Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
by Suzanne Collins

YA Dystopian Future
400 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: 14+

Scholastic Press
978-0439023481
Release Date: August 24, 2010



From the publisher:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Series Books: The Hunger Games (bk 1), Catching Fire (bk 2)

No Spoilers.

As with the previous books, readers who are sensitive to violence may want to avoid this series. While the writing is spectacular, and the plot better than book 2, the story is pretty harsh in places.

The characters are so clear, so real—and not just the love triangle of Katniss, Peeta and Gale. (I was happy with Kat's choice). Secondary and minor characters were also so well drawn and real that I could picture them in my mind—Rue, Prim, Haymitch, Cinna and the prep team, Greasy Sae, and so many more. They're going to be floating around in my brain for a long time.

Katniss and Peeta and their team play a game called "Real or Not Real." Not going to tell you why, but at a certain point memories become mixed up and it's difficult to tell which are real and which or not. So they ask each other—they verify with the people they trust. This is a HUGE thing with teens, and with adults. Does this boy like me? Does my friend really have my back? This game is a good reminder that we can't always take things at face value. What we believe to be true may or may not be so.

There are things in this life that are worth dying for—our family, freedom, truth. This rings such a bell in our current political state right now. It's not just about what's immediate or easy. Where tyranny and injustice exist, it's important that those who are able to do so stand up and fight for freedom and truth. We protect the weak; we support the right.


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Content Ratings

Language: Mild swearing.

Violence: There are some brutal and heart-rending deaths.

Drugs/Alcohol: One of the secondary characters, a previous survivor of the games, is an alcoholic.

Immorality:

Values/Themes: This is a hard book, but I think it makes you look at your choices and your character.

Age Appropriate: Definitely a book for mature teens and adults, not for children.

Writing Mechanics:



© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2)
by Suzanne Collins

YA Dystopian Future
400 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: 14+

Scholastic Press
978-0439023498
Release Date: September 14, 2008



From the publisher:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Series Books: The Hunger Games (bk 1)

I liked this book a little less than the first one, but it was still pretty good. Catching Fire picks right up where The Hunger Games left off. It's a little slow as we get a review of what happened in the previous book but then the pace picks up. Home from the games, Katniss must deal with the fall-out from the games—jealousy, isolation, and the rebellion that's growing throughout the country.

The writing is incredible; the characterization realistic. Some of the plot points were a bit predictable, but not so much that it ruined the reading experience for me.

Again, I was struck with Katniss' inner strength and courage, and with the unfairness of the world she lives in—so like our own at times. Not that we play games to the death, but that we sometimes feel like pawns in another's game.

If you liked book 1, this is a must-read.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

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Content Ratings

Language: Mild swearing.

Violence: Violence, death.

Drugs/Alcohol: One of the secondary characters, a previous survivor of the games, is an alchoholic.

Immorality:

Values/Themes: This is a hard book, but I think it makes you look at your choices and character.

Age Appropriate: Definitely a book for mature teens and adults, not for children.

Writing Mechanics:



© 2010 It's a Book Affair