Mockingjay

Good news: I'm safely moved and have survived the first two weeks at my new job! I'd say things are going well. My Internet access is still a tad shaky (trouble with wireless = not able to use laptop), but hopefully that'll be cleared up soon-ish so that I can get this blog rolling again.

Amidst all of this month's chaos, however, I did manage to read the book that I've been most looking forward to all year: Mockingjay!

As the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy opens, Katniss finds herself in a difficult position. District 12 has been completely destroyed. Peeta is being held captive by the Capitol and is certain to face nothing but torture and death. And the rebels who lifted her from the arena desperately want Katniss to pose as a figurehead for the rebellion - their Mockingjay. Distraught by the violence around her but desperate for revenge, Katniss agrees. But will she simply become a pawn in another game - one perhaps even more dangerous than the Hunger Games?

Suzanne Collins has once again done what she is so great at: She has taken a piece of very challenging subject matter and tackled it from all sides. She has created dynamic and interesting characters who crawl under your skin and make you eager for more. The world building as readers explore the underground District 13 is superb. The writing continues to leave you breathless. In these respects, Collins is a crafter of stories like no other.

This book did not go the way I had expected. Mostly I actually think that this was a good thing as the surprises kept me on my toes. And just as in the final volumes of The Underland Chronicles, Mockingjay's exploration of war and violence leaves readers with much to think about as all sides of the argument are explored. Overall, this book is superb. But I can't help thinking of what I had hoped for that we didn't see. I had hoped for a tad more spark from Katniss. Not much, just a little. While Collins does not pull any punches in this action-packed volume, it seemed to me that the ending was a bit rushed. And I do kind of feel that Collins took the easy way out in regards to her expertly-created love triangle. Does it work? Absolutely. Is it great? Certainly. Was it perfect? Maybe, maybe not. Personally, this reader wants to tackle the book a second time to see how it resonates upon a slower, less ravenous reading.

Overall Grade: A-