Book Review: Mockingjay; Suzanne Collins.

I'm giving myself a great big pat on the back for finishing this series, because it took me far too long (though this is a recurring theme for a lot of series that I read). Ahead of the up and coming film release for the second film based on this book alone, I decided I wanted to be ahead of the game and read the conclusion before I watched it.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Mockingjay
AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins
SERIES: The Hunger Games (#3)
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 438
GENRE: Dystopian, Young Adult, Action, Romance

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But she's still not safe. A revolution is unfolding, and everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans - everyone except Katniss.

And yet she must play the most vital part in the final battle. Katniss must become their Mockingjay - the symbol of rebellion - no matter what the personal cost.


What I Liked:

• The second half of this book absolutely blew me away. It was action-packed, gripping and at times gasp-out-loud horrifying. There were a fair few plot-twists that I wasn't expecting either which really added to the drama and shock of it all. I wasn't really expecting them to happen, so when the did, I felt completely taken aback and very overly-emotional.
• I felt like Collins really showed off her writing skills in this one. It definitely had a much more mature feel to it, and I loved reading into some of the political symbolism and commentary on human behaviour that she subtly threw in to keep things interesting. This final instalment really impressed me because it felt like much more of a look at the bigger picture, not just Katniss' story. Panem felt like a much bigger place, and I loved the way that she wrote District 13. Military, organized and yet with small echoes of similarity to the Capitol in it's need for control on all aspects of the Residents lives.

What I Disliked:

• Despite a spectacular finish, the first half of the book really did it no favours. It didn't really feel like anything was actually happening, just a lot of decision-making and negotiating. Katniss did a fair amount of thinking during this portion of the story, and I felt that while she needed some time to reflect on her situation, her constant re-evaluation of it all got a bit tedious. In fact, she became a little whiny. On top of that, I found it hard to connect with or like the other characters surrounding her (Coin, Plutarch, etc.) and her tempestuous relationship with Gale frustrated me.

Overall Conclusion:

Though there was never a point that I could say I was outright bored with the story, the pace for the first half was excruciatingly slowly. There were a few minor twists to keep things moving but I didn't like the characters (bar Prim, who's massively grown up and showed a lot of development) and I found Katniss' thoughts and actions a little repetitive and predictable. The second half of the book really got to me on a level that I didn't expect, and more than made up for the lacklustre start with a heart-pounding, emotional ending. I can see why there are so many mixed responses to this book but in the end, the writing was consistently good throughout and the slow plot sped up into such a great finale that I couldn't not give it a high rating.

Book Review: Catching Fire; Suzanne Collins.

Though this isn't the most Christmassy of books, it ended up being the one I read over Christmas! I'm glad it was though, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am relieved that I finally managed to get through this book! I'll be entering it into the 2014 'Key Words' Challenge as the word 'Fire' is in the title, and I'll also use it as an extra 'Monthly Motif' entry. Why not?

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Catching Fire
AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins
SERIES: The Hunger Games (#2)
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 472
GENRE: Romance, Dystopian, Young Adult, 

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are still alive. Katniss should be relieved, but now there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.


As the nation watches Katniss and Peeta, the stakes are higher than ever. One false move and the consequences will be unimaginable.



What I Liked:

• In my last review I said I felt like this book was aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself, but I didn't get that feeling at all with this one! From start to finish, I was hooked: totally shocked and horrified as the Capitol exerted it's power over the Districts more and more. The language, themes and story just felt more mature this time around and it was nice to see Katniss growing up a bit.
• Speaking of Katniss, Suzanne Collins has such a talent for character writing! I remembered each and every one, despite the fact that I read the first book such a long time ago. Not only that, but the new characters made an impression on me just as easily. I felt like Collins had taken the time to develop her characters too. As I said, Katniss grew up and Peeta really came into his own here!
• The world-building had much improved from the first book (and it was fantastic then)! I feel that at this point, Collins really knows what she is doing and feels comfortable explaining the ins and outs of Panem's society, making it a believable world to read! The technology was interesting, the politics very intriguing and I just love the imagination that went into it all!

What I Disliked:

• I'm really not a huge fan of love triangles and I just can't get my head around this whole Katniss/Peeta/Gale thing. I have a soft spot for Peeta so of course I'm rooting for him all the way but the constant 'Who should I choose?' thing started to wear thin. I guess it adds something extra to the story but I hope it doesn't get so prominent that it gets in the way of the plot-line!

Overall Conclusion:

I loved the first book, but I loved the second one even more! Everything just felt a teensy bit better. Characters were well-written, I loved that the plot really emphasised the consequences of Katniss' actions in 'The Hunger Games' rather than let her get away with it. The end cliffhanger left me thirsty for more and I didn't get bored for even a second! The love triangle thing is a pretty minor dislike at the moment but I really want to get hold of 'Mockingjay' so that I can read more and make sure it doesn't become a major issue.

Book Review: The Hunger Games; Suzanne Collins.

I'm really managing to catch up with the rest of the world right now, I've finished The Hunger Games! Phew! I came into reading this book with a lot of expectations and I can't wait to share my thoughts a little more closely. Obviously I've watched the films and my impressions of those will probably impact upon this review. Hopefully not too much though! I will be entering this book into the 'Jumble Your Genres' challenge, as this month's chosen genre is Middle Grade books and I think this one just about fits into that category! The button for that can be found below this review!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Hunger Games
AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins
SERIES: The Hunger Games (#1)
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 454
GENRE: Romance, Dystopian, Middle Grade

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear on a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.



What I Liked:

• The atmosphere that Collins writes into this book is incredible. The idea of the Hunger Games seems loosely based on the Greek Myth, Theseus and the Minotaur. The idea that watching twenty four children aim to kill each other could be a form of entertainment to anyone is horrific and sent shudders down my spine. Collins' writing just really brings to light exactly how terrible this idea is. The Hunger Games aren't just a form of entertainment. They are a political message, serving to remind everyone that the Capitol are not to be rebelled against, and such a twisted idea is enough to make anyone feel sick.
• There was so much personality in the characters, which was vital for this book. In order for it's story to be hard-hitting, the reader needed to connect with and adore the characters involved because by the end of the book they would most likely be dead. Of course I was rooting for Katniss, the heroine of the story, but I liked Peeta, Rue, Thresh, even Foxface! I was constantly reminded of their (potentially) inevitable deaths and it was quite upsetting. Collins certainly did a fantastic job of making sure that the impossible situation was emotionally hard-hitting.
• Let's talk about Katniss for a bit. I loved her! I think she's a great heroine, a good role model as well! She's tough enough that she's independent and relies on no one else to baby her which I liked. At the same time, she was human. She made mistakes and she suffered for them. When an author writes their lead as too perfect this can get annoying but I didn't find myself irritated by Katniss once.

What I Disliked:

• The writing was a little simplistic at times. Now this is not an overly bad thing, it is aimed at a younger audience than myself and so I went into this book expecting as such. But I was so into the story I wished at times that it was aimed at my age group so that I could get a more detailed version! It wasn't so much the content, Collins certainly didn't shy away from writing about death (some rather gruesome) and adult subjects. It was more the writing style itself. Maybe I'm being greedy. I still loved it!

Overall Conclusion:

I spent the whole book trying very hard to separate it from the films and for the most part succeeded! I was so worried I would be disappointed, but I wasn't! It was such a good story, plenty of suspense that kept me on my toes and my eyes glued to the page, and the characters were written so well! If only it had been aimed at a slightly more mature audience I would have been so happy!