Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 390
Source: Bought with my own money
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Spoiler Free: Yes but summary isn't (But warning: there's a rant ahead)

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

 Mockingjay is the final book in this exciting, suspenseful, and heart pounding trilogy. Unfortunately for me, Mockingjay was hardly any of the three. 

I'm just... disappointed. I thought Mockingjay would be the epic finale to all this madness, wrapping up all its loose ends, but it wasn't. My main problems in this book was Katniss and her love triangle which is a fail, how there wasn't any closure on the deaths that happened throughout the book, and how the action was really boring.

The love triangle had been built up to receive a final verdict as to who Katniss will be with as of her own accord, and the biggest point in this triangle is that Katniss didn't really get to choose. Her buddy boy was chosen for her! Mega UGH. The no closure on the deaths really upsetted me the most. Suzanne might as well have said, "______ dies." None of these deaths were tear-jerking or heart-breaking or even memorable, which really disappointed me because some of them were my favorite characters! 

One of the things that kept me going throughout the book was the writing. It's as amazingly fluid and addictive as ever. I applaud Suzanne for having mad writing skills; it's also one of the things that kept me going when I was reading HG and CF! 

The plot is really good. I think the whole plot of the book is the best way to end the trilogy. In my opinion, the only problem was that it was poorly presented. Instead of getting a nice epic-filled, action-packed package of awesome, I got something messy that I'm not even sure it's worthy enough to be deemed "the thrill-packed final installment".

The epilogue (or should I say "ending"? I'm not sure which to say) wrapped up beautifully. I don't want to say anything else in fear of spoiling. The final chapters leading up to this epilogue were in a lack of better words, a little less than decent. Katniss is just moping (which I don't blame her for, I'd be moping too) and at parts, I did feel for her, and at others, I didn't. I'm really mad that they didn't include or provide closure to a certain character at the end. Once again, Suzanne might as well have said, "_____ is living somewhere else."

In all, the Hunger Games trilogy is definitely an exciting read, but instead of the sequels getting better over time, they deteriorated. THG was awesome sauce. CF was awesome, but not enough to be awesome sauce. As for MJ... what happened to the awesome? Seriously, I'd love to know.

Cover Thoughts: Eh. Nothing special.

Recommendations: Seriously, read it if you already read HG and CF. This book has many mixed opinions on Goodreads, but unfortunately, mine leaned towards the negative side.

When can I buy this book?: Now, actually! It's been out for a while and I bought my copy at Walmart.

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Summary and picture from Goodreads.

Book: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 391 pages
Source: Bought with my own money
Rating: 4.8 Stars
Spoiler Free: Yes

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol. Catching Fire maintains the adrenaline rush of Suzanne Collins's series launch.

Quick note: Summary has been whited out due to spoilers. Well, I tried to white it out...

 
Short and sweet: A gripping and yet another intense tale, Suzanne Collins does not fail to deliver a worthy sequel to her readers. If you have not read this series, go right now to your nearest bookstore and buy it. I'm serious.

How I Felt About...

• The plot: It was amazing, just like its predecessor. Although there were times that I couldn't get into it like I did in THG, it still didn't make it all the less boring. The twists and surprises throughout the book were exciting to read which made this book so fun. 
• The characters: All I can say is... nice set of secondary characters. I really liked Beetee. His back story was interesting to read about. The rest (Finnick, Mags, Wiress, etc.) were also fun to read about as well! They made a nice impression on me. Katniss is still one of my favorite characters, and how I just love Peeta now! Team Peeta for the win! He's so adorable. His moments with Katniss are so cute! 'Nuff said.
• The writing: Like THG, it was smooth and very easy to read. Suzanne is amazing at describing the intense scenes and especially the world of Panem.
• The ending: Two words for the ending: major cliffhanger. The ending was surprising and left me with a bunch of questions that will hopefully be answered in Mockingjay.

Did you guys enjoy the review? Enjoy the book as well? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Pages: 374 pages
Source: Bought with my own money
Rating: 5 Stars
Spoiler Free: Yes

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The Hunger Games is a fast paced, engaging book with suspense bouncing off the pages that left my heart pounding and I couldn't control myself flipping the pages, as I wanted needed MORE. I started on page 1, and in an hour, I was already on page 136. I usually don't read that fast, seeing how slow of a reader I am. This just shows how addicting this book was. 

The writing was incredibly smooth and easy to read, not choppy at all. The plot was fast paced and left me breathless at some parts. The action, the adventure, every aspect was amazing. It's a definite page turner.

The characters are so awesome. Katniss is such a badass! She's amazing. She takes her sister's place in the Games, knowing it's practically sending yourself to death row, she's smart, she's not like "Ohmahgawsh, I'm scared *insert boy's name* save me!", and she knows how to defend herself. I also loved Peeta! Peeta was pretty much a mystery for me for like half the book, but still incredibly likeable. It's hard to understand what his true motives lie behind his actions, but I have an idea of what he's truly like. I can't wait to see how his character develops in the sequels.

I'll admit, the romance wasn't hot or anything of the sort. I couldn't tell whether it was a fabricated romance or if the relationship between Peeta and Katniss was real. It was definitely interesting though. Their relationship development throughout the book was thoroughly entertaining, and I was never bored at any time.


The ending wrapped up pretty good, in my opinion, with a small cliffhanger. I'll definitely get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Catching Fire, soon.

Have you guys read The Hunger Games? If so, did you like it or hate it? I'd love to know what you guys thought about this book as well. ^_^