MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games #3 – Book Review

Mockingjay (Hunger Games Book 3)  Synopsis

Mockingjay, Hunger Games Book 3 Suzanne CollinsAgainst all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final instalment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. 

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BOOK REVIEW

In the final instalment to the dystopian Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, our heroine Katniss Everdeen is forced to grow up. The dangers she and her compatriots face are less contrived, the baddies act with greater malice and the relationship problems are more mature.

Having thoroughly enjoyed audiobook narrator Carolyn McCormick’s delivery of Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I chose to complete the series in audio. Again McCormick delivers a heartfelt and stirring performance. I was particularly moved by a scene in which Katniss visits a hospital ward full of District 8 residents.

Suzanne Collins’ novel Mockingjay does not reach the same dizzying heights of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but as the finale of one of the most entertaining trilogies I have read, it remains a must read.

While I appreciate Suzanne Collins efforts to move away from the popular but reliable formula of the first two novels to add depth to the trilogy, I think the execution of Mockingjay fell short in a couple of respects. The addition of dark and depressing subject matter was a little heavy handed at times, lacking the writing finesse of previous novels. Also, while I know the dystopian genre grants much poetic licence, in my opinion, there were some instances where the puzzle pieces did not quite fit. And the ending – I think more could have been done. Was Collins under pressure to publish the Mockingjay manuscript before it was truly ready?

Despite my misgivings, much of them set against my very high expectations, if you have read the cliffhanger ending of Catching Fire then you must complete the experience by reading Mockingjay. I am so glad I decided to bow to popular opinion and read The Hunger Games trilogy – it is a series to let yourself be swept away by – pure entertainment and uncompromising pace.

BOOK RATING: The Story 3.5 / 5 ; The Writing 3 / 5  — Overall 3.25

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Genre: Action-Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi-Fantasy, Audio, Thriller, Young Adult

Suzanne Collins Mockingjay Book Quote

About the Author, Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins is an American television writer and novelist. Check out Suzanne Collins website for her work in children’s media prior to becoming a best-selling author.

Suzanne Collins reads Chapter 1 of Mockingjay >>

Source: Scholastic (Youtube)

Other reviews of Mockingjay

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Other titles by Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, The Underland Chronicles