! SPOILERS ! I just read the last pages of the third book and I swear, this is one of the most emotional novels I've ever read. In the end, I was in tears, unwilling to accept Katniss' faith. The ending shattered me- it wasn't what she deserved but it was realistic. Leaves the reader broken, no - empty is the most appropriate word. It leaves us empty, unhappy, yet we still keep going for the sake of it. It shows how cruel can humans be and, as we say in my language - none act of kindness is left unpunished. It's heart-breaking that Prim dies and how The Girl on Fire loses her mind almost completely after the shock and the experience she goes through the whole development of the storyline. I couldn't believe that Coin killed innocent children in order to reach her goal - control over the Capitol. A reminder of the harsh reality. Turns out she is no better than Snow and that Katniss wasn't any different to her than all the other soldiers, just like the peacekeepers to Snow - a pawn in "The Game of Thrones", if you like and once it does what it's supposed to do, it's useless and its existence wouldn't matter, nor its life. Indeed, this book forces us to look straight at the ugly face of reality and feel its cold stare through our whole bodies. It's unbearable and unavoidable at the same time, to the very last page. And not only - through the entire course of our lives. ...The horror of war - something we don't want to even hear from. It's so hard to return to your old lifestyle, knowing that nothing will ever be the same and that part of you is lost, another - out of order, unable to recognize the thin line between what's right and what's not. And those horrific nightmares that won't go away and chase her till the death of her. But it's a price that has to be paid, just like every other war. Some people, especially with such beautiful and observable, yet feeble mentalities, can't take the memory of how much blood is spilled and how many lives are sacrificed. Still, she kept going after all but she had her body - burnt, her soul - hurt, with a forever-aching wound that can never be healed, the unfading picture of her sister being set on fire, the loss of the loved ones, the life she had before, the painful realization that most of the things haven't changed, the melancholia and the flashbacks... both good and bad, hand in hand, will forever live inside her. She made her choice with Peeta. And it's a twist that surprised me, but knowing that Gale contributed to Prim's death to some extent, she made the right decision. Though partly wrecked after what was done to him, Peeta manages to establish a family with Katniss and has two children with her. He could find most of his old self. So, love has been blooming between them ever since the First Hunger Games and from faking the kisses and the relationship, she falls for him, although she gets to appreciate that much later, and couldn't leave him in the hands of the Capitol. This is what our Mockingjay indeed needed. A bright yellow color of hope, something that gives her life a meaning, especially after the traumatizing death of Prim. Now, there are people who wanted a happy ending. So did I. However, reprocessing everything all over again, I think that was the right ending - because of the brutal truth that it reveals. And the more realistic one for sure. If there was a Cinderella story, it wouldn't teach us the important lesson (or probably just remind it to us) that life is brutal and unmerciful, that we don't get rewarded for all out acts of kindness and that even our closest ones could be unfaithful, that we're in charge of our lives and have to always be in control of them. Personally, I was impressed by Katniss' way of thinking and observations, and she has become a role model to me. Even though fictional, I look up to her. THANK YOU, SUZANNE COLLINS, FOR WRITING THIS INCREDIBLE MASTERPIECE! HAT'S OFF TO YOU!
Ah the 3rd book. My least favorite of the 3, although it has its moments. When I 1st heard the movie adaptation got the deathly hallows treatment, is basically the moment where my interest in the series began to fade.
Completely agree. I read all of them when I was a senior in high School. Hunger Games and Catching Fire I was hooked. Mockingjay I got a bit...bored to be honest
I actually really enjoyed Mockingjay. I thought I'd be a bit bored without the Hunger Games 'reality television gone bad' aspect, which I always found most interesting about the previous two books. However, it really flipped my expectations and I think the series ended on a high. Spoiler I especially liked the fact that Coin turns out to be no different than Snow.
I thought Mockingjay was a great finale to the series. While it is fairly different, it has such a good story and lesson to it (which the OP mentioned.) I am really hoping that the movie does not let the book down, because the second half of the book is absolutely amazing.
I really just liked The Hunger Games and not so much the other two. I don’t know, to me it just seems the author didn’t really know where she’s was going with the ending. I think it’s okay, but I was Team Gale all the way. But I get it, I guess. And Katniss got a little too crazy in this one for my liking, but overall it was a cool trilogy.
