Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I honestly don’t know what to put here. I think that’s a compliment, hope it is anyway. I spent most of this novel leaning forward, as if that would get me to the end quicker. I don’t know how many times I said, “She’s [Collins] isn’t really doing that…” when it was very clear she was.
Yet the book as a whole (even most of the time I was reading it) I felt a mixture of pleasure and disappointment. I really don’t think that Collins could’ve done better, I don’t think there was any way to stick the landing. The setup over the first two novels created expectations that were too high — a plot that couldn’t be wrapped up in just one book (but I don’t think 2 would’ve done it either, then she would’ve had to resort to filler, I think).
So let me put it this way…did we get honest character growth/development? Yup.
Did we get to spend more time with people we’ve grown to like? Yup.
Did we see man’s cruelty to man clearly displayed? Yup.
Did we get a conclusion (however unsatisfying or sad) to every storyline? Yup.
Pretty much what we would want to see from a conclusion. Was it the ending that I wanted? No. Was it the ending that I feared we’d get? Thankfully, no. Can’t complain about that.
The most redeeming thing about this series (which, please don’t get me wrong, I loved) is the commentary on the relations between media, government actions (military and otherwise) and entertainment/distraction of the masses. I don’t think Collins said anything new, but she said it pretty darn effectively. And no one needs to think about these things more than the series’ target demographic.
Read Irresponsibly, but please Comment Responsibly