PART THREE | Chapters 19-27

[Jesse (JesseTheReader)]

AND WE'VE REACHED THE END! Thoughts? Feels? DID YOU SHED ANY TEARS? xD

[Taylor]

Yes I was so sad when prim died.

[Taylor]

But this book was greatly written including te memory book with rue in it and Finnic it is one of my most favorite books

[Aimee]

This book made me cry like a maniac in the last pages. At the beginning it was a bit slow, I mean it was Katniss complaining and complaining, and regretting everything. But then it became more interesting. I loved this book

[Taylor]

Me too

[Haylie]

I'm super interested to hear what people think about the ending. I remember reading this the first time (this was a reread for me) and I was really upset with the ending. But this time I was a little more okay with it, but I still feel like something's missing... I don't know! I think it's just the fact that it's like Peeta will never be the same again. And I kind of feel like Gale just kinda leaves right at the end? I always thought that part was a little unresolved.

I also found it really sad when Prim died. :( I think the author did really well with developing her character throughout the story and to see her go helping people just really reflects her love for others and AHH it's just so sad.

[Aimee]

The only bad thing about the book, was that it was really short. It should have been longer. Collins made everything so fast, and killed almost everyone. It is though that Peeta and Katniss wouldn't be the same again. Prim's death was one of the worsest part of this book. Al though I liked that Peeta and Katniss, some how, they got their happy ending with kids and stuff.

[Elize]

Ahhh this book, what to say.

Started slowly, boring and too much description but my oh my it really finished strong. Everything that takes place is necessary, the killings etc. I just found how it dealt with issues was brilliant in this last part.

The ending though? I wish Gale was at least somewhat present, or we could see him find other love and their children all play together or something. I understand why he isn't, because of Prim, but they had a brother sister thing going on and I feel like they could've gotten past that, if only to remain best friends.

All in all finished strong on what was a rocky start.

[Caroline]

oh man Finnick ... Do i cry? Always

[Serena (livinginthepagesofbooks)]

DID I SHED ANY TEARS?? I just finished it like 20 minutes ago and am still crying!! This book was so amazing. I can't believe I didn't read it sooner.

[Lauren]

*Spoilers*

After finishing the book a second time, I'm still confused about the ending. I'm ok with 99% of what happens, but Katniss' vote for one more Hunger Games still makes zero sense to me. Especially when she turns around and assassinates Coin a couple of pages later. Katniss vote does not line up with the character for me. I only see her as vindictive toward snow and those directly related to the games, but I don't see her as the type of person to support taking it out on others. So why the vote of yes for the one last Hunger Games? I don't understand how Katniss could take it out on the children of those involved, especially not "For Prim" as she puts it.

I'm come to terms with most everything else about the ending, but this still has me confused.

[Elize]

I agree with Lauren completely.

[Caitlin]

This was probably my 3rd time rereading this book, and I have to admit that I liked it so much more this time around. I'm not sure why, maybe the movie hype? But these book are such quick, awesome reads. Everyone should read these books.

[Mario]

Finished it two days ago, and must admit, that I liked it so much better second time. First time reading, after Finnick died, I just didn't care for the rest of the book. I was just so depressed after it happened.
But this time, I understood book so much better. And also I understood some Katniss's choices that I haven't when reading it first time. Actually, shes my favorite character, just there with Finnick and Haymitch.

And about Katniss, saying yes to 'new Hunger Games': She did it just so Coin would trust her, so she could kill her, and not Snow. Coin wouldn't let her kill Snow, if she voted no. Haymitch understood that, so he voted same as Katniss.

[Bookworm]

I can' t decide whether I liked this book or not. I can't really come to terms with the ending either, since I feel like it could have ended in so many other ways. And despite of the fact that I often cry while reading a sad book, I wasn't particularly touched when Prim died. I am excited to see the movie, thoguh.

[Lauren]

Mario,
I got that response when I posted the same review with some additions to my tumblr. I get where you are coming from. However, after reading through the book twice I STILL didn't see it. I remember re-reading that scene the first time I read the book several times to in an effort to get it.

I understand an author trying to be subtle, but this was perhaps too subtle. When you explain Katniss' decision the way you did, I can see how it fits into her character. However, it shouldn't take someone else explaining her actions, especially for something that critical, for me to get it.

I guess it falls into the "rushed" feeling of the book a lot of the booktubers have been saying. I think if we had more time and a little more inner dialog it might have helped. I get an author not pointing to an action and saying, "THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING READER!" But there are ways to give hints to help. Nothing in Katniss' inner dialog before or after the vote then assassination made her decision make sense, and it's sad that it took someone other than the author for me to understand.

[Mario]

I know where you're coming from. A lot of people had the same problem. One of my friends also had the same opinion.
And I agree that some parts of the book were really rushed.

But, I think Katniss was always like that. She didn't always explain some of her choices, and some of them she didn't understand herself. Like berries, in the first part. Even in the end, she didn't know if she done it just to save herself and Peeta, or to start a revolution.

But for me, when Katniss said something about weighing her choices carefully, and just after Haymitch voted 'yes' and she said that they understood each other so well, is why I later thought that she just voted to kill Coin.

But maybe Suzanne left it for us readers to decide ourselves why she done it.

[Jacquie]

This was my third time reading Mockingjay, and even though I wasn't super impressed my first time through, it's grown on me ever since. There are still parts that are hard for me to visualize, (mainly the pods in the capitol) and I can somewhat agree that it feels rushed, but I don't mind the ending any more. I think it fits, and I think Prim and Finnick's deaths (while still awful) fit the story, since the whole thing is about the senselessness and the realities of war.

I don't know why it is, but I have infinitely more patience and sympathy for Katniss' PTSD than I do for many other characters in YA Distopians that I've read. I wanted to reach through and help her hang on throughout the whole book. Maybe it's just a difficult thing to write well, and even though I have no experience with it, Collins' way of portraying it feels the most real to me? I don't know. I guess because even though Katniss was a total wreck, she still felt like Katniss, whereas in some other series I've read, it's written in a way that makes the character seem inconsistent (only really suffering when it suits the plot).

[Elize]

Mario wrote: "Finished it two days ago, and must admit, that I liked it so much better second time. First time reading, after Finnick died, I just didn't care for the rest of the book. I was just so depressed af..."

That makes so much more sense (The reason she agreed to the Hunger Games)

[Anna]

I didn't reread it for the read-along but I still feel the need to express my opinions cause I hope people will understand and I need a spoiler-free zone to discuss.

So, this is my least favorite of the trilogy. A lot of people say the beginning is too slow but I think that it's just that the ending is way too fast. There were times -- about the time where Finnick and everybody start dying if I remember right -- that I was so confused as to what was going on. I had to reread it a couple times just to get it. And I love Finnick and Prim but I almost didn't even care when they died because I hardly even knew what was happening and it didn't really seem like Katniss cared either. She doesn't take much time to mourn them anyways. It doesn't even seem like she thinks back on their deaths. Katniss doesn't seem to be too distraught that Finnick dies at all and when Prim dies she is sad but I don't see the distress that I would expect to see when her beloved sister dies.

My other main issue is the epilogue. Dear Lord, the epilogue. I wish that I hadn't read it honestly. It opened up so many more questions than it ever answered. If it had been left out, I would have been fine with the ambiguity of their future. But now I'm wondering what's happened to her mother? Did she just move on and not see Katniss again? And Gale? Was he so upset she picked Peeta that he moved to another district and never talked to her again? How did the political system develop? And I mean I find it hard to believe that Katniss and Peeta could just live happily ever after with a nice happy family after what they had been through. It just seems like it was trying too hard to tie everything into a neat little bow.

I just have too many issues with it to really like it. I am happy that I read it and I know how it ends but I wish it had been done better.

[Izzfarah]

Im almost done with this book but I already have so much to say, Peeta is really confusing me. I don't want him to die, but if he is never gonna heal, then I guess there is no more to it. I do want him to heal, because honestly, I prefer Peeta over Gale. Peeta does not deserve this, he does not deserve to be brainwashed at all. I wish they'd didn't do anything to him. I've been thinking, if he does heal, its never gonna be the same for Katniss and Peeta, because now his memories are no longer the same, and its hard to decide from real or not real. Another thought, if they could brainwash Peeta into hating Katniss, why not brainwash him into loving her back? Then again, it wouldnt be the same, as the feeling would have to come from himself, not what the brain should tell him to feel.

[Jenna]

The ending is so sad once you think about it.
Prim dies, Katniss' mother doesn't live near her and neither does Gale.
Katniss and Peeta always have nightmares.
After all they have been through, shouldn't they deserve a relativly happy ending?

[Shaye]

I dont cry