I actually finished this about a month ago, but just haven't had a few minutes to sit down and write my review. As many of you may know, this is the highly anticipated conclusion to the Hunger Games books. As is often the case with works so anticipated, there are many who love it, some in betweeners and the avid haters. I fall in the first group.
Again, with these books, they are very difficult to review without being revealing or spilling any spoilers. Katniss is involved in her continued fight against the Capitol and is joined by characters from previous books, both some that I liked and some that I really did not like. She again gets to spend some time with her mom and sister and there is a significant opportunity to see how everything she has experienced has impacted her family. Gale is also back in this book, and the complications that were hinted at from before concerning Katniss' feelings toward Peeta and Gale are again addressed. Finally, there is a situation like those we have come to expect, where wit, intelligence and sheer courage are necessary to come out victorious, but not without some tough decisions and sacrifices.
Much has been said about how this book ended, and I'm sticking to my pledge to not give any spoilers. Let me say this - one of the things quality writers do is create difficult situations for their characters and make the choices that are necessary in those situations to stay true to the characters - all of them. The journeys the characters take in this third book force them to truly identify who they are, what they are willing to do to get what they want most, and I greatly appreciate Collins keeping them true to form eventhough the decision had to be difficult. There is an incredible example of situational irony* that took three books to develop and a commitment to telling the story that makes me really appreciate who Collins is as an author. I like that people who I cheered for I was forced to pause before praising again, and some who I thought were vile elicited compassionate responses. Collins was true to her story, created the perfect ending and I admire her very much for making these decisions.
*an outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected, the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does
2 comments:
I fell in the first group too. I really enjoyed the final book.
I loved it! But I started the book expecting it to be violent and full of difficult decisions, as war often is. It wasn't my favorite of the 3, but necessary, and met my expectations (which were very high)
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