A review by kenzieburns
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The final installment of The Hunger Games series was similar to the first book in that it was quite average. I remember reading this book when I was younger and thinking Katniss was really whiney, and this still stands true after my re-read as an adult. My perspectives shifted a little bit and I think I have a bit more sympathy for her now than I did as a teen, but I still felt let down by all Katniss amounts to be in the final book. On the surface, I get what Collins was trying to do: the symbolism of Katniss moving from a tribute in Snow's games to the figurehead of the war is not lost on me. However, for all that Katniss is made out to be as the narrator of these books, I felt like Collins could have given her more credit for her own actions and decisions in the books. As a figurehead, I kept expecting Katniss to do something that would reveal the similarities between Snow and Coin to the masses, thus turning the rebels against both presidents and leaving everyone to rally with Katniss and Peeta and Haymitch for something more just than either Coin or Snow's regimes. Also, I felt like everything with Peeta in this book was just lazy writing. Collins didn't want to have to develop the love triangle while also writing about the war, so she just tossed Peeta to the Capitol and then made him insane when he was rescued. Also, the rescue mission?? So glossed over, should have been a much bigger plot point. And finally, sending Peeta into the Capitol fighting on Katniss' squad didn't really make any sense, even if the goal was to get Peeta to kill Katniss for Coin. Like, why would someone in his condition even get sent to war at all in the first place? I think there should have been some other secret plot if Coin really wanted to kill Katniss because sending Peeta didn't make any sense from any strategy perspective. 
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