Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Friday, September 14, 2012 by 2 Comments

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #3
Publisher: Scholastic Press | 2010 | 390 pages
Buy on Amazon

I’m going to say that this might not be a fair review for Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It took me five months to finish reading this book. :p

There are several reasons that hindered me from finishing the book in a shorter time. First, it’s an e-book in my Kindle, which I don’t always have it with me. Secondly, I just was not interested enough in going back to continue reading where I stopped because well, it just wasn’t captivating enough for me.

Katniss Everdeen survived her second Hunger Games stint and she’s been whisked off to the mysterious District 13. Unfortunately, her homeland, District 12 has been completely destroyed but good news: her mother, sister Prim and best friend Gale survived the tragedy and they are with her in District 13. And another bad news: her new friend/boyfriend Peeta has been captured by the evil Capitol.

I’m going to skip many parts because I don’t remember much of the details. But I do remember that they plan to rescue Peeta from the clutches of the Capitol. At the same time, Katniss has been made the Mockingjay, a symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol. She wears make-up and dons an edgy suit to look all nice and pretty for the cameras which will capture Katniss at her fighting best. But is there more to it? Is she being used as a pawn instead? These are the questions that she (and the reader) is wondering.

For me, Book Three of The Hunger Games has not met my expectations. It lacked something. I’m not sure what but I think probably it is partly because Peeta is missing throughout the first half of the story. And even when he comes back, sigh…it isn’t much better. I’m just so glad to finally read the last page and move on to another book.

Perhaps my interest for the story has died down a little. If you loved this book, please share your thoughts and I might be able to see this book differently!

I’m still looking forward to the movie for the second book, Catching Fire , which is expected to be released in November next year. Such a long time away…

Filed Under: Authors C, Genre - YA Science Fiction, Titles M Tagged With:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Sunday, April 8, 2012 by 2 Comments

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #2
Publisher: Scholastic Press | 2009 | 391 pages
Buy on Amazon

So this book is a continuation of The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark of District 12 of the nation of Panem have won the 74th Hunger Games. They must now keep up the act as a loving couple to prove to the other districts and also the snakelike President Snow that they were not actually rebelling against the Capitol.

While Katniss tries to figure out her feelings and relationship with her long-time friend, Gale, she must appear to be in love with Peeta as they visit other districts during their victory tour. Most of the tours appear uneventful except for some but there has been talk that certain districts are planning uprising efforts against The Capitol.

Then there is the upcoming 75th Hunger Games which also happens to be the Quarter Quell edition that occurs every 25 years. To mark such an edition, there is a twist in the Games to make it different from the usual ones. And in this latest Quarter Quell, past victors from earlier Games are to compete again. Two tributes – one male and one female – from each district will be required to participate in the Games.

Since Katniss is the only female victor from District 12, she has no other choice but to be chosen. Her mentor from the 74th Games, Haymitch Abernathy, had been chosen as male tribute but Peeta steps forward, volunteering to take his place.

As the upcoming Games will have older and experienced victors, it will definitely be quite a challenge for Katniss and Peeta. How will they stay on top of the game? Should they form an alliance with others? Who should they trust? Will both of them survive the Games again this time?

After finishing the first book, The Hunger Games, I was very eager to continue reading Catching Fire to know what’s next. It has been a long time since I got excited over any series and I do not know why I waited so long to read this one.

I gave The Hunger Games a rating of three out of five stars in Goodreads but Catching Fire is much better. Four stars. No, I didn’t love it but it was gripping enough to hold my attention for hours.

There is a glimpse of the possibility of the existence of a District 13, which was purportedly wiped off the map after an earlier uprising many years ago. So that makes it more interesting when Katniss finds out about it. I was also wondering if she would make a run for it into the forest with Gale, Peeta, their families and hers since President Snow has threatened to harm them if Katniss is really the cause of the possible rebellion in other districts.

As for the love triangle, Katniss is torn between the two guys, Gale and Peeta, who are already in love with her. When Gale is around, Katniss is drawn to him. But if he is not around because of work or his injuries, she stays close to Peeta. Nevertheless, Peeta remains sweet and devoted to her.

There you have it. The ending of Book Two of the Hunger Games will definitely leave the reader wanting to know how it progresses. Now it’s off to reading the third and final book, Mockingjay!

Filed Under: Authors C, Genre - YA Science Fiction, Titles C Tagged With:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 by 5 Comments

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press | 2008 | 374 pages
Buy on Amazon

In the nation of Panem, its biggest city is called The Capitol, which is surrounded by 12 outlying districts. To show its power and domination over the 12 poorer districts, it forces them (the districts) to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. The children that are selected are called tributes.

During the reaping ceremony in District 12 for the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, 16, volunteers to replace her 12-year-old sister, Prim, to be a tribute representing her district in the games. The boy chosen was Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son who once threw a bread to Katniss when she and her family were starving.

The two tributes of District 12 would be under the mentorship of former Games victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch however appears drunk at first but later tries to sober up to impart survival tips to Katniss and Peeta. Both tributes make a good first impression among the show’s audience, which will later help them to get sponsors. Sponsors will able to send gifts to the tributes if the latter needed something desperately during the Games.

Katniss and Peeta soon become among the attractions of the current Games as they appear as star-crossed lovers, thanks to Peeta’s ‘confession’ during his interview on TV about his forever crush on Katniss.

Soon after the Games begins, Katniss finds out that Peeta has ganged up with the Career Tributes, tributes who have trained their whole lives to enter the Games. Does this mean that Peeta was just putting on a show all the time, in the hopes of getting Katniss killed in the Games?

I only read the The Hunger Games book after I watched the movie twice! It was not on purpose that I watched it twice but I went to the cinema with two different people. :) Anyway, the movie was so good that I thought that I had better read the book fast. It was then that I knew why the book is such a hit with both the young adult and adult groups.

Although the movie version kept me on the edge of my seat, the book was only OK for me. The story in the book is, however, told from Katniss’ point of view, so I understood some parts of the story better. If only we knew what Peeta was thinking all the while! I also liked the conversations between Peeta and Katniss.

As for the said love triangle, was there one? Gale, Katniss’ hunting partner, only appears in the beginning of the book and after Katniss goes for training and the actual Games, she mostly mentions Gale in her thoughts.

Of course I found the idea of children killing children a disturbing one. Thank goodness it is only set in a dystopian society. Parents might want to think first before allowing their children to read the book and the sequels after that.

Sure, there are other themes in the story such as family, love, friendship, survival and the lack of compassion (???). I mean, how cruel is that for Panem to allow these teenagers to die on live TV, right in front of their eyes while they cheer on the surviving tributes and bet on the potential victor? It is quite sick, actually.

And so, it is up to several characters in the story to not be inhuman, thus rebelling against the cruel Capitol.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

Filed Under: Authors C, Genre - YA Science Fiction, Titles H Tagged With: