Genre: YA Dystopian
Rating: A-
For: Worldwide Book Club! :)
From: I bought it of course!
Okay, so I'm assuming that I've waited long enough now that most people have had time to read it! Still, I will separate this into spoilers and not.
First, a no spoiler (I hope) bit of a summary:
The book starts pretty much right where the Catching Fire ended... maybe a few weeks have elapsed. Katniss is still recovering from her latest experience in the Hunger Games and worrying about Peeta, whose fate we are soon to learn. She is being housed and protected by District 13, which we learn much more about in this book. From there, she must make a decision about what her role will be in the upcoming rebellion against the Capitol. From there, a bunch of twists and turns are revealed, of course, and we are a long for the ride!
SPOILERS (but vague ones)
Stuff I liked:
--Yes, there was more Gale! We saw a little bit more of his personality, saw him in action, heard his thoughts on the whole love triangle mess, felt his connection to Katniss. I wish there was more of that in Catching Fire.
-- Real, or not real.
-- Prim shining strong there for a bit.
-- Johanna (who I hardly remembered from the other book.)
-- Finnick, while he lasted.
-- the high jacking twist was interesting
-- though I was rooting for Gale, I'm still good with the outcome
Stuff I didn't like:
-- The ending... it felt very rushed and hurried and brushed over.
-- Gale's final resting place. Didn't make sense, didn't feel right.
-- Too many unanswered questions.
-- Prim, so not fair! Finnick! Also, not fair, and very down played too. Weird.
-- Sort of slow going. Not really much action except for that bit at the Capitol.... then suddenly it felt like these books again.
-- the loss of Katniss's spunk and spark
Bottom line: I don't know what to think!!! This book seriously left me feeling blah, sad, a little underwhelmed, confused. I don't know. Is this what happens when we look forward to a book just plain too much? I think a little bit it is. Still, I enjoyed it. I'm glad I was along for the ride, it was fun. The series remains amazing.
There's an awesome discussion going on over at Maw Books Blog. Many people weighing in on lots of Mockingjay issues. After reading them all, I'm even more mixed up in my thoughts. I especially find it fascinating how we can all read the same book and have so many different experiences. Some thought the romance was played up, some played down. Some thought wonderful character development, some thought it was terrible. Some were weepy and sad, others not much emotion. Some thought beautiful ending, others thought a terrible one!
Definitely the best part of this book is how it's getting people talking about books and the fun of reading a book with so many at once, yes, it's a worldwide book club! I love it.
Well, and so... what did you think?
still formulating my thoughts, though i can say that i didn't come away blah or disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI felt like there was a resistance to killing of Gale, because in a way, he is where people not unlike Coin/Plutarch war-/game-makers come from, he is the path Katniss didn't take.
Killing off Prim was necessary (and yes, I liked that she was more a personality in this last one). Prim has always been a primary motivator for Katniss to do something extreme/unexpected (ala signing up for the games), we also needed the casualty of a known innocent and genuinely good person...how effective was the loss of Rue.
I have to agree that the loss of Finnick was a bit sudden and underwhelming; but while he lasted he was wonderful.
what i have found fascinating about the series is that Katniss, though our main character and decision maker, has always seemed to come across as the lesser character. even the epilogue felt more a bout Peeta than Kat. usually (if not always) the other characters are there to develop the main character, not the other way around.
anywho.. i like your post on this book; your take and response. I, too, find the diverse experiences fascinating.
I'm going to have Talbie read this review. I haven't read the books but she finished the book and had the exact same feelings you had. She started her own little book blog and put a review on it. I told her about your blog and she's been LOVING IT! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with basically everything you said. I thought the ending was rushed, and while I did like the outcome, I just felt depressed when I finished. I had to find a happy book to read when I finished!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll always wonder what their new society is like. Maybe that's the point, but I think it will bug me if I spend too much time dwelling on it.
ReplyDeleteComtemplatrix: Thanks for all your comments! I'm glad you weren't disappointed. I'm still not sure how to describe my feelings about this one. Argh... crazy.
ReplyDeleteKnowles Family: That is very cool Talbie has started a blog! I will be a reading it, you tell her! :) I know a another young blogger that has a fabulous blog if she is interested in connecting with her too. But, I am sorry she didn't like the book.
Chantele: So, maybe it wasn't really that I was disappointed with the book, maybe it was just that it was sad and depressing.... hmmmm.
Melissa: Maybe she'll write more in this world, just with different characters. I bet it's quite the possibility.
I agree with you about the ending. It felt too contrived and I would have appreciated it if Gale had a more prominent role.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book and I understood the reasons behind a lot of the rushed, almost-different deaths and such. I posted a HUGE review about it today and I don't think I said half of what I wanted to say! There was just so much here.
ReplyDeleteI just finished it yesterday ... probably so I can read and participate in all the reviews!!!
ReplyDeleteI was never a die-hard fan of the series ... but I agree with a lot of what you wrote.
I just finished and so much to think about. All I know is I'm not going to read another book for a couple days. Usually when I read something so good and intense , then rush into a new book. I end up hating the new book.
ReplyDeleteGood review.