Mockingjay

I finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins a few days ago. I'm still not sure how I feel about it all. After I finished Catching Fire last month I started watching the countdown for Mockingjay to come out, and now I wish I had quit reading with all of the unknowns of book two.

She does a good job resolving the issue of the impending war. She also does a good job painting war as a horrible, life changing event. I guess I am unhappy with the ending of the book because Katniss is so scared by everything that has happened to her, which is actually realistic. No real teenager could endure what she endures without life altering scars. It is probably unprofessional of me to hope for more optimistic endings from my fiction. I am more than willing to criticize authors who tie things up a little too neatly-- which was my biggest criticism of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. So, I shouldn't criticize Collins for leaving things messy.

Overall, I think it is a good book and a compelling series. The books challenge readers to think about the status quo and what sacrifice may be necessary to change that. It looks at the horrors of taking things for granted, and the corruption of government, even "good" government.

I'm glad I read the books, even if I don't like the end.