Mockingjay Review (Spoiler-free!)

**If you have not started the series, this post does contain spoilers for the previous two books, so please feel free to pass on by!**

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.
Taken from GoodReads.

In The Hunger Games, we watched as Katniss Everdeen was thrust into a life of terror, violence, and discord when she took Prim's place in the annual Hunger Games. We watched her form an alliance, then an uneasy friendship with Peeta Mellark. Catching Fire showed us what happens when the Capitol of Panem sees the ripple of hope fluttering through the Districts, and we're forced to watch the unthinkable happen - the Tributes are thrust into the Games, or the Quarter Quell, this time. Without knowing she was doing so, Katniss sparked hope in the suffering Districts, giving them something to live and fight toward, so when we watch her pulled from the arena of the Quarter Quell, we felt hope.

Mockingjay is the third and final book in this trilogy, showing us what happens when one girl ignites the fire of hope, pride, and rebellion. Katniss never wanted a life in the spotlight. She never wanted to be a symbol, but without knowing it, she has become one. Plucked from the arena and finally aware that the ever-elusive District 13's survival is not a myth, Katniss is thrust headlong into a war that she helped spark. With her friends and family. and despite the missing Peeta, Katniss must decide whether or not she can and will remain the symbol of the new revolution. Can Katniss be the Mockingjay?

Mockingjay is not a light book. The third in this series of Dystopian novels, it's much darker than before. Suzanne Collins has created a world in Panem that forces us to look at the very base of human survival and where we find our humanity. Mockingjay strips its characters down to the core and makes it very clear that nobody acts or reacts the same in a war. Violence changes people, and Mockingjay shows that in every struggle there are sacrifices that must be made. Revealing the innermost workings of the characters is a true strength in this book, and you get to know what makes the characters tick. It's dark, and it's haunting, but it's perfect.

I know this is a weak review, but I don't want to reveal anything for those who have not yet read Mockingjay. I was prepared for it to be dark and painful, but this is definitely the darkest of the three books. Whereas a lot of the violence was "off-screen" in the first two books, Mockingjay does not hesitate to describe the brutality both felt and seen. It's heartbreaking, heartwrenching and yet, at times, just a tad humourous with glimmers of hope. I feel the ending was completely fitting, and while I wish the story could go on forever, Mockingjay ended at the perfect moment. The single qualm I have with this book is that it took me a few pages to truly understand what was happening. Either way, this book is a clear 5 out of 5, and I recommend it to all followers of the series, YA fans, and those who love Dystopian novels.

P.S. Because it's not a spoiler...still Team Peeta ;)

P.P.S. Please be aware that many people have yet to read Mockingjay, and we don't to ruin it for everyone. Please keep the comments free of spoilers. I will control comment moderation just in case!

P.P.P.S. Highlight below for my favourite quote!
"'Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear' I decide to go ahead and like Boggs."