August 31, 2010

Mockingjay

I began waiting for Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, as soon as I finished Catching Fire, which I read immediately after reading Hunger Games. You can read my review of the first two books in this YA series here and here.
I stayed up until 4 a.m. reading, needing to see how Katniss was going to teach the Capitol a lesson. To see who would survive. To see the heart-stopping finish and declaration of a new day...
I knew characters would die.
I knew love would be defined.
I knew things would get violent.
The first two books taught me that. My expectations were in line with what had already been told. I wanted to be engulfed in flames and emerge triumphant.

I felt on the verge of that throughout the entire book. On the verge of ignition. I felt the story leading me, twisting, guessing, fulfilling its promises... despite the glaring amount of narrative.

At this point in the review, I originally aired opinions with spoilers galore. I've reluctantly chosen to save those for later, after more of you have had time to read it. I will just say that I thought some of it was brilliant, and some of it was a let-down, especially concerning the narrative of almost the entire last chapter. I couldn't help but feel that Collins had written a full-blown ending, and then had to rein it in for word count. Severely. On the verge of ignition, but not ignited.

But I did really like the last few lines before the epilogue. They brought me back to the beginning, which is a good thing, in my opinion. After all, the jaw-dropping roller-coaster of unbelievable reality that was Hunger Games made the reader ask, "Real? Or not real?"

Engulfed.

10 comments:

Bonnie said...

This is EXACTLY what this gripping trilogy has me asking, "Real? Or not real?" In fact i had to make a long list of comparisons to our world--seen and unseen. I'd love more of your thoughts from an LDS perspective. I curled up in a little shell shocked ball when I finished at 2:00 a.m. wanting something a little more satisfying at the end myself! This is one I won't forget for a long time.

Shanda said...

"On the verge of ignition." Love it!

That's exactly how I feel - full of anticipation to see if Mockingjay will bring me what I need. And, surprisingly, at least to some, what I need has very little to do with whether Katniss ends up with Gale or Peta or neither. What I need only District 13 can provide. I can't wait to see where S. Collins takes that part of the story.

It's probably my past personal experience that stirs the rebellion in me in the face of injustice, but the circumstances in Catching Fire sparked something in me that yearns for the fight. Whether the result is victory or defeat for the Districts, I need to experience this fight through Katniss. Because even if the rebellion of the Districts results in "failure" the fight for their freedom will have made them victors no matter what.

I really hope Mockingjay follows through for me.

Shanda
http://ldswbr.blogspot.com
www.ldswomensbookreview.com

Krista said...

Bonnie, I was a little shell-shocked, too. I think it took some time to get out of Katniss's head... such a scrambled place for most of the book! An LDS perspective? Maybe the power of personal revelation... follow what you know is right, what you feel is right. What brings clarity. Hmmm...

Shanda, I hope Mockingjay delivers for you! The entire series is definitely a fresh look at rebellion.

Theresa Milstein said...

Hi. I'm visiting from Karen's blog.

I finished MockingJay on Friday, and had just read Catching Fire on Tuesday. I'd waited to read the 2nd because I heard it ended in a cliffhanger.

While I was pretty satisfied with Mockingjay, a couple of things at the end bugged me. (No spoilers.)

Come to my blog if you want to win a signed copy. I just met Suzanne Collins at a book signing yesterday.

Elana Johnson said...

I LOVED the last bit with Real or Not Real. Not only did it make me cry because of the story, but I wept tears that I will never think of something that brilliant. Le sigh.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

My feelings exactly, but I loved it. Loved the ride. Loved the way my gut was in knots afterwards. Not real, and yet SO real.

Heather Moore said...

I really liked the book overall. And I wanted some more development some places, but like you, I thought there were some brilliant places. And that's hard to come by.

Krista said...

Thank you for your comments, everyone!

Theresa, how exciting to meet Suzanne Collins!

Elana, brilliant and beautiful. And don't sell yourself short!

Kim, I know, like a roller coaster ride.

Heather, I love finding writing that gives chills. Those are the parts that stay.

Sherrie Petersen said...

Whether you like the ending or not, that series has made such a lasting impact. I woke up at 1:30 a.m. on the 24th so I could download it to my Kindle and start reading. Suzanne Collins is simply brilliant.

Krista said...

It's true, Sherrie. The power of the story is what stays with you.

Fight.

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