Book Review: Mockingjay

I'm glad I waited to read THE HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE because then I didn't have to wait for MOCKINGJAY. Suzanne Collins definitely wrote an amazing trilogy. Each book stands out strong... and in different ways. But I have to say MOCKINGJAY was my least favorite and CATCHING FIRE was my favorite.

One thing that really interested me about this series, that I failed to mention in previous reviews, is the clothing and style of people in the Capitol. Since this book takes place in the future, it takes something we do now and makes it unbelievable. I'm not a fan of the idea of cosmetic surgery. But it's something that is becoming more and more popular among people. I feel like it started out as something that only celebrities did, and now regular teens are having it done.

Cosmetic surgery in the world of The Hunger Games series is even more extreme. Coloring hair and skin to unnatural colors. Can you imagine living in a world where someone's entire body is dyed lavender or striped like a tiger? Or someone having cat-like whiskers surgically implanted in their face? To be honest, this was my favorite thing about MOCKINGJAY.

I've heard a lot of complaint about the ending of this book. There was death of characters I liked and characters I didn't. One, in particular, made me cry. I don't want to giveaway spoilers because I know not everyone has read it yet. There were sad parts and parts that tried to be happy. But when you're in a war, it's just too hard to be happy some times. I cried again at the end... at the epilogue. And for a while after.

I'm just happy I don't live in a world like that. I think that's one of the benefits of reading dystopian novels. It makes you realize that your life isn't as bad as you may have thought. We live in a free country. Not a country where you can be shot to death to punish a relative that pissed off the president or annoyed a peacemaker. Peacemaker=exterminator.

I think I'm still Team Katniss. And while there were parts of this book I really didn't enjoy, I've enjoyed thinking about all that's happened. I hope everyone who's read the previous two will read this. If for no other reason than to see how it all ends. There was a lot of controversy over how it ended. It seemed people either loved or hated it. And I think it all had to do with how it was read. Anyway, I liked the ending.

Synopsis:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.