Mockingjay
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is there actuallya nyone out there who actually liked this book?
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To me, it felt like the epilogue was tacked on in an attempt at some sort of happy ending. Katniss and Peeta didn't just have PTSD, they were mere shadows of their former selves, so traumatized that I cannot imagine they were still capable of loving relationships. The whole novel felt to me as if it had been dashed off, sloppily written, in a mad rush to complete the trilogy.
I liked the HUNGER GAMES the most in the series. Much less CATCHING FIRE and, even less, MOCKINGJAY. Same with the movies so far, although I liked the CATCHING FIRE movie more than the book. Will definitely watch the final movie(s) when out, and hope the same is true there.
Well I guess I happen to like that they became different. They were still themselves; just different. Let's face it; not many would be willing to change their characters so much and the fact that Suzanne Collins could do it was just plain brave. And the fact they could love each other? That is bravery; after all that trauma they found a way to love, which not many would dare to do. I would guess most that most in that situation would commit suicide, but these character went on with their lives despite having lost so much and that gave it depth. I don't think it was sloppily written at all; I think that's how she planned it to end. It was abrupt, yes, but what more is there to tell? But I guess... to each their own.
I don't see it as sloppy, either. I do think perhaps Collins was under rather severe deadline, but she pulled it off beautifully, imo. The funny thing is, with this Mockingjay book, as with so many things, I think people are really influenced by their own experiences. I can't help but think that having endured tragedy of the 'oh so traumatic... curling up to die might be a good thing' variety has influenced my 'read' on this book. When you go through something like that, you've got two choices... either find a way to go on, which means moving forward eventually in different aspects of your life... or don't. Its that simple, really. And I think the beauty of the way Collins handled this ending is that there WAS such a delay between the 'meat' of the book and all the trauma they endured, and the epilogue. We aren't party to all of the years of them barely holding on by their fingernails. Its implied... but we as readers don't get a peek at that. We see decades into the future... when all the healing that is possible has already happened. In that sense, I think its very realistic. In my 'immediately post trauma' state, if someone had told me that less than 10 years later I'd be a relatively hopeful person, able to smile and laugh most days.. I'd have looked at them like they were nuts. Time heals, assuming one is strong enough to allow the healing, and we see that with the epilogue. We also see what happens when one doesn't find a way to move forward in the brief mentions of poor Haymitch. Its a nice foil to what Katniss and Peeta have accomplished.
I think that this book is more about revolution and not about Katniss and it annoys me plus Katniss was acting really dumb sometimes by my opinion. I don't know, maybe I had to high expectations after catching fire.
Natalie wrote: "I think that this book is more about revolution and not about Katniss and it annoys me plus Katniss was acting really dumb sometimes by my opinion. I don't know, maybe I had to high expectations af..."Really? I thought Katniss was more dumb and annoying in THG and CF than in Mockingjay. In fact I thought she became more likable in Mockingjay... but everyone has their own ideas I suppose.
I loved it. A book doesn't necessarily need to be happy to be good. The book is depressing but oftentimes LIFE is depressing. I think it is very realistic in how Katniss's life would play out. She doesn't have to be 100% mentally stable for it to be a good book. Everything can't go back to normal for her after everything she has been through. If the book a played out in a cheerful way it would have been awful because it wouldn't have be real. It was a very well written book with a very well designed plot. We, like Katniss, experience the emotional trauma of being through two games and a rebellion, and war. Yes, it is heartbreaking and difficult to read, but no one should say that it is poorly written.
Coffee And Books wrote: "I think the end was pretty good. I rather Katniss and Peeta before Katniss and Gale. The only thing I did not liked about the book were the (SPOILERS!!!!!) were the deaths (I`m taliking about Finn..."In a war, death is inevitable. If all the characters had gone unscathed it would have been unrealistic. But by killing off two of the most beloved characters in the series, Collins made a genuine and true novel. Yes, it hurts and its heartbreaking to us but for this novel to succeed it was necessary.
Kenzi wrote: "I loved it. A book doesn't necessarily need to be happy to be good. The book is depressing but oftentimes LIFE is depressing. I think it is very realistic in how Katniss's life would play out. She ..."I completly agree with you.
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And I agree with Hannah that there is a 'reasonable' ray of hope at the end what with some characters finding a measure of peace... and certainly hope... in that they're able to build lives and families. I can see that as an adult... and say that its a reasonable indictment of war that not everything is shiny and happy at the end. I'm not sure that young readers would necessarily get that, though. Not so much the YA audience, but the 'reading up' advanced middle grade readers that Michael mentioned. We had an incredibly advanced 12 year old in one of these Mockingjay threads, so I'd say let's pick her brain... but she was achieving a college level understanding of the material (truly advanced) so I'm pretty confident she'd not have the same view as the average middle grade reader.