*Before you continue reading, just note that this post includes a Hunger Games spoiler alert.*
A few days ago I finished the last book of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay...
There are no words.
...Just kidding, there are lots of words, here they are:
I read the first and second books in the series over the course of two days, and I was totally in love with them. So of course, I flew through the pages of the last book, but as the book wore on, I kept getting more and more frustrated.
There were a few reasons I had some issues with this book.
First, because I was so team Peeta, watching him struggle with wanting to hurt Katniss was really upsetting. It was horrible to see him being tortured by the Capitol, but even worse when after trying to save Katniss for all this time, his memory is rearranged and wiped completely of his love for her. Although, Peeta's mind being hijacked wasn't what annoyed me. What annoyed me most is that the headstrong, wise-beyond-her-years, Katniss, deteriorates. The Hunger Games causes her so much emotional trauma, then she becomes almost unable to function at times. Of course, this trauma seems rational in a situation like this, but honestly, who wants to see their favorite character tying knots on a rope and repeating things in her mind just so she doesn't go completely insane? Not me.
Second... Suzanne Collins... I have no doubt she is a wonderful writer, but seriously, in the last book she went on some crazy killing spree and killed almost everyone. If she really wanted to kill everyone, couldn't she have done it with just a little more pride?
I mean, Finnick's death, where he got eaten by the weird worm mutts, was so massively uncharacteristic of him. Even though he was missing a few links by then (he was basically mad), he should have at least had a more valiant end! After helping Peeta and Katniss and basically everyone in their alliance in Catching Fire, I had a bit of a soft spot for him, and I saw him as this god-like hero, so when he died like that, I was royally tiffed off.
Third... Now... lets talk about Prim. That was too much. Killing Prim was like when J.K. Rowling killed Dobby. It just crossed a bloody line. I think when Prim died was when Katniss truly broke. And on that note, why the hell wasn't Katniss awake to see the Capitol seized? Honestly, I feel like Collins just got tired of writing and gave up after a certain point. The end of the book seemed so rushed. If she thought the book was too long... I wouldn't have objected to reading another two hundred pages.
And lastly, I hated all the loose ends that Collins left at the end of the book. I know that Gale and Katniss could never be the same after Gale's bomb.... gulp... killed Prim, but even so, their friendship was strong enough to last throughout those times, and so him leaving to District 2 without even a note about them remaining friends just felt so... wrong. Also, it would have been nice to at least have gotten some closure between Katniss and her mother. Although, it wasn't that important.
Something I did think was important though, was that we never know if Peeta goes back to normal!! He isn't the Peeta we know and love, and never will be, but Collins says they fall in love again. What the hell was that?! In half of a page Collins summed up Peeta and Katniss's love story. Not okay. Their love was the only reason I liked the books so much!
Now... the epilogue. I'm not going to lie, I thought it was a tad weird. The way she said she would have to explain to her children while she still wakes up screaming. I mean... anyone that mentally disturbed shouldn't really be having kids, now should they? But, anyways, I'm happy Katniss and Peeta found true love.
Now, Suzanne Collins: Congratulations on the two amazing first books. Captured my attention, and forced me to see the Hunger Games twice.
Now, I apologize for my truly nerd rant. It needed to be said.
Love alwaysxx
