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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Mockingjay

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York : Scholastic Press, 2010. ISBN: 0439023513. $17.99
As the final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Mockingjay brutally and beautifully ends the struggle Katniss Everdeen has had against the Capitol.
Mockingjay begins with Katniss, Gale, and some of the remaining residents of bombed-out District 12, now far below the earth's surface in the massive underground world of District 13. As Katniss is brought into the war District 13 is planning against the Capitol, Katniss must return to her Hunger Game persona, the mockingjay. It is an emblem for the inhabitants of Paneam that they do not have to allow the Capitol to control them. She is a symbol of hope and freedom. Yet, Katniss realizes that there are some who are willing to exploit her popularity, and use her for their own gains. The truth Katniss must discover is who is true to the cause of the war and who is using her in order to gain their own opportunities for power.


Then there's the love triangle Katniss is always in, between her best friend Gale and the boy who has always loved her, Peeta. Yet, all of their relationships have drastically changed since the last book, Catching Fire. Peeta is a prisoner of the Capitol and obviously in pain and anguish as he is submitted to tortures that are hinted about when President Snow airs his warnings to the rebels over the national televised network. Gale, on the other hand, is with Katniss in District 13. He is by her side, most of the time, but he is also absent more and more while is working with Beete and District 13 on secret weapons to use against the impending battles with the Capitol.

So Katniss is left with now not knowing who to trust and no one to really talk to about her fears. She does not know what 13 is truly planning. While Gale is there with her in 13 and always by her side, just like he was when they were back in District 12 five years ago, she is plagued with not knowing if she will ever get to see Peeta again. She is drowning in her guilt that so many people have died, and more will soon perish, because her actions of spurred an uprising. However, Katniss is the mockingjay because she cannot tolerates the Capitol’s deadly control over Paneam. She is a true rebel, but will her actions be worth the war that will take place because her personal vendetta against President Snow is now a war for the rebels of Paneam?

Collins truly ended her trilogy perfectly. I have to say that I cried at the end because the conclusion was perfect, and the fact that I did not want the story to end. This is a truly brilliant set of works that cover so many themes, such as sacrifice, friendship, morality, death, family, etc. Paneam is a violent and brutal place that uses death as a way to control the population. Yet, they never thought that a girl from the poorest district would fight so hard for her family and friends, so much in fact that the entire country is now embattled in a bitter and cruel war. Collins spares no one from the heartache of the battle. Everyone will lose something or someone before the dust settles and either the Districts or the Capitol wins control.

If you have not read the Hunger Games trilogy, I highly recommend going to your local library and get started.  Here is the list of books, in order:

The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins has received the follwoing critical acclaim for this trilogy:
  • New York Times Notable Children's Book
  • ALA Notable Children's Book
  • ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
  • ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers

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