : The Hunger Games Author : Suzanne Collins Reading Dates : 05 Oct - 08 Oct 2012 Total Pages : 374
The Hunger Games The Hunger Games Catching Fire Mockingjay
From Amazon : In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Book Review of The Hunger Games.

I absolutely loved The Hunger Games. Katniss’s story was gripping and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the tale.

If I had to pick the strongest reason why I enjoyed it so much, it would be because of the suspense and tension which permeates the tale. I could barely tear myself away from the story because I kept wondering what would happen next. The question of what terrible thing was going to befall the heroine and how she was going to extricate herself from her latest predicament kept me glued to the story from beginning until the end.

The Hunger Games also has a number of pretty interesting characters, ones that you want to root for. My favourite was Rue, which also makes it kind of hard to enjoy the tale at times. Right off the bat we know that there can be only 1 winner in these survival games. And since the heroine most definitely has to be the winner, all that’s left is how and when Rue dies. Its also interesting to note that like most of the audience of The Hunger Games, I started to want Katniss to win only after she tries to give some meaning to Rue’s death. Prior to that, Katniss’s cynicism made it very hard to like or admire her.

As for the ending, while not exactly a cliffhanger, left me on tenterhooks. The Hunger Games may have ended but Katniss and her dearest and closest are definitely not out of the woods yet.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? All young adult and dystopian fans.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.

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Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge