100 Books in 2012: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book 1: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Yes, I finally read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. That book has been staring at me from my stack on the floor next to my bedside for over a year and a half when it was released in 2010.

I just didn't want the story of Katniss to end.

But with the movie coming out March 23, 2012, and more and more of our students reading the trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay), I wanted to be able to say that yes, I had read all three of the titles.

Just like the first two books, the final installment is action packed, violent, intriguing, and complex while Katniss is a likable, resilient, empowered, and determined protagonist. While I thought Collins wrapped up the trilogy just fine (I absolutely will not spoil it for you and tell you who she ends up with, Gale or Peeta), there was one spot near the end where an editor must have taken license to pull out a scene or two. (The "next thing you know I wake up in a hospital" scenes always sit wrong with me.)

Definitely a great read, but start from the beginning of the trilogy. And remember that this trilogy is not for those readers with weak stomachs.