Mockingjay

Mockingjay time is finally here! Just like with Catching Fire, I actually finished this book last week sometime and just haven't had the time or the internet connection to really review it. But here we are. And I have to be honest: it wasn't my favorite. The plot was interesting, and there really wasn't any way to conclude this series without having this book. The rebellion needed to happen, and I think it needed to happen in exactly the way Collins wrote it. As far as the plot and the development of the story goes, I think it was perfect. I just...didn't find it nearly as interesting or engaging as the first two books. There were twists that I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate, but I feel like the big surprise at the end of the book was more predictable than she had intended (if I can see it coming...it was probably a little too obvious). That being said, I definitely did not predict the Peeta element of the story, which I won't spoil for you if you haven't read it. These surprises were there, and as I said there were definitely interesting plot points, I just didn't feel the same glued-to-the-book effect that I felt with the first two. I literally never wanted to put The Hunger Games or Catching Fire down when I was reading them - and rarely did - but I felt as if Mockingjay dragged on somewhat, and I continued to push forward based on the fact that I knew I needed to finish out the series and find out how it ends. And honestly, there was a fair amount of curiosity for how she would end it. There were a few things that she had no choice but to deal with somehow, and I think I was okay with how she did. Despite the fact that I struggled with feeling engaged throughout the book, Collins definitely resolved the plot and the character issues that carried through each of the books. And to be completely honest, who could possibly fault someone for one less engaging book in a series that contain the other two highly engaging books? Good grief, she hooked countless readers of all ages with those. So in the end, it's the series as a whole that gets the gold star.