Mockingjay

Published Information

Author:	Suzanne Collins
Series:	Hunger Games #3
Published:	August 2010
Genre:	Science Fiction
Pages:	400

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Graphic war violence)
Sexual Content:	PG
Language:	PG
Reading Age:	High school
Buy Recommend:	Paperback (This is not one you would want to read several times, though it was very good)
Overall Rating:	7 out of 10 (Well written, true to characters and plot, but difficult to read)

Plot Summary

At the end of the last book, Katniss enabled an escape attempt for the tributes. Peeta and other tributes were captured, while Katniss and Fennrick were able to escape, with the help of Gale and Haymitch, and were taken to District 13. However even though Katniss and Fennrick escaped, they have experienced severe psychological trauma. The first section of the book deals with Katniss dealing with her inner nightmares and getting back into a state where she can help the war that is now raging with all the districts and the capital. She truly becomes the Mockingjay that the rebels need.

The next section of the book deals with the propaganda warfare going on between the capital and districts. But as Katniss adds her face to the cause, the Capital adds Peeta. They have some hold on him and begins stating some fairly bad messages for the rebel cause. However, after one particular interview with Peeta, he informs District 13 that an attack is on the way. He gets beaten, but District 13 is able to protect themselves from the attack just in time. It is decided that a small group should try and infiltrate the capital and free Peeta and the other captives. They are successful, but when Katniss runs to Peeta, he tries to kill her. Obviously, he isn't successful. It becomes evident that Peeta has been brainwashed with a technique called "hijacking." They use the venom of the bees that induce fear and horror. Basically, they make him remember good memories, and then inject him with the venom, so that all the good memories become warped and terrible. They realize the Capital allowed the rebels to leave with Peeta.

The last section of the book deals with the Katniss and a small group of other victors and soldiers invading the capital. The rebels send them in with the intention of using footage to continue doing propaganda, but Katniss has her own agenda, to kill President Snow. She begins to make plans, but then the leader of the rebels sends a mostly rehabilitated Peeta to join the group. It becomes evident that the rebel leaders no longer see Katniss as a help alive and have set this up to have Katniss killed. However, the group works together to help Peeta, and he begins to recover more fully, though he is still very concerned he will hurt or kill Katniss, or at least the others in the group.

In the end, Katniss realizes that even killing President Snow might not be enough. She still has people that see her more of a problem rather than a help, and she stops being able to trust anyone. As the final scenes of the war come to a head, Katniss has no idea what to do, or who to do it to.

Comments

This was a very difficult book to read. Not that it was not well written, not that it didn't hold true to the characters, or anything of that sort. The book is hard to read because it deals with the realities of war (at least in a futuristic setting) and that those that survive still have demons and wreckages to sort through. Suzanne Collins doesn't pull her punches and is fairly graphic in some of the fighting. As well, none of the characters are sacred, and none of them come out of this untainted.

As with the other books, there are political statements throughout the book. You would have to be purposely ignoring them to miss them. There was one point in the book where the rebels are beginning to take control and a discussion is had over government. They talk about how they want to come up with a government with representatives for the people and a follow-up comment is "Isn't that the government our ancestors had before they messed up?" I didn't quote it exactly, but the idea is correct. The point being that if we, in our world and with our government for the people, aren't careful, it makes no difference how good our government is. We can still blow ourselves up.

The book ends well, in that it ends as it should. War is dirty, psychologically and physically, and changes people. That being said, it is not a happy ending for just about anyone.