Waterstones Mockingjay

Author: J.P.Gomes

Rating: 5

Review: Considering that deep down we all cherish freedom and the liberties it entails, that was what drove me in picking up the third and last chapter of the "Hunger Games" trilogy. I felt there was no room for a stalemate between totalitarian Panem and District 13 that, allegedly, as its opponent had to stand for freedom. Deliberately centering my account of the final chapter on Katniss and Peeta, here's a possible approach: A somewhat confused Katniss visits the ruins of District 12, her home, following her rescue from the arena by a District 13 hovercraft! 13 not only exists but is taking on Snow's Capitol and helping out the rebellion in the other Districts. Led by President Coin, it is a functional society as any, though with a militaristic touch given the circumstances of being the sole District that escaped the Capitol's rule! Thus is the opening of the final chapter of the "Hunger Games" trilogy. She soon learns that she's expected to help in the war effort by being the Mockingjay, the rebel unifying symbol, to which she agrees on the grounds that the other remaining victors, Peeta included, aren't liable for future criminal prosecution and that she gets to kill Snow in the event of a rebel victory. Thus, she joins the rebel "propos", (ads for the cause). These "propos" get her to the frontline, where real scenarios with which she's more comfortable and more natural in performing, aren't in short supply. All the while, Peeta is in Snow's hands and most likely subject to torture. Nevertheless, in an elusive manner, he finds a way of warning District 13 of an imminent attack. Katniss, among many, survives thanks to this warning. Gradually parting herself from Gale by now, she sets herself a new objective; free Peeta! On the frontline, District 2 falls to the rebels and with it the outward state of the art military base known as the "Nut". A major and decisive blow to the Capitol, no doubt. Henceforth, the "road" to the Capitol is an open one! Peeta's successfully rescued. Katniss seeks him only to find a "hijacked Peeta" that tries to choke her to death! Peeta, the doctors say, has been brainwashed through the administration of tracker jacker venom! Unable to differentiate right from wrong, a recovery, though possible, will be a long one. Meanwhile, a besieged Capitol awaits the inevitable and unthinkable a mere year ago; its defeat! Katniss wants to join the fighting in the Capitol liberation. For that military training follows, only to give way to more disappointment; she's to integrate Squad 451, a camera crew squad that is meant to shoot fabricated footage of the Capitol's invasion to boost rebel moral through to all out victory. Again, no real action for soldier Everdeen! However, this is the best hope that she has of getting to the Capitol and kill Snow! And so she does. On a mission to collect footage that mimics real combat in the streets of the Capitol, danger looms. Self or remote activated disguised pods hold deadly perils. Peacekeepers are also in the vicinity. Things go wrong. Squad 451 suffers its first casualties. It's her chance! Making the others believe she's on a secret mission for President Coin, she successfully rallies them in joining her. NOTE: To the reader of this "Hunger Games" account a warning: Should you intend to read the trilogy's final chapter, DO NOT proceed in reading this account for it'll spoil your future reading. Slowly but steadily they proceed through the relative safety of the Capitol's sewage network. Snow's mansion is just a few blocks away. In the process, more casualties within Squad 451 follow. The final battle is on. Civilians flock in their hundreds to the President's mansion in hope of finding shelter from the fighting. Among them Katniss! She's now on the mansion's gates only to be yet wounded again and, worse than that, witness her sister's death! Prim was now an auxiliary medic that in the midst of the battle for Snow's mansion, (Capitol's last bastion loyal to him), rushes to aid children under attack by a Capitol hovercraft. She's killed in the process. Turns out Prim and the children were deemed expendable by the rebel army that, at the time, manned the Capitol hovercraft, though they were unaware of Prim's presence! A way to hasten the war to its end, they said! Later on Katniss is released from hospital. Snow, now imprisoned by the rebels in his own mansion, is tried and sentenced to death. Katniss fulfills her pledge and kills him. She may now finally rest and properly mourn Prim! She's sent back home and with her other survivors; District 12 is, has always been, their home after all! Peeta is among them too. One final edition of the Hunger Games is voted. The reaping will consider children from Snow's Capitol! A way to serve Justice. Elections follow. Coin's successor is sworn in. Freedom has prevailed. Tyranny lost. Years later, in the former Victor's Village in District 12, "mom Katniss" and "daddy Peeta" now form a happy ordinary couple committed to raising their children and ensuring that history does not repeat itself! A great summer read for all!

Author: A

Rating: 3

Review: The book, I feel, contradicts a lot of the two previous ones. The first one was one of the best books i've ever read, the second was good, the third really isn't good at all. There were so many loose ends it's not even funny. In some ways I really do wish I hadn't read this final book. I understand Collins message 'war isn't pretty", I get that and I certainly don't have a problem with that. Heck, i'd have probably been happier if she chose to have had a nuclear fallout - to me that would have been far more realistic. My problem isn't WHAT happened, it's HOW it happened. Rushed, no explanations, no time dedicated to characters, no time to deal with the highest climaxes. It's like she couldn't think of anything so just thought "Oh...well i'll make someone die here...and here...and here", that will make it acceptable, that will shock all the readers and keep it unpredictable!! You really do need more in a book than simply just killing people off. ANY old person can write a book like that. I think that's why so many of us are a bit upset, we feel cheated, we feel we've invested a lot of our time into something and not gotten back from the author. -- SPOILERS -- Kaitness: The girl who stood up to the capital on her own in the first book, who shot an arrow, planted flowers around Rue. She was a pawn but an unwilling pawn. In 13 she even hates being in controlled with the schedule and plans...and yet it doesn't take her long to bow down and allow herself to be painted and showcased, something she hated in the capital. She becomes a willing pawn and this just isn't who Kaitness is. Countless times it says her strongest personality trait is her fire and passion. WHERE DID THAT GO? Some will say 'That's war that does that to you' and if that were the case and it was conveyed properly, i'd have no problem, but it WASN'T. And WHY after all that effort of saving Prim, does in the 3rd book, she practically ignore her sisters welbeing? Just goes off happilly fighting everywhere with no thought on how her sister was going to feel if she died. Kaitness put her sister first, before everyone, even herself and her own needs. That changes. I don't think I really need to go into Kaitness anymore because enough people here have expressed it far better than I could. Rebellion: REALLY? If it was THAT easy to take over how did it take so long? I can't imagine the Capital which as guns galore and is virtually against tribes would have been taken down in LESS THAN A YEAR!! And a year in which the only attack from the Capitol we see is one bomb attack on thirteen, the central hub of the rebellion. I think they'd have been trying a hell of a lot more to have taken that down... Rescue of peter: Again. REALLY? How was it THAT easy to break in and get Peter? The only reason they give is "well, the capitol may have wanted us to have him" - but then why not take Gale? Break him too because that would have really gotten Kaitness. This whole part could have been a whole Chapter on the mission, in-fact Gale could have been captured and then publically executed, leaving Kaitness in tornment at the fact Gale went for her and died for her (and people keep dying for her). But nothing exciting happened, it was a few pages and a 'oh we got him!' Prim: WHY and HOW was Prim there? What was the point, really? In a place where there's 1000:1 wounded to doctors why would they send Prim? It even said in pages that Prim was well above her class as a medic and for this reason I dont think they'd have wanted to send her to her death. There was nothing to gain, they didn't win one of Kaitness, there was nothing at all to gain and if there was, this was not explained or conveyed. Boring & Rushed: Really did find myself skipping parts and having to force myself to go back and re-read. And then there were times I had no idea what was going on, so I went back a few pages to re-read thinking i'd missed something, only to realise I hadn't and things were just not explained properly. Ending: rushed epilogue, kaitness makes no real choices between Gale and Peter and just takes the one that's there. And this whole nonsense about not having children was because of the capitol, which is now fallen, so I can't see Kaitness being so against it but watever, she lets someone else make the choice for her, a theme so heavy in this final book. Perl: The perl that Kaitness was carrying around with her, what happened with that? I really do feel like there should be a 4th book to tie everything up or this final one should have been spread over 2 books.