Mockingjay

What I love most about the Hunger Games series is its appeal to both males and females. I can easily see a boy being attracted to the fast-paced, violent nature of the books as much as I can see a girl enjoying the love story (triangle) and the strong female protagonist (Katniss). The third and last installment of the science fiction/dystopia series, Mockingjay, begins like many sequels; it recaps the previous book.  We readers get reacquainted with Katniss and her mockingjay pin, the Hunger Games, Panem, and District 13. We remember the Hunger Games, a televised battle to the death between lottery-selected teenagers from each of the 12 districts in the country Panem. Our brains recall the gore, the drama, the corruption, and the brilliant and sadistic planning that is the Hunger Games. Our hearts pounce when we think of Katniss and Peeta's relationship and the fact their manipulation and Katniss's mockingjay pin lit the fuse for a mass rebellion against the Capitol. 

Like other sequels--see Harry Potter and Twilight--the first fifty or so pages are a bit slow. But once the rebellion begins, the book follows you wherever you go. We become quickly intrigued with Distict 13's fortified subterranean chambers that can withstand virtually any type of bomb--and that type of protection comes in handy when the Capitol tries to destroy Katniss and the other inhabitants of District 13. The decision makers of District 13 set out to rescue Peeta and others from the Capitol's cruel clutches, and then take over the Captiol so that a newer, kinder government can rule (this seems eerily similar to Animal Farm). With any revolution or rebellion, innocent lives are destroyed, and in this story, unfortunately, the innocent aren't protected. As Katniss and Company invade the Capitol, the book seems to end too abruptly and predictably. The attempts at foreshadowing may insult some savvy readers' intelligence. I thought Suzanne Collins could've expanded the ending and cut out some of the more boring parts in the beginning of the book--and a twist in the end may have helped, a twist that utilizes real foreshadowing. However, overall, the semi-weak ending doesn't detract from an impressively written series. Some critics have argued that Mrs. Collins has "borrowed" too many ideas from other stories (Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm and "The Lottery"), but I believe while this may be true, the entire premise of the book is unique. Without a doubt, I highly recommend this book--and the entire series--to everyone I know. The older people in my life--my parents--would like Collins' modern spin on books that they read as kids like A Brave New World and 1984, and my contemporaries would enjoy some of the common themes to Fahrenheit 451 and Animal Farm.