Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

WOW. Suzanne Collins is probably the best author in the world after reading this trilogy. I cried, I sympathized, I grieved. I feel like I lived with the characters and felt their pain and suffering.

Mockingjay is the final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy. Absolutely amazing. The book just built more and more up to this last book.

The story started out with Katniss wondering if Peeta is still alive after being captured by the Capitol. She was disoriented after being rescued from the third Quarter Quell. She practically lived in the hospital half the time of the book.

At first, she didn't want to be the Mockingjay. She was too distraught and unstable to take such a responsibility. However, after seeing Peeta in a Capitol broadcast, that pretty much made up her mind. As per the usual Katniss, she disobeyed orders and fought for the people in the districts. She was truly the symbol of freedom.

Whenever she would have a moment of pure passion, I felt myself choking up and full of pride for her. She truly is an inspirational character. Only when Peeta was taken away from her did she truly learned how much she cared for and loved him. Tsk. Tsk.

Check out my individual comments on some of the characters:

Katniss - strong, courageous, rebellious, a true heroine. If there was one person I'd like to meet in person and look up to as a role model, she would be the one.

Gale - his personality shone through in this book. He's a male version of Katniss. However, whereas Katniss is merciful and sympathetic, Gale seemed to be heartless and more detached. He was willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to achieve a goal. I still felt sorry for him whenever he would kiss Katniss knowing that she doesn't really love him the way he loves her.

"I knew you'd kiss me...because I'm in pain. That's the only way I get your attention. Don't worry, Katniss. It'll pass."

"We were in the Hob, eating some slop of Greasy Sae's. And Darius was teasing you about trading a rabbit for one of his kisses. And I realized...I minded."

Gale has no interest in preserving the lives of those in the Nut. No interest in caging the prey for later use. This is one of his death traps.

Peeta - his character really took a weird turn in this book. I didn't expect it but I wasn't as surprised when he tried to kill Katniss. Their relationship was so intense after that. Even so, he found a way to come back and fight his way back to Katniss and his sanity. What they did to him was just too cruel.

Haymitch - he meant well, it's just he was a crazy guy that likes to keep secrets. As much as he and Katniss butts heads, he seemed to admire Katniss and would follow her wherever she goes. That and because it's his job. It was nice when he comforted Katniss when she broke down for the first time.

Finnick - I really liked him. He was very unstable in the beginning because he'd been through so much and not being with his beloved just drove him pretty much to insanity. He was adorable and charming either way, though, and a great ally to Katniss. When he was torn into pieces in the Capitol, though, I was heartbroken. I didn't want him to die. In fact, I was expecting him to be one of the survivors. He didn't deserve to die; he'd only been reunited with Annie! It wasn't his time to go :(

"I drag myself out of nightmares each morning and find there's no relief in waking. Better not give in to it. It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."

Johanna - I love her personality and her relationship with Katniss. She was some kind of driving force that kept Katniss going. It was nice when Katniss showed her kindness when she broke down after having a flashback from being tortured back in the Capitol.

"You missed the best part. Delly lost her temper at Peeta over how he treated you. She got very squeaky. It was like someone stabbing a mouse with a fork repeatedly. The whole dining hall was riveted."

Beetee - he was so amazing with technology. The way he penetrated the Capitol's broadcasting system; the way he designed weapons and made them absolutely deadly, etc. He was a genius for sure.

Boggs - he was a noble character. I liked him, but his last message to Katniss was still confusing to me. I didn't like how one of his dying orders was to kill Peeta. I was immediately opposed to it and dreaded the pages to come when Peeta would be dead. Fortunately, that order was disobeyed :)

President Snow - he seriously haunts me. He freaks me out. He's sick and twisted both literally and figuratively. At the end, however, it seemed he was telling the truth all along. He never lied to Katniss, so when he told her that President Coin was the reason Prim was dead, Katniss only hesitated a moment before believing his side of the story. But really though, his roses gives me chills. I don't know if I can look at roses the same way for a while.

President Coin - I didn't expect her to be the evil one. She was twisted, though. She was a tyrant in District 13 and with her, things probably wouldn't have changed. Glad Katniss finished her. If she had lived, a 76th Hunger Games would have resumed with the children from the original Capitol citizens. The cycle would have repeated if she wasn't killed.

That's all I have to say folks! Check out these scenes :)
Katniss and Finnick

K: "Finnick? Maybe some pants?"
He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time. Then he whips his hospital gown, leaving him in just his underwear.
F: "Why? Do you find this"--he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose--"distracting?"

Fulvia: "Isn't he (Gale) handsome?"
Boggs: "Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear."

This was such an insanely hilarious scene; it was sickening.

I'm unaware that my feet are moving to the table until I'm inches from the holograph. My hand reaches in and cups a rapidly blinking green light.
Someone joins me, his body tense. Finnick, of course. Because only a victor would see what I see so immediately. The arena. Laced with pods controlled by Gamemakers. Finnick's fingers caress a steady red flow over a doorway. "Ladies and gentlemen..."
His voice is quite, but mine rings through the room. "Let the Seventy-sixth Hunger Games begin!" 

Katniss and Gale when they were mad at each other and have not talked in a while

My fingers encircled a blackberry and pluck it from its stem. I roll it gently between my thumb and forefinger. Suddenly, I turn to him and toss it in his direction.
K: "And may the odds--"
I throw it so high so he has plenty of time to decide whether to knock it aside or accept it.
Gale's eyes train on me, not the berry, but at the last moment, he opens his mouth and catches it. He chews, swallows, and there's a long pause before he says:
G: "--be ever in your favor."

Katniss and Prim

P: "Katniss, I don't think President Snow will kill Peeta. If he does, he won't have anyone left you want. He won't have any way to hurt you."
K: "So what do you think they'll do to him?"
P: "Whatever it takes to break you."

 In the lunch table: Gale, Peeta, and Johanna

G: "I wouldn't have believed it if I haven't seen it myself."
P: "What's that?"
G: "You."
P: "You'll have to a little more specific. What about me?"
J: "That they've replaced you with the evil-mutt version of yourself."

When the Star Squad were asked to re-enact their reactions to a pod being triggered.

Cressida stops us before we can rise, since she needs some close-up shots. We take turns reenacting our responses. Falling to the ground, grimacing, diving into alcoves. We know it's supposed to be serious business, but the whole thing feels a little ridiculous. Especially when it turns out that I'm not the worst actor in the squad. Not by a long shot. We're all laughing so hard at Mitchell's attempt to project his idea of desperation, which involves teeth grinding and nostrils flaring, that bogs has to reprimand us.

Katniss and Peeta

P: "You love me. Real or not real?"
K: "Real." 

Overall, this is the most beautiful trilogy I've ever read. Have you read it? Did you cry? If you haven't read it, you are hugely missing out. Just saying.