Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

When I finished reading The Hunger Games, I didn't think that it needed a sequel. When I read Catching Fire, I couldn't believe that the sequel was as good as, if not better than, the first novel. Of course, this puts a lot of pressure on Mockingjay, the final book in the series.

Not surprisingly, Mockingjay cannot possibly match the first two novels in spirit or plot. And plot is the key to my enjoyment of this series. I'm not in love with Katniss or Peeta; I'm in love with the Hunger Games and all of the action surrounding them. When the Games are over, what is there for me to love?

The aftermath of the Games is fairly predictable: the rebels have Katniss, and the Capitol has Peeta. Obviously, the two victors will be used against each other. But as I've said, the Games are over, so where's the fun? All that's left is a bunch of training and fighting in their wacky world.

For me, Mockingjay couldn't possibly be as great as the first two novels in the trilogy. Collins provides the reader with a mediocre conclusion, which I neither loved nor hated.

9/11/10