- Author: Suzanne Collins
- ISBN: 9780545788298
- Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
- Pages: 400
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived. But her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding… – Goodreads synopsis
I’ve had Mockingjay on my shelves for awhile and forgot that I had yet to read it until after I started the first book of another popular Dystopian trilogy, Divergent, by Veronica Roth. I figured it was about time I wrap up “The Hunger Games” trilogy once and for all.
Mockingjay was difficult for me to get through. There were parts of it that were just too real for me, having served in the military. At one point, I had to take a break to read something fun and easy. I ended up re-reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman. All in all, though, I needed Mockingjay. Katniss helped me heal, even if just a little bit. Collins didn’t end the book with a sappy or sickly sweet happily ever after. The book wouldn’t have helped me at all if she had. Instead, she ended it with Katniss’ thoughts on how her past affects her life. One sentence that had the greatest effect on me:
“I’ll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I’m afraid it could be taken away.”
Within the paragraph that one sentence is from, I have found someone who knows exactly what I feel on “bad mornings”, but I’ve also found someone who has done more than just survive. Thank you, Katniss.
I know this is a fairly beloved series, but I don’t know that I’ve seen someone have this personal of a connection with its themes or characters. I’m glad it could do that for you – it’s so rare that a book does!
I’m not the only one this series has had a huge impact on. I discovered that while I was reading Mockingjay and got into an in-depth discussion of the books and movies with a friend and fellow Veteran. I was a bit surprised by that conversation, and it made me look at a few scenes in the second book/movie a bit differently. I was also surprised when I found myself wholeheartedly defending the series to someone who didn’t get it. That person wasn’t being a jerk, and it was a reasonable, calm conversation, but I had to make sure he understood just how important Katniss and the story as a whole is and how relative it is to the here and now.
Wow! Thank you for your review. It was very moving. I’ve not read the books, but I recently watched all of the movies. My son, who had read the books, along with others, told me that the third book (Mockingjay) was a huge let down – primarily because there is not happily-ever-after, among other issues. I felt it was okay, but I was disappointed at how much Katniss had to lose in order for humanity to win. This is something you’ve seen first hand, and your review has me looking at this series/book in a new way. Thank you!