Mockingjay

Title : Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)

Writer : Suzanne Collins

Publisher : Scholastic

Synopsis :
My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

I like the story. I found this trilogy was a constant page-turner. Mockingjay was still awesome, the story was good, the plot also. And I think the writing had improved, the pace was not too fast although I felt the last part was not long enough, especially after Katniss killed President Coin. Bla bla bla... and then bam she came back home without punishment. 

In this book, I found that the characters became dull and somewhat strange. Like Gale. I thought he was the cool one, always in control, but also gentle. Here, I found him heartless and ignorant. He was also quite talkative and humorous like Peeta, I sometimes couldn't find the differences in the way those two talked. He seemed not understand Katniss anymore. Maybe that was because of Katniss herself whose mental was broken down. But I thought Gale as her bestfriend could always be dependable. I didn't like his eagerness in designing bombs and his coldness in deciding enemies' fate in District 2.
 
Furthermore, I found Katniss had changed. She was not that strong and cool girl in previous books. She became defensive, sad, and crazy wounded animals with a lot of nightmares. Well, I could not blame her to be such a person. I meant with all the things that happened to her, it was surprising she still had sanity. The Hunger Games were too much. And some more Peeta was abducted and abused inhumanly. However, I didn't like the way she treated Peeta after she found out he was not the same person anymore.
 
I hated how Finnick and Prim died. Those two characters were so lovable and it was cruel how they died. 

Well, at least Peeta was alive. I always liked him, although maybe it was because he was so unlucky and pathetic that it made me concern about him. I didn't know how he could still maintain his cheerful and easy-going style after what happened. The abuse, the lost of all his family, the feeling of being alone...
 
I think this kind of story is too unbearable, too bloody, too cruel for me. It made me awake at night replaying all the scenes in my head. How sad all the characters were. They were all damaged by the war and the rebellion.
 
“Now we're in that sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.” 

The ending was not enough for me. Gale left without words. Just like that. Katniss chose Peeta because he was the only choice. I knew she loved him but Suzanne Collins never described her feelings and with such short endings I couldn't help thinking that everything was forced. Or maybe Katniss was the solitary type, she didn't need boys at all. She was incapable in expressing love, the sullen and the bitter girl unable to trust the world surrounding her because it had tortured her in such a young age. As Gale said, Katniss would choose the one she could not survive without. And it was Peeta all along. Although she didn't deserve him. Such affection, dedicated love from Peeta was not exchanged in equal manner.
 
Four stars!!!

I'm glad the series are over. It was better than Twilight, of course. Can't wait for the movie :D  

"She loves you, you know," says Peeta. "She as good as told me after they whipped you."

"Don't believe it," Gale answers. "The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell... well, she never kissed me like that."

"It was just part of the show," Peeta tells him, although there's an edge of doubt in his voice.

"No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that's the only way to convince her you love her." There's a long pause. "I shoud have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then."

"You couldn't," says Peeta. "She'd never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life."

"Well, it won't be an issue much longer. I think it's unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, I guess it's Katniss' problem. Who to choose."

"Yeah. I wonder how she'll make up her mind."

"Oh, that I do know. Katniss will pick whoever she think she can't survive without."

...That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that. 

As always, dreamer is always sad when everything is over... No more Hunger Games...


:)