The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins was one hard book to get a hold of.  I think after the second Hunger Games Movie, Catching Fire, people snapped this book up in double time.  But I did finally get a copy of it, which pleased me, because I really wanted to know what happened to Katniss, Peta, the other victors... and President Snow.

Below is the cover of the book and the blurb on the back of the book.

I read this book over three days, or nights rather.  You know that attempt to read one chapter before you go to sleep... and the next thing you know it is 3:30am and your eyes are falling out of your head!

While I was compelled to keep reading as I wanted to know how Katniss' story would end, I did not find this book as engaging as the first two books.  Now I don't know if that is because I had watched the movies of the other books before I had read those books or not.

However I did find this book irritating.  Katniss is obviously one messed up girl after her two experiences in the arena.  But she is now determined to be part of the revolution and bring down President Snow and the regime.  However, for much of the book, she is a blithering mess in a cupboard or being drugged to calm her out of a psychotic episode that she has spun into or injured and in hospital.

But Katniss is never really allowed by the leaders of the uprising to fully participate.  They use her as the Mockingjay to rally the citizens of all the other districts, but control her, stage manage her appearances and actions.

There is a great piece where Katniss and her other victors and rebels break free from the leaders of the resistance.  Katniss leads the group in a cat and mouse advance into President Snow's territory.  This is when Katniss shows her true ability to lead, and the victors and rebels with her show their dedication to her role as the Mockingjay.

The book does resolve the story of Katniss and her family and friends.  But don't go expecting a flowers and confetti ending.  Suzanne Collins throws the reader some curve balls right up to the end.