Rica and I have just finished Mockingjay, the final book to The Hunger Games trilogy. This book is the type that needs to be discussed! If you want to discuss this book, spoilers included, please comment!
We'd love to know what everybody thinks! Rants, praise, and tirades are welcome! :)
To see what we thought of this book, CLICK HERE!
To see what we thought of this book, CLICK HERE!
Warning: THE COMMENTS SECTION WILL HAVE SPOILERS
Anyhoo, to begin:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading many reviews, the epilogue seems to be the most controversial part of the book. At first I HATED it, but now I find it a really fitting way to end Mockingjay. A sweet, happy Disney ending would have ruined the trilogy.
What did you think about Katniss saying yes to a second Hunger Games? I was hundred percent sure she was going to say “no”, and I wanted to scream at her when she said “yes”. Now, I think she probably did that to kill President Coin later, and Coin wouldn't have let her assassinate Snow if Katniss said “no”, thus she would never have had the chance to kill Coin. When I went back and reread that segment, I am more sure of this theory, that Katniss's murder of Coin was premeditated opposed to a quick decision.
I felt that Collins let Gale disappear a little too easily. It's really out of character for him to walk away and never visit Katniss in District 12, even if they were growing apart throughout the book. Katniss sort of ended up with Peeta by default. If Gale had stuck around, then there might have been more romantic conflict. What Gale said rings true “Katniss will pick whoever she can't survive without” (probably wrong wording).
Prim's death was really ironic. She sort of symbolized the whole cause of the rebellion, the reason why Katniss volunteered for the first Hunger Games. After all Katniss goes through to preserve her sister, I never suspected that Prim would die. While many call Prim's death unnecessary, I see it as a vital point in the plot. It's what really throws Katniss over the edge and sees Coin in her true light. The scene where the cat comes back to District 12 triggered the most emotion in me, because it made me realize that Prim would never come back. I think that was the saddest scene in the whole trilogy.
I see Prim's death almost the same way as Hedwig's - probably avoidable but definitely meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI almost cried when Hedwig died, but I felt nothing when Prim died to be honest. I actually liked that Prim died. It made the book more realistic and complete.
ReplyDeleteWhat really bothered me about the epilogue is the cliche of the children. Blond with gray eyes and dark haired with blue eyes? I doubt something like that would seriously happen. It would make more sense if their hair turned out to be a muddled brown, a mixture of dark and blonde. The children were too perfect and beautiful and that bothered me for some reason hahaha.
I feel really bad for all those "Team Gale" people out there for he basically just got cut. Though I do favor Peeta more, I felt that Collins should've mentioned Gale's fate too. I would've felt better if he met some other girl or something because surely he deserves someone special too? Johanna maybe.
I felt terrible that Finnick had to die. One of the only happy parts in the whole book was his and Annie's wedding, and now she's all alone, still a little crazy, left with their son. Though I'm sure that some main characters had to die for the sake of the realism of the novel, I still couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
@cories - Nice comparison! Prims death does remind me of Hedwig's death; they died to make the main character move forward.
ReplyDelete@Reeks Eat World (whay?) Those genetics are seriously unlikely for children with parents like Katniss and Peeta. What bugs me is that Katniss never even mentions their names. What I loved about the Harry Potter epilogue was that Harry named all his children after important people in his life. Katniss's children shall remain nameless forever.
Collins left Gale's future ending with a dot dot dot... What job did he get? Why did he never see Katniss? These questions don't seem to have answers, since Collins avoided explaining them.
I'm also really mad about Finnick. His death is unnecessary and it didn't contribute anything to the story, unlike Prim's death. Cinna's tragic faith was also left a little unexplained.
Another big question I have: Why did Katniss kill Coin? It was either out of vengeance for District 13 killing Prim, or it was for the good of Panem since Coin would be hosting another Hunger Games? I like to believe it was also for also for good of the whole country, but Collins never makes it clear.
ReplyDeleteI was really sad about Prim's death, her death basically shows how war kills the innocent people. Finnick's death made me feel numb because I was Team Finnick! (As in, he should get Annie which he did~) And I know as this is a war novel, people have to die, but I really wanted to jump into the story and drag Finnick away from his death. Honestly I know that this is the ending that suits the trilogy best this is how her narrative works but damn it, this was one of the times I really disliked it because Katniss isn't much of a teller so I felt cheated about not knowing what happened to Gale (he's my favorite character xD so I had to know what happened to him!) and what happens to the future of Panem, and the geography of it because I liked things being explained to me or shown. At first I despised, but after reading over it again I'm still happy about this book although it wasn't my favorite due to really high expectations I had, haha. Also, I wish there was more to Cinna's death because I missed him a lot in this book.
ReplyDeleteAnd by despise I mean I didn't like Mockingjay and now that you mention Coin's death, I think that she died because Coin wasn't better than Snow because the world would be the same if there was another Hunger Games and lots of painful memories to bear with it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wish the ending was longer because there would be fluff so we could see the old Peeta again you know. I'm quite curious about who she would've chosen instead of the choice being made for her on the love triangle.
@gabrywrites - Your mention of Panem's geography makes me think: Collins should have included a map in her book! I was surprised to learn that Katniss, Peeta, and Gale have southern accents (yes, District 12 is located in Tennessee), since that's not at all how I imagined them to sound like. Who knows where the other Districts are located?
ReplyDeleteSome fluff in the epilogue would have been nice, but it is risky since it could have had a completely different effect on the book. Mockingjay is the antonym of fluff.
I agree with all your points gabrywrites. I wonder if Peeta is any different at all after he got hijacked. Maybe he still had random spasms, but thanks to Collins clarity, the world may never know.
ReplyDeleteI also HATED how Cinna died so early and they revealed his fate to me so suddenly! I didn't even have time to grieve for his sufferings!
Cinna's fate also wasn't very clear!! Sometimes, Katniss frustrates me as a narrator. I wish she would explain more about the futures of other people, not just herself.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what happened to Haymitch? He just disappeared.
ReplyDeleteYeah I didn't like how Haymitch ended up. He just went back to his house in the Victors Village and started drinking again.
ReplyDeleteIf only Katniss's character was more inquisitive, because then she would quest for answers that us as readers are curious about.
I personally like how Haymitch ended up. It shows how people will always stay the same in the end. It can be argued that Katniss herself changed a lot, and although that is very true I think she stayed herself in the most basic sense: she pulls through.
ReplyDeleteKatniss is a girl of survival and that never changes.
I also like that Collins didn't give Katniss' children names. It leaves readers room for interpretation. Also, throughout Mockingjay, Katniss is constantly defining herself by the names of people whose deaths lie on her shoulders.
Somehow I feel like names are a painful thing for Katniss.
Maybe that's just me.
Okapi, KATNISS KILLED COIN BECAUSE IT WAS COIN WHO SENT THE PARACHUTES THAT KILLED PRIM! and of course being Katniss, she wanted revenge.
ReplyDeletealso, I'm really sorry for everyone who was on team Gale cause he pretty much just doesn't matter anymore in the end of the book...
Meera is team gale. she must be devastated HAHAHA
ReplyDeletei thought gale was the one who designed the bombs who killed prim?
ReplyDeleteMy main two problems with this finale to the series were Finnick's death and Katniss as a 'hero'. Suzanne Collins worked so hard to make the readers like Finnick, by having him reunite with Annie, and by him revealing that Snow sold him as a prostitute by threat. He became more and more of an essential part of the group to the point where he was almost equal with Gale and Peeta. Collins could have easily written that he had escaped the underground tunnel, but she killed Finnick for no reason at all.
ReplyDeleteMy other issue: Katniss does very little actual work. She mostly shoots 'propos', wakes up half-drugged in the hospital, and feels sorry for herself. She had a realization on the phnoe with Haymitch that she shouldn't blame Peeta for his hijacking, but other than being a bit nicer she didn't grow at all since the beginning of the first book. She should have learned a lesson about being strong at the end of the book, but instead she just sulked while Greasy Sae cooked for her until Peeta came to the rescue.
I still liked the series as a whole but I was dissapointed by Mockingjay.
I sensed dreadful that Finnick had to die. One of the only satisfied areas in the whole guide was his and Annie's marriage, and now she is all alone, still a little insane, remaining with their son. Though I'm sure that some primary figures had to die for the benefit of the authenticity of the novel, I still couldn't help but experience a pang of unhappiness.
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