Library of Clean Reads: The Hunger Games Trilogy

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Rated: V)
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0439023511
Published Aug 24, 2010
Hardcover, 400 pages

So this trilogy finally comes to an end. *sigh of relief* Yes, I found these books fascinating but what an emotional roller-coaster ride! I’ve had this book on my bookshelf since its release, but I hesitated reading it soon after I finished Catching Fire (Book 2). I had a feeling of what was to come. And I needed a break between the two books.

Catching Fire ends with the exposure of the brewing rebellion and the start of a war between the citizens of the Districts of Panem and The Capitol. It also ends on the note that Katniss has been used as a pawn as the Games extended to more than just what happened in the arenas. Mockingjay picks up from there and now the story unfolds in how the rebels will conquer The Capitol. It’s hard to write a review without including spoilers but I will try.

Katniss is the same, yet broken in this story. She suffers from post-traumatic stress, shock, and depression. This aspect of the story is realistic but perhaps not expected of the strong Katniss we meet in The Hunger Games (Book One). She never asked to be the Mockingjay but was thrust with this responsibility, and I think she does her best, considering her situation and circumstances. The most courageous thing she does is at the end of the story, and although there is a twist, I wasn’t surprised. It’s clear that in a war, everyone loses and both sides play dirty.

Contrary to many, I did like the ending. Some readers found it anti-climactic and I can certainly understand why. Others felt that Katniss doesn’t get to choose between Gale and Peeta, but that’s not true. As the book neared its end, I knew whom she would end up with just by her actions and words spoken with either one of them. Both Gale and Peeta represented two schools of thought on how to handle the war and Katniss was caught in-between. Collins does an amazing job in keeping both Gale and Peeta true to their characters throughout all three books. One of them knew subconsciously with whom Katniss could live the rest of her life and so he leaves. His agenda was different from Katniss’s. Collins did prepare the readers for this. But she also sidetracked us by what happened to Peeta. So we were kept guessing, but the clues were there.

As with the first two books, there is much violence and psychologically disturbing scenes. It’s not an easy trilogy to read. People you care about die and there is cold-blooded killing and gruesome deaths. I will definitely NOT watch the movie when it comes out. I strongly urge parents to read this trilogy before handing it to their teens. It’s thought-provoking but I would not recommend it for teens who are sensitive or who suffer from depression. The ending is bittersweet and hopeful but the lack of divine intervention only stresses the fact that mankind will botch any warlike effort to reform this world. Only God can do that.

I will count this book toward the following challenges: TwentyEleven Challenge, YA Reading Challenge, and the Dystopian Challenge

Disclosure: Thanks to Nikole Kritikos from Scholastic Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins (Rated: V)
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0439023498
Published Sept 1, 2009
Hardcover, 391 pages

After reading The Hunger Games, I just had to read the second book in this trilogy. How could I not, after the explosive beginning that gripped me from start to finish? If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, then don’t read Catching Fire yet. It really is a continuation of where the first book left off. Wondering whether to begin this trilogy at all? Read my review of The Hunger Games. It might help you decide if you want to read it.

Things have changed after the Hunger Games, especially after their unheard of and historic ending. Katniss and Peeta return home but victory is bittersweet. Katniss’ relationship with Gale is no longer the same and Katniss doesn’t really know where she stands in her relationship with Peeta. The Capitol is angry and a rebellion is brewing. What’s going to happen? I won’t say, of course, but the stage is set for an explosive ending I’m sure, which is why I can’t wait to read Mockingjay, the last book in this trilogy to see how it all ends.

The suspense builds toward the middle of the book, and as is Collins trademark, there are twists and turns so that you aren’t certain of what will happen until the very end. The characters stay true to who they are, and new ones are introduced. The title suits the story well and is understood only if you’ve read the first book. The ending drops a bomb, leaving the reader suspended and wanting to keep reading. Nothing will be the same from now on. I am desperately hoping Mockingjay will bring it all to a satisfying finale.

If there was violence in the first book, this one has perhaps more because the stakes are higher. Again, as I stated in my review of The Hunger Games, I wouldn’t recommend this for young teens, especially if they are sensitive by nature. It’s not gory violence but psychologically disturbing at times. In a recent interview with Scholastic, Collins is asked this question: The trilogy’s premise is very brutal, yet is handled so tastefully. Was this a difficult balance to achieve?

She answers: "Yes, the death scenes are always hard to write. It’s difficult to put kids in violent situations—Gregor (the protagonist in The Underland Chronicles) is in a war, Katniss is in a gladiator game. Characters will die. It’s not fun to write, but I think if you can’t commit to really doing the idea, it’s probably better to work on another type of story.

Given that, you have to remember who you’re trying to reach with the book. I try and think of how I would tell a particularly difficult event to my own children. Exactly what details they need to know to really understand it, and what would be gratuitous."

I think this clarifies her intentions for writing a story with thematic violence. Apart from that, the story kept me hooked. I look forward to reading the next book, no doubt about it.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. I was not told how to rate or review this product.