"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

[Tenley Nadine]

Blurbing book club book from August 27th, 2010 - September 30th. 

Here's a few things you should probably do:

1. Read the book (obviously).

2. Come back to this forum and leave your thoughts about the book. You can write a sentence, you can write an essay, it doesn't matter, whatever you want.

3. Blurb the book.
Some of you may not know what a blurb is so allow me to explain: A blurb is a sentence of 10 words or less, that sums up the book in question. If you want an example, look on the back (occasionally the front) of some books lying around your house. Those are blurbs.

Keep in mind that you can also compose lol-cat blurbs if you'd like (the same thing but with internet slang).

[Rachel Perry]

finally safe, finally happy, finally content. real or not real?

[Ali Ryan]

I just read the books this week. Awesome, quick reads! I liked Peeta more because I felt like there was more of a mental connection between him a Katniss. I wish Gale had been a little more present in the end, but I guess that could've made the epilogue too sappy. Liked the ending. Every time I thought I had the author pegged she added a twist. Overall, I felt pretty satisfied by it. yay!

[Étaín Affraic]

Blurb; Will the Mockingjay sing her last tune?

[Lea Elizabeth]

I'm still processing the book so I'm not sure I have enough coherent thoughts to post..but for now blurbs!

The games may be over but we haven't finished playing.

In ur capital, smellin ur rosez, fighten 4 r freedoms.

[Stephanie]

I love your second blurb.

[Nicole Lauren]

I loved the book! I'll admit when I started reading the hunger games a few years ago, I wasn't really taken, but I'm a big re-reader of books. The second and third times around I just loved them!

I think Mockingjay was my second favorite after the first book, but it was still awesome. I didn't expect a lot of what happened, especially Peeta's hijacking, which made the book all the more interesting. And as a lover of good vs. evil books (I mean, honestly, Harry Potter was like my childhood bff), I really appreciated the blurring of the lines and how Katniss struggled with her past and present. Some parts were confusing and hard to follow, especially once they got to the capital and were making their way through the streets and underground, but it didn't really take away from the novel itself.

I'm glad Katniss ended up with Peeta as well. They just have too much history and I always felt that Gale had a more separate relationship with her rather than the unit that Katniss and Peeta were made into by their combined experiences. Of course, Gale and Katniss would have a more healthy relationship in practice, but her relationship with Peeta is the reason why anyone reads a romance/whatever novel, right?

However, I have one big issue with the book. They killed off Prim! What the heck? I mean, I guess it's the whole self-fufilling she-would-have-died-anyway-no-matter-what thing carried over from the first book, but it still wasn't cool! I guess I don't like it when authors kill central characters off.

Anyway, I've never done a blurb before, nor really written LOL stuff, so here goes...

Pwning pawn iz pwning ur panem et circenses.

[Jenna Zembower]

*Spoilers*

I was so happy with the epilogue!! Can I just say: better than Harry Potter's. Yes, what a crime, HP is the epitome of amazing novels, but that epilogue was just not that good. I loved that no one was completely happy, and that they still had some things to work out, but that's what makes it life! I don't think Katniss will ever be truely happy with her life; she'll always be scared and suspicious and weary. And that's never a comfortable life to live. I do agree with the choice of Peeta though. Gale was to overpowing and Katniss needed a comfort, not a fire, just as she said in the book. I was sobbing at Prim and Finnick's deaths, but I think it was a logical sequenence of events for the book. And I was SO happy with Coin's death!

Blurb: Tests are taken, cloursure ensured, and the ending bittersweet.

[Ashley Hel]

Mockingjay:

I don't feel that the ending what "sort of" rush, i feel that the ending was absolutely rushed. I would have rather her extend the period before she released the book and taken the time to really work through the book then have the book come out when it did. Or maybe it felt complete, the post-Hunger game/Capital part isn't the fun part. So I would have liked it to remain short, but a little longer, a lot more descriptively thought out.

Epilogue: I didn't appreciate the epilogue at all. It was a classic "happily ever after" coup out. The story didn't begin in a happy tone, I don't think it should have ended in one. Her and Peeta ended up together, Gale disappeared from her life to another district... Fine. One of my favorite and least favorite things is when a book ends without an explanation of what happens to the rest of the characters lives. In the end of a series you want a sense of finality; however, that doesn't mean you want their lives spelled out--they ended up together, happy, content, and had children. I like wanting to know and not knowing all at the same time. On the one hand, you want to know what is going to happen to them, you wonder, you want to know what the author imagined their lives to be like, but anytime I have ever found out in a brief sequence of sentences the happenings of the rest of their lives, I feel disappointed. There is no wonder left, no sense of imagination and guessing. That is what happens. You know. The end. I like when I reread a book or think about a book, and my mind instantly wonders about the rest of the characters' lives.

I was, like most, disappointed when Katness said "yes" to holding a Hunger games with the Capital children. It was very disturbing. But I remember that she wasn't thinking completely rationally or ethically. She was emotional and angry. Her sister had been killed in a war that was only necessary due to the Hunger Games existence and the Capital wanting to prove it was in power. And what better way to make the Capital citizens understand than to put their children into the same situation. When Katniss said 'yes,' I was sickened, but had my sister or daughter been in Prim's place and I in Katniss's, I don't know if I wouldn't do the same.

I was heartsick when Finnick was killed. I loved him. But props to Suzanne Collins for being able to kill of characters the way she does. I think that takes a lot. Most authors say that "so and so" probably should have died, but s/he couldn't do it. That isn't the case with Suzanne, and that makes things interesting for a reader. You never know who is going to die when you turn the page.

I enjoyed the war aspects of the book. The realism that people die. Gale's almost heartlessness in regard to traps. Katniss's disgust, the acceptance that in war, you kill when necessary. She shot that woman to keep her from raising an alarm. I love the intellectual thoughts the book brings up. For example, How old is President Snow? Was he old enough to be the creator of the Hunger Games? Or was someone else responsible? Who/what type of people raised him? What is the mentality of a society where the Hunger Games and controlling the districts is the norm and acceptable? Uh, I love it. I love this series. Fabulous. I will miss it!!

[Aly Silverberg]

Mockingjay was AMAZING and so intense! I got a little confused about the ending. Was it a dream? At first I thought so but then it became more realistic. Thoughts?

[Annie]

Why didn't they just die?

[Andy Waldo]

I really want to read this book, but I need to read the first one. I will do so as soon as it clears up outside.

[Devon Gozjolko]

I dont think I could say enough about this book. It's also past midnight where I am. So yeah I should get some sleep.
One thing I will say though is I didnt cry untill Buttercup went back to 12 and I didnt stop until I finished. And then I started up again when my mum thought I was sick (my face was red from crying and I did/still do have a cold) and I explained to her I was crying because of the book.