Catching Fire & Mockingjay {mini reviews}

I’m still a little unsure of how to review these (specially Mockingjay), but I feel like I need to say something. So I’m going to try to keep it brief and just touch on a few things. In order to attempt to focus my thoughts I’m stealing Felicia’s review format for today I’m also going back and changing my rating for Hunger Games. At the time I gave it a 4.5 due to not having my rating system all figured out. It is now considered a 5 star book.

Both reviews will contain MAJOR spoilers!!

Book Order (Hunger Games Trilogy)

1. Hunger Games * * * * *
2. Catching Fire * * * * *
   
3. Mockingjay * * *

Links

Author’s Website : www.suzannecollinsbooks.com

Amazon :

• Catching Fire : hardcover / eBook
• Mockingjay : hardcover / eBook

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List :

• Catching Fire
• Mockingjay

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

- dystopian YA -

reviewed by Tara SG

bought book from B&N

What I Loved

There is no doubt that Suzanne Collins is a master storyteller. I cried, laughed, got goosebumps, and gasped in horror. Her characters are so insanely well-written that they don’t need a lot of face time for you to truly love or hate them. I was very relived that the book wasn’t all about them traveling from district to district. I can’t say I was “happy” that they went back to the games, but it was perfect for the story.

What I Liked

The increased political aspects. Snow’s talk with Katniss chilled me to the bone. I liked seeing more of Gale and watching Katniss explore both her relationship with him and with Peeta, but I wish she wouldn’t have been so back in forth and front of them. Meeting the other victors was fantastic. Some were creepy and others hilarious and some sympathetic.

What I Disliked

There wasn’t a lot that I disliked in this one. Like I mentioned above, I’m not fond of Katniss being so back and forth with the boys. I understand her dilemma. Hell I could barely choose and I’m an outsider looking in.

Why I Gave It A 5 Star Rating?

I became intensely attached to the characters and gripped with fear and anxiety throughout the whole book.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

- dystopian YA -

reviewed by Tara SG

bought book via B&N

What I Loved

I loved Johanna! She cracked me up! I’m going to start telling people “Please feel free to take this personally”. When her and Katniss interacted it almost felt like the old Katniss I loved. I really enjoyed getting to see more of Gale and felt like his reactions and opinions were real and correct. I loved learning more about Haymitch and Finnick. Peeta was fantastic and I loved seeing him put himself back together even if it was painful to watch.

What I Liked

I liked seeing a realistic portrait of war even if it was a little skewed by the author’s POV. Some people have complained that this was too real and took away from their escapism. This book was not written for escapism. I commend the author for not cutting out the dirty details. I liked that it was made clear that even the new government had flaws and that maybe the evils of the Capitol (like the games) were decisions made in a past war and were based on fear and desperation and not just cruelty.

What I Disliked

I’m going to spend the most time on this section because this was the first time I cried at the end of a book due to how disappointed I was. I felt utterly let down. I’m probably being unfair and expected too much.

What happened to the characters we loved? Katniss was a whiny, scared, lifeless zombie. This would have been understandable and needed for the first part of the book. However, after a while it was too out of character. She has been through some terrible things before and held it together. This time she acted like her mother after her father’s death. She just checked-out. She never seems to grasp what is necessary for war and takes this out on Gale. She considers him to be too full of rage and eager to kill innocents. It felt like she just needed someone to blame and took it out on everyone around her. She was far to easily manipulated compared to how smart she was in the first book.

I didn’t hate Peeta being brainwashed, but I felt like a lot of the reprogramming was an excuse to flash-back on Katniss and his relationship. I wouldn’t have minded her ending up with him if it hasn’t been a matter of convenience instead of a choice. I felt like Katniss was let off the hook by him being there and her reason for choosing him was an afterthought. This actually makes me sad for Peeta.

Gale was fabulous. Perhaps I’m cold-hearted, but his ideas about war were correct. That’s what war is. That is how you save lives. He made all the right choices to save his family and their future. Somehow that made him a monster. It was NOT his fault that Coin used his idea to kill her sister. Even Katniss admits this, but doesn’t chase after him to tell him. I think he’s probably better off without her.

We didn’t see much of the real action. I was actually bored by reading some of this. It felt like as soon as we got action Katniss was knocked unconscious and woke up in the hospital. I was actually confused at the end because I thought there is now way she would skip the taking of the Capitol, but she did.

I just wanted Katniss to make some decisions on her own. I wanted her to grow into the woman we see blossoming in the first book. Some say that by killing Coin she made the most important decision, but it was placed in her head by others. In the end she even has children against her will because Peeta talks her into it.

Why I Gave It A 3 Star Rating?

Even though I was disappointed with a lot of the characters, the storytelling is still well-done. We got answers to just about any of our questions. I still laughed and cried a little. I’ll probably wait a few years and reread them. Maybe I’ll feel different then.

Please let me know what you thoughts!!