Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 3)

Genre: Young Adult

After Katniss shoots the arrow into the force field in Catching Fire, she is airlifted out to District 13. That's right, District 13 does exist and it's been built entirely underground. It is the home of the rebellion against the Capitol and Katniss is going to become the Mockingjay - and figurehead to the rebellion.

This book started out simply lukewarm for me. I didn't like that Peeta was missing (I mean nonexistent in the book - we know he's at the Capitol) and that Katniss had all this time with Gale that was missing all of the warmth and humor that she has with Peeta. Learning about District 13 was interesting enough, but when the battle started it went downhill from there.

When Katniss is actually placed in battle near the Capitol, it was the beginning of the end for me. I didn't like all the nasty things that happened during the battle. I understand that it was war, but it wasn't simply killing but the way people were killed and tortured. It was disturbing. When the end of the book came, I set it down and didn't want to go to sleep because I felt so disturbed.

I felt as if the trilogy was amazing - but that it started on a high point and went down from there. Mockingjay was definitely my least favorite book of the three.

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire

Author:Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult

After winning the Hunger Games with their Berry move, Katniss and Peeta are going on a tour of the Districts. But before they can go, Katniss finds out that they are in major trouble. The Capitol, and namely President Snow, don't like being made the fools. President Snow even makes his own personal visit to Katniss to remind her to make sure that she looks like a fool in love - because he doesn't believe it. He threatens her with her family and friends.

When the tour begins, everything in the districts seems to be a bit tense. It seems that Katniss's move in the Hunger Games has made the districts want to rebel. The Hunger Games this year are the 75th Hunger Games. Each 25 years there is a little yellowed note that is read to determine what the extra twist is going to be. Imagine how horror struck Katniss is when she learns that this year, the Hunger Game "contestants" will be the victors from previous years. Since she's the only girl from District 12, it looks like she's going back in.

Twisted me - I like when they are in the Games. I think that's why I enjoyed the first book so much and this book got better to me once they were in the games again. Aside from that Katniss has turned a little wishey washey and seems to not really know what to make of most things. I feel this book is a little dirtier, with everyone having lived a little and not being so naive. In my mind Gale never has a chance against Peeta - it's clear to me as a reader. But I hate this in between, Gale doesn't like me anymore stuff. I want more Peeta!

It was another page turner and you could just feel the rebellion growing. I know that in book 3 all hell is going to break loose.

The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 1)

Genre: Young Adult

In a future society, that use to be North America, there are the Hunger Games. Surrounding the Capitol are 12 Districts, each completely unique and making something for the Capitol. Each year, one boy and one girl from the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen to compete. Your name gets added once a year at least. You can also choose to have your name added additional times to "pay" for food and oil for your family.

Katniss is the main character, a 16 year old girl who volunteers herself for the game to save her younger 12 year old sister Prim. For District 12, the Hunger Games usually spell death. Katniss promises her sister she will do her best to win, and heads off to the games with Peeta, the boy chosen from District 12.

The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. 24 contestants enter, and one leaves the winner. The Gamemakers have the ability to alter the weather, terrain and many other variables in the arena where the game is played. Many contestants starve to death, die from dehydration or other exposure to the elements.

Without giving the story of the Hunger Games itself away, I could not put the book down. I've been so busy with work lately, and tried to start reading many books, but have not had the energy or heart to continue with them. I was hooked into the Hunger Games within the first few pages. I felt for Katniss and her practically starving family, and found myself getting up to eat constantly throughout this book. The descriptions of being hungry and thirsty were so intense I had to sate myself.

The story is told from Katniss's point of view, which I thought was perfect. The reader never knows everything that is going on, much like Katniss and it gives you that same slight sense of panic about what is going to happen. I found myself crying throughout the book as it is full of hard decisions and death.

I have seen this book around the bookstores for years, but have always been put off by the (in my opinion) unattractive cover. I heard there was a lot of hype and heard about the releases of the next books, but still I didn't pick them up. It wasn't until I found out there was going to be a movie (March 23, 2012) that I decided it was time. I don't know what took so long!