Book Review: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book 3) by Suzanne Collins

 “I drag myself out of nightmares each morning and find there's no relief in waking.”

― Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins's Mockingjay is a 2010 science fiction book. It comes after 2009's Catching Fire and 2008's The Hunger Games as the series' last book in chronological order. The narrative of Katniss Everdeen, who consents to unite the Panem districts in a revolt against the oppressive Capitol, is continued in the novel.

In its first week of release, the book sold 450,000 copies, surpassing the publisher's projections. In general, reviewers responded well to it. A two-part film adaptation of the novel was made, with the first half debuting on November 21, 2014, and the second on November 20, 2015.

Mockingjay has 27 chapters, nine in each of the three sections, same like the other volumes in the trilogy. This format was derived from Collins' experience as a playwright, which she had previously employed in her series The Underland Chronicles. The trilogy as a whole also exhibits this "three-act" structure; Collins claimed to have known from the start that she was intending to write a trilogy.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Katniss 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.

My reaction to the novel...

I can tell that the novel maintains a brutal, gory, and depressing tone throughout. It had to be.  It will undoubtedly be awful. It will be unreasonable if it is the other way around. In the end, I like this book while also finding it to be frustrating, tiring, and humorous. I can sense that there is much more to it than just fighting. It is impossible to undo the damage and pain they have already experienced. While reading this novel, I imagined that it really happened, but I also thought that if it happened, I would probably not survive.

I truly believed that this book was excellent since it caused me to reflect on it both as I read it and long after I had finished the last sentence on the final page. Your innocent imagination about hopeless romance was destroyed by Mockingjay. When your entire life is crashing down around you, romance is out the window.   Only survivors remain; neither good nor evil exist. It was motivated by emotional resonance. This book explores the very serious human aspect of extreme governmental corruption, as well as a lot of the figurative power and the one's ability associated with it.

All of the three books in the series that was written by Suzanne Collins has been a page-turning narrative that keeps the reader guessing and inspires hope and support for the characters who made it out alive. This trilogy is among the greatest YA novels available, and the third book was an emotional trip. I thoroughly loved the novel and wholeheartedly suggest it to everyone.

My Overall Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

I also ponder why it's so much simpler to breakdown than to rebuild oneself. It's simpler to fall in love than it is to repair your heart when you and your partner split up. Perhaps it may be analogous to how climbing stairs is considerably harder than going down because of gravity's pull, yet going up needs a lot of work and effort.

“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.”

Hope is essential for everyone. A hope that, despite all of the tragedies, hurt, and grief that we've endured, the sun would always shine. Tomorrow will always come. Always, after a heavy downpour, a rainbow comes. Because hope draws people together. Our hearts are strengthened by hope. The future ray of hope for everyone. Thus, this is really significant to me.