Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins ☆☆☆☆

I just finished this book the night before last and I've been considering my review ever since. I gave the first two books of the series 5 stars each, and yet on this one I only gave it 4. I had to repeatedly question why I was taking away from the score like I was.

I mean, there are things I love about this book. Out of the three it was the only one to make me cry. Without being spoilery, I cried about halfway through the book when Katniss realized what it meant to break. And I was bawling uncontrollably at the end, especially with the cat. Those that have read the book will understand these well.

Basically it came down to this... I didn't like a lot of the things that happened in the book, but it's a book about a war and needless to say people will be lost. I'm actually coming to the conclusion I need to stop reading books where a war breaks out (especially after Harry Potter). The more I thought about it though, it wasn't why it lost a star. Even if I didn't like certain scenes, I have to admit that they are necessary to the story. No matter how sad that makes me.

My gripe with this book came in the last chapter or two. Time moved WAY too quickly. Days, weeks, and months were skipped over in the course of one sentence. And this seemed to happen every other page. It was driving me crazy because so much could have been done in that space. Besides all the wasted time, it was entirely focused on Katniss and I hated not seeing what happened with the other characters. I invested so much time in all the other characters besides her to never see their actions in the end.

In the end, there was so much that could have happened that was left out and so much I wanted to know that was never answered. It lost a star because I wasn't satisfied. That doesn't change the fact though that it was an amazing series and I'd read it again in a heartbeat. Can't wait for the movies!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins ☆☆☆☆☆

A lot of second books end up being nothing more than filler to get the reader from the excitement of book 1 to the finale of book 3, this book didn't follow that schema. Catching Fire was equally thrilling and well developed as Hunger Games, in some aspects perhaps more so. I expected to be entertained by this book, but I did not expect to be filled with more anxiety than the first book. If it was hard enough to put down Hunger Games, it was impossible for the sequel.

In Hunger Games, you ask a lot of questions involving "how is that possible" or "what if this happens instead" trying to get to the ending that our happily ever after wiring that has been programmed into us. And while those questions are answered, they come back ten fold in this book, just as puzzling and painstaking as before, with twists and turns no one could have anticipated. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I probably would. I can't wait to finally pick up the last installment!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ☆☆☆☆☆

Wow! I don't know what else to say except that I regret not picking this book up sooner. I'm thankful I had so many people pushing me to put it at top of my to-be-read stack and reading it as soon as possible. I was blown away.

I've been really caught up in dystopian societies and this one comes from a whole new level. After the first two chapters I was rightfully nauseated. It reminded me of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson that I read in high school and has stuck with me every day since because of its brutality and horror.

But it didn't stay that way... I easily got caught up in the little details with Katniss and would often let the "reality" of the situations just as she would. I got so caught up in the survival mode that I literally felt like I was in the book. When I finished the second part, my heart was beating so loud in my ears that I couldn't sleep. I ended up turning my lamp back on and reading until I felt myself calm.

It isn't often that I lose myself so entirely in a book and it is the most amazing experience of reading a book. I'm thinking of buying the next book at putting it at the top of my TBR stack above books that have been waiting a very long time, just so I can get a taste of the world and the story again. This book is definitely a must read for anyone that hasn't already picked it up. I can't wait to see how the movie transforms everything!