Published: August 2010Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss. The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.
Well, I finally got 'Mockingjay' from the library and found the time to read it. I feel as if I'm the last person at the party, if you know what I mean, but at the same time, now that all the fuss is over, I'm looking at it with slightly fresher eyes - does that make sense?
What can I tell you about 'Mockingjay' without giving away any spoilers? It's really, really good! Sorry! I'm sure most of you are already aware of that fact. Well for one thing, I was never sure exactly what was going to happen. Every time I thought I had worked something out, it changed. And was it just me, or did anyone else think that Katniss spent more time in hospital than any person has a right to. The poor kid - she always seems to be getting hit with something.
Throughout the entire book I felt this vague feeling of unease - wondering when the plug was going to be pulled, which of course it was, at the end, metaphorically speaking. Christinabean mentioned in her original review here, that it is not a book for younger teens and I fully agree with her on that point. 'Mockingjay' is filled with high octane action and it doesn't pull any punches. People die, left, right and center, and they don't die nicely. It really tells the story of human weakness - shows how nobody is perfect, how we all struggle with our own demons. The story was heartbreaking, but had a sense of inevitability to it. It made sense, felt right, in the end.
My favourite quote comes almost at the very end, and I don't think it's a spoiler - it just seems to sum everything up for me -
'So after, when he whispers, "You love me. Real or not real?" I tell him, "Real" '
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