Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 390
Release Date: August 24, 2010
The final book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy, this new foiled edition of MOCKINGJAY is available for a limited period of time. Against 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.
After the relentless pace of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Collins brings everything to an almost grinding halt with Mockingjay. The trauma of everyday life in District 12 and living through two Hunger Games have finally caught up with the characters. Collins takes her time unraveling her characters’ mental states giving readers an intimate look at the trauma her world has inflicted.
Katniss has a hard time dealing with losing Peeta and what that means for her emotionally, the destruction of District 12, and Gale. All of this under the unrelenting trauma she’s had to endure.
The focus of Mockingjay is not the rebellion and the destruction of Panem under President Snow. Instead, it’s about the characters. Where the first two novels are story drive, Mockingjay is almost solely character driven.
Oh Finnick. Finnick is broken beyond repair and that becomes evident in Mockingjay. His story is only explored on a surface level, but it’s horrifying nonetheless. As much as I want Finnick’s story, I also don’t because of how gut wrenching it would be.
With Mockingjay, Collins allows readers to see Peeta in a different light. Collins always portrays Peeta as unconditional love. He always says the right thing, does the right thing, and supports Katniss in whatever way she needs despite his own needs. Peeta in Mockingjay is given some agency as he tries to reconcile his memories and what the Capitol did to him.
Overall, Mockingjay is a masterclass in character work. This is my third time rereading it and I’ve found a new appreciation for it. Though it differs greatly from the previous novels, Mockingjay gives readers the cold hard truth regarding the trauma the characters endured and the lasting effects.
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I have not read this since it came out so lots of the details are sketchy. But you’ve made me want to read it again. I keep remembering scenes from the movies but I’d rather have scenes from the books in my head instead😁
If I remember correctly, the movie was pretty faithful to the book but there still were some changes. It’s definitely worth rereading when you get the chance.