SPOILER ALERT – We’ll be discussing some aspects of Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins that are immediately pertinent to the plot and outcome of the story. If you have not yet read the book, I highly recommend doing so before reading this review.
There’s speculation that The Hunger Games Series was partially inspired by the conflict in the Middle East. No one book comes as close to this idea as The Mockingjay, the last installment in the trilogy. In this book, we see the politics behind the revolution – the grandstanding for the cause, the victims and for the fight for the office of President.
Catching Fire leaves us at a huge cliffhanger. Katniss has just been rescued from the arena and she realizes that Plutarch Heavensbee, Game Maker from the Quarter Quell, is really an ally rather than another of President Snow’s minions. She is also enlightened that Peeta has been captured by the Capitol during the rescue mission. On the edge of the story’s conclusion, Suzanne Collins leaves us to ponder the fate of the surviving Victors, including Katniss and Peeta.
But shelter is not given freely here. Each member of the community must contribute. Plutarch and Haymitch help strategize the Mockingjay rebellion while Gale has found himself on the front lines, fighting as a soldier. Even Prim and her mother have a place, tending to the sick and wounded.
When Katniss learns that Peeta is actually alive and being used as a puppet by President Snow to appease the people back into order, she’s put in a special unit for a rescue mission. It’s when Peeta returns to District 13 that the surprises begin.
Suzanne is amazing in her story telling. This book is masterfully written and is a great ending to a powerful story. I love her use of Katniss as a strong female character that everyone from President Snow in the Capitol to Haymitch in the arena to Peeta and Gale in the trenches find themselves relying on. I highly recommend this story to all those who enjoy a good YA book and don’t mind a teenage love triangle. For younger readers, please keep in mind that the subject matters of these books are mature and the action and descriptions are often violent and unapologetic. With the million different ways that Collins could have ended the book series, it’s interesting the path she chose.
What did you think of The Hunger Games Trilogy? Are you planning on seeing the Part 1 of Mockingjay in theatres when it premieres?