Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay-no matter what the personal cost.(Taken from Goodreads)
Review: (contains spoilers!)
I thought it would be a great idea, that since the release of the final edition in The Hunger Games saga, I would review its source material. Recently, I reread Mockingjay and enjoyed it much more than I did the first time around. Ironically, watching the movie and then reading the books actually aided in the way I visualised the world (because Francis Lawrence's vision of The Hunger Games world is practically flawless). The character's are so flushed out in both the books and films and it has become, well and truly, one of my favourite book-to-movie adaptions of all time.
To start, I'll talk about the plot. Generally, it was the slowest of the three which I didn't mind. The book was slow but it never dragged. I felt it fitted the general premise of the novel with Katniss' PTSD and her emotional turmoil. It felt gritty and raw and completely uncensored. The plot mostly relied on supporting characters to progress through the story or actions to be done for Katniss as she was mostly in hospital. Crying. HOWEVER, this didn't last long as bombshell after bombshell was dropped (literally) with Peeta's hijacking to Katniss visiting 12. I felt that the plot was chaotic and turbulent towards the end where everyone died and pods blew up and lizards dragged Finnick down. The way Suzanne Collins presented the conclusion was messy, but purposefully so. It shows how war is messy and requires sacrifice and loss. The general conclusion was pleasing, nonetheless, with Katniss and Peeta's children playing in the Meadow. The plot weaved and every scene felt meaningful, a feat in itself.
Peeta's character development in this novel is another level. Suzanne Collins perfectly illustrates his inner turmoil and his almost psychotic drive to kill Katniss. It not only adds another layer of depth to Peeta but also to the Capitol and its motives. The Captiol is by far my favourite Dystopian society with its exaggerated accents, fashion, architecture and characteristics. President Snow's dialogue is my favourite out of all of the characters in this series. It's witty, calculated and poised. He holds an air of superiority and maturity which is something I enjoyed about his character. However the character that stole the cake was Katniss. Through her mind you witness the trauma she faced in the Games and her coming to terms with her emotions was painfully beautiful. She, too, is a very turbulent character in this novel. She is numb then angry, confused then forlorn and her conflicting emotions are constantly fighting for her mind's steering wheel.
In conclusion, Mockingjay is a satisfying conclusion to a series with such high expectations. The characters and plot excelled and shone in their brightest light.
Sorry for a very short review, I'm tired and it's 11:30pm.
Have a good one, J Woo.
wow great post
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