THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Review Written: 24th March 2012

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

It has been said, by people [I'm not claiming official statistics here], that the third book is the weakest. While I found this to be correct for me, this did not make the book any less enjoyable or moreish. It just had a very long build up to the action. The book starts with Katniss looking around the ruins that was once District 12. To aid the rebellion, she becomes the "mockingjay", the face of the fight, and in return asks for immunity to all the previous winners, including the kidnapped Peeta. The book is essentially a build up to the moment where the rebellion is successful in taking over the Capitol and President Snow can finally be removed. There is still the ongoing Katniss/Gale/Peeta love triangle before concluding in the way I wished it to.

At the end of the last book, Katniss discovers District 12 has been destroyed. Only a few hundred people escaped and are now living in District 13. The way it is described makes it seem more like a glorified prison. There are schedules to follow, food rations and the underground living (not that prisons are underground but you get the claustrophobic feel). Katniss lives in a room with her mother, who has become a nurse as she already had the healing skills and her sister Prim, who is in training to be a Doctor/healer.

I did not like President Coin from the beginning. I wasn't saddened when she met her end, though I wasn't expecting it to happen. My hatred for President Snow remained the same, or perhaps worsened. I've not hated a character this much since Umbridge in Harry Potter or Hilly from The Help.

Finnick's character is somewhat of a tragedy. Brave and rather flirty to begin with, you find out in book 2 that his heart lies with fellow tribute Annie who lost her mind due to the games. The scene where he was reunited with her, I read on the bus. Now, if there is one part of that book I wouldn't want to read in public for fear of crying, it would be this scene. We also find out what happened to Finnick after winning the games, how President Snow used him, which was rather heartbreaking. I desperately wanted a happy ending for him and Annie after their marriage. Except, this book isn't known for it's happiness.

The absence of Peeta from the first part of the book is noticeable. First on the reader, his "light" as it were reflects as you read and its absence is felt. Secondly, on Katniss. Every so often she would bring him up, which made me miss him. The most saddening thing about his return is that the unconditional love he felt towards Katniss had been erased. My fangirl heart couldn't take this!!

I'm not sure what I think about the ending. I don't know whether it's because I'm extremely saddened that I've finished the series or that it was bittersweet. Though to be fair, I wasn't expecting an extreme burst of happiness because that would not have fit in with the book's mood. However, I'm glad my ship was completed.

It's taken me a total of 4 days [not straight, I've had to fit it around a life] to finish an amazing series. I wish I had picked it up sooner and I recommend to all.

NEXT REVIEW: I'm taking a break from fiction books (unless I change my mind) as I want to read a book about Disney and the portayal of women which looks AMAZING. It's hard to review a non-fiction book but I may jot a few notes down to say which points I agreed or disagreed with or how my opinion has been changed!