Mockingjay

This is way overdue.

I waited months on end for the final book in the trilogy, and when Mockingjay was finally released, one would expect me to have posted my reaction right away.

So where was I?

Or, some would wonder, was the book THAT bad?

To answer the second question first, no, the book was worth the wait. But I would have to say that it was not as likable as the first two books were. In the first few chapters of Mockingjay, you get the feeling that something is being set-up and developed. I re-read Hunger Games and Catching Fire to put my finger on why I felt the beginning of Mockingjay dragged. Well, I found out that there were some twists in the plot that needed time to stew. My advise to those who would read the book is to consider it in the light of the entire trilogy. It is more effective and less heartbreaking this way.

My only beef here is that Peeta so much less likable. It was as though Suzanne Collins drew up this perfect hero, and then just when all you ever wanted was to have someone like Peeta in your life, she tears him all apart. Suzanne redeems him in the end, but then you know that he isn't perfect anymore.

But I guess that is the exact point of Suzanne Collins. No one who has to go through what Katniss and Peeta and the rest of the characters did could end up alright. At best, you could have Haymitch. In fact, you could even call him the best-balanced mentally of the lot. The worse you could have is Annie, broken and mad, but redeemed in the end with a beautiful baby.

And I guess, that's the second point: no matter how life batters you, there is still some hope in the end, a point of redemption, a dandelion that lets you know that rebirth is possible.