Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title:  Mockingjay: The Final Book of the Hunger Games Author: Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic  Published: August 24, 2010 Format: Hardcover ($19.99CDN) Age Group: Adult  Other Books in the Series: The Hunger Games & Catching Fire My Copy: Purchased

 

Synopsis:

 

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

 

My Review:

 

Despite this being a fictional novel Mockinjay came alive for me in a way that extended past the pages of the book.  We may not live in the dystopic society that is an every day reality for Katniss Everdeen and her family but I can see our own failings mirrored in the pages of Mockinjay.  I can see it in our capitalistic society that is obsessed with material goods and is driven by consumption, in the genocides that have happened in our past and that go unnoticed by many in our present and the starvation that is a reality for many across the world.  As I reconnected with the characters of this novel and experienced with them the horror of their reality I was humbled and became grateful for all that I have.

 

In each novel of The Hunger Games series it is Katniss's selflessness that stood out to me and her willingness to do anything to protect those she loves.  The narration of this novel is very morose but it is occasionally peppered with stories of hope, moments of laughter and touches of kindness.  While Mockinjay is not a book with constant action like the first two novels in this series, each moment was well written and I found the change in pace to add to the story rather then take away from it.

 

Suzanne Collins did not present her readers with a happily ever after story where after accomplishing the goals set out in the novel Katniss catches the man she loves and lives out her life a happy utopian society.  This is a novel with pages filled with horror, pain, death, sacrifice and situations I have no name for.  This novel is genuine and believable but in a twisted way that had me gasping in horror, clutching the pages in suspense and angry at the author for writing such a emotionally charged novel.  With that said Suzanne Collins delivered a novel with a beginning, middle and end that paid tribute to the main characters of the novel without diminishing the sacrifices they had made to bring about a worldwide revolution.

 

However excellent I feel the book was, in the end it was a simple moment when a mangy cat with a name that does not reflect his disposition reduced me tears and had me unable to fall asleep as I replayed the book in my head.  If you haven’t read this series yet I highly recommend you look into purchasing or borrowing a copy of The Hunger Games. This entire series is emotionally charged and it provides the reader with a fictional example of how to have hope when your situation seems hopeless, have courage despite being terrified and how to never give up even when you think you can no longer go on. 

 

My Rating: 10/5

 

Peeps by: Scott Westerfeld (Worth reading more then once...so I am!)

After reading my first book by Scott Westerfeld I devoured anything and everything he had ever written with the intensity of a prize winning pie eater. I read Peeps quite some time ago but it was so good I am going to read it again. It’s not your typical YA Vampire book but that’s what I loved so much about it. Rather than vampires with the strength of Hercules and the beauty of Aphrodite these vampires are just your regular everyday mortals who are known as “parasite positives” or simply as the title states “peeps.” Scott Westerfeld said,

“The main thing to remember is that there’s no magic involved. No flying. No transforming into bats or rats either. We’re talking about a disease.”

Another thing I loved about his book is that before every chapter of the book he has a smaller chapter describing interesting, gruesome, icky, yucky, disgusting parasites that do unimaginable things to other life forms.  I am not going to post a more in depth review at this time. I have read a hundred other books since Peeps and want to freshen up my memory so I can rant and rave about it more accurately.  Some guy named Kirkus (Totally dig that name...probably because of the "Kirk" factor) describes this book really well (see below).

“Both medical thriller and science fiction, this fast-paced, captivating modern vampire story is enriched with biology and history. . . Entrancing throughout—but squeamish readers beware.”

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Click here to check out Scott Westerfeld's website and check back for a review in a few days.  Additionally I'll be posting links and reviews to his other books most notably for me his Uglies series which you can take a look at on his website.

Happy Reading!!

The Hollows series by: Kim Harrison

As you may have already guessed the vast majority of the books I read would be considered urban fantasy. It is my drug of choice and like any addict I can’t wait to get my hands on the next fix. Kim Harrison’s series, The Hollows, is one of my top five favorite urban fantasy series of all time. Below is a brief teaser that suggests juicer things to come as well as a link to the authors web site.

All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party ... and to feed.


Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining -- and its Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.
A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead ... or undead.

Click here to go to Kim Harrison's web site.  I HIGHLY recomend that you pick up a copy of Dead Witch Walking the first book in the series.  I promise you won't be dissapointed.

Happy Reading!

Meredith Gentry series by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Quite a few years ago now Laurell K. Hamilton came out with a new urban fantasy series called the Meredith Gentry series.  I am a long time, dedicated reader of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series so I had no hesitation to pick up the first book in her new series, A Kiss Of Shadows. Like the Anita series these books bring the fantastical to life and seamlessly weave it together with our own reality but instead of vampires, shape shifters, and necromancy she brings the world of faeries to life in a whole new way. In this series her writing remains as descriptively delicious as always with tasty characters and highly sexual plot lines that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone’s young teenage daughter. The idea behind this series is that Meredith Gentry, a half human half faery princess is in line for the throne along with her cunning and sadistic cousin, the son of The Queen of Air and Darkness. As the world of faerie and all those of faery decent are becoming infertile the throne will be given to the one to conceive first. With a band of “Merry Men” at her side she does her best to be the one to get their first. See below for a synopsis of the first book!

“My name is Meredith Gentry, but of course it’s not my real name. I dare not even whisper my true name after dark for fear that one hushed word will travel over the night winds to the soft ear of my aunt, the Queen of the Air and Darkness. She wants me dead. I don’t even know why.”


Meredith Gentry, Princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, living as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the Queen’s assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back–whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown–and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death.

I seriously eat this stuff up. Click here for Laurell's web site which has links to all her books, her blog (which I read every day), and a sneak peak at many of the first chapters of her novels.

WARNING to all parents that there is a very high volume of sexual content in this series that may not be appropriate for your children.  For everyone else enjoy :)

Happy Reading!

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter by: Laurell K. Hamilton

Laurell K. Hamilton's novel, Guilty Pleasures, is what made me fall in love with urban fantasy in the first place. She just released her 17th book in this series, Flirt, and already I am impatient for the next one to come out. Be warned her books are very sexual, graphic, juicy, and delicious but if you love urban fantasy and haven’t yet read a Anita Blake novel then you’re missing out. This is the woman who pioneered the urban fantasy genre and no one does it better than she does. The Anita Blake series is book candy at its tastiest! Below is a synopsis for the first novel in the series, Guilty Pleasures, as well as a link to her web site.

My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me The Executioner. What I call them isn''t repeatable.
Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I''ve seen their victims. I carry the scars...
But now a serial killer is murdering vampires -- and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer...

Click here to go to Laurell's (look at me using her first name like I know her! I wish :) web site.  If you allready lover her books or one day fall in love with them don't forget to check out her blog!

I should add a WARNING to all parents that there is a high volume of sexual content that I wouldn't want my young teenage daughter to read so heads up.

Happy Reading :)

The House of Night series by: P.C & Kristin Cast

The House of Night series by P.C and Kristin Cast is a somewhat new series of books much loved by the same fans that are obsessed with the Twilight series (to be slightly amused and horrified check out MLIT). The books take place at a local vampire high school in a world much like our own but with one major difference. In the world of Zoey Redbird, the main character of this series, vampires are a known but not necessarily accepted part of humanity, and she is one of them. Click here to visit The House Of Night web site.  In the future I intend to re-read this series to post reviews for each book but in the mean time don't be afraid to try it out for youself!

Happy Reading!

Twilight Saga by: Stephenie Meyer

Hate it or love it the Twilight saga is loved by millions, myself included. You would have to have lived under a rock for the last few years not to know what this series is all about. However on the off chance that you have in fact been living under a rock and have neither read the books or seen the movie then you may want to pick up a copy of Twilight ASAP. Whether you’re a teenager dreaming of love or an adult reminiscing about your teenage angst your sure to find something to love about this vampire human love story. When recommending this book I should however post a few recommendations on what you should do before beginning to read any of the books in this series. For your safety and the safety of those who will have to put up with you for however long it takes you to read the books please read below.


1. Stock up on enough snacks, no-hassle dinners, and drinks to last for a few days

2. If possible begin reading this book on a Fri night (if you have weekends off) so that you will have no distractions while you read

3. Only talk to people who already love the series as you’re bound to annoy everyone else with your "twilight fever."

4. Don't be surprised if you begin to have life like dreams of Edward or Jacob

5. And please for the love of all that’s holy please never post to web sites such as MLIT!

I really don't feel that a synopsis of this book is necessary as 99% of people who love to read YA fiction have already read this book but if you need to know a little more please click here to go to Stephenie Meyer's web site.



Happy Reading!





 

The Mortal Instruments series by: Cassandra Clare

I was obsessed with this series from start to finish and hated the long length of time (at least it seemed a long time) between books.  I have no doubt that if you enjoy young adult fiction you will love this series as much as I did.  to get your taste buds...errr reading buds going, below is a synopsis of the first novel in the series, City of Bones, from the publisher.

In City of Bones, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is introduced to the world of the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world.  And she's introduced with a vengeance, when Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque monster sent by the evil and powerful Shadowhunter, Valentine.  How could a mere human survive such an attack.

This series is sure to please click here for a link to the Mortal Instruments web page!

Happy Reading!