2020 EDIT: Devastating.
'The Hunger Games' is a YA dystopia series that doesn't talk down to its audience. It set the trend of that particular genre, but in my opinion, it is undoubtedly the best. Its themes, symbolism and subject matters are magnificently presented on page. Ten years on, it is as relevant, educational and inspiring (if dark and brutally nihilistic) as ever. In many ways it was ahead of its time.
No one is safe in this series - any character, no matter how likeable and complex, no matter their degree of innocence, can die in the most horrific ends imaginable. No child is safe in this series (holy shit). There's no holding back. Readers, best prepare to be heartbroken, for there may well be more tragedy than victory once 'Mockingjay' is reached.
There is so much diverse female rep (good, evil and morally gray) in 'The Hunger Games' as well. There are all just human, surviving and going about their lives in their own individual ways. Every person, every circumstance, is different.
And poor young Katniss. No one of any age should have to go through what you have. No one should have to dehumanise oneself and contemplate suicide 24/7 like you do - just to keep on going; to keep on living, ironically. In the end, you make your own choice; you are no longer a pawn in either sides' manipulative and deadly games, vying for power and control. You are strong and a hero because you do what you want to do, what you think is right, even if it is unpopular (however, you do learn about other people and their experiences, and you learn to heed advice, support and comfort, when trust doesn't come easy for you). You never take orders. No one controls you.
Let's hear it for the brave - and traumatised, depressed and utterly human - Katniss Everdeen. Girl on fire. Mockingjay. She is not easily labelled a hero, but she is enough. She is a survivor in every sense of the word. Get her therapy, now.
Just read these three books if you haven't already. They are so addictive, thrilling and harrowing - it is impossible to put them down. The author won't allow it. The only real downsides to it are: the niggling presence of the love triangle, the lack of LBGTQ rep, and for all the brilliant buildup, the ending of 'Mockingjay' is a little rushed. But it is still excellent.
I shall keep singing 'The Hanging Tree'. Once you read the verses or hear it sung, it is impossible to forget the song. Powerful and chilling.
That's all from me and my new overview of 'The Hunger Games' trilogy. I remain a fan. Over and out.
Final Score: 4/5
P.S. I have no interest in reading 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes', because a) I hate prequels on principle, and b) I have no interest whatsoever in reading about murderous, psychopathic dictators - mass child murderers, in fact - even if the intent is not to garner them sympathy, which they in no way deserve. It seems wasteful and pointless to me, and nothing more than a money grab. Leave certain powerful stories as they are.
Original Review:
'My Name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen-years-old. My home is District 12. I was in the Hunger Games. I escaped. The Capitol hates me. Peeta was taken prisoner. He is thought to be dead. Most likely to be dead. It is probably best if he is dead...' - page 3
'Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, you have provided a spark that, left unattended, may grow to an inferno that destroys Panem.' - page 4
'Why am I not dead? I should be dead. It would be best for everyone if I were dead...' - page 435
The moment of truth. The moment of revolution. Katniss is angry, confused and forced to take sides with people with their own ulterior motives. She can't trust anyone, not even those closest to her. They can't help her.
She will have to trust in herself. She must end the Capitol and the Hunger Games in a way she thinks is right for everyone. As the Mockingjay, she is the symbol of hope and new beginnings. As a human being, she is as much of a mess as everybody else in the story. She needs therapy; the best she has is an adoption of a new thinking process. This is to help her make the dark, impossible decisions that no severely-traumatised seventeen-year-old should face.
'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' is a nightmare the reader is sharing with Katniss.
Honestly, she is one of the bravest, smartest, most selfless and no-nonsense heroines I've ever come across in fiction. I cannot comprehend anyone feeling justified in hating her - put yourself in her dirty, worn-to-the-bone shoes, and what would you do? How would you survive?
Of course, 'Mockingjay' is the final book in a series, so not everyone's going to be happy with the conclusion. Just look at the conflicting reactions to 'The Deathly Hallows'.
This book concludes the many themes and social commentaries that 'The Hunger Games' series puts forth to build on its morals. It is not an easy or pleasant read - it isn't meant to be so. It teaches us that we simply cannot keep making the same mistakes as our predecessors in society, and how easy it is to hate our enemies so much we loose a big piece of who we are. Humans, as a species, have the capacity to evolve and learn, and to think before acting. Safe to say, Suzanne Collins's dystopian novel series contains some truth to it - as any cautionary tale should.
I would also like to mention how important a female lead Katniss Everdeen is to popular culture. As a character she isn't a pretentious "Strong female" - a label that is easily given to any fictitious girl who kicks butt and carries a weapon. She is strong because she is flawed, but that doesn't hinder her. It makes her even more endearing. Many times throughout 'Mockingjay' she thinks about giving up and letting someone else handle the hopeless outcome to a hopeless war. That's not weak, that's human. Given her circumstances it is understandable. But she pulls through for the people she loves, and for her own sanity (which is, again, a human trait and not necessarily a feminine wile. Besides, Katniss will hate herself for being a failure, not a female). She is strong because, despite what different people keep telling her, despite people seeing her as a pawn in their own games, she is still able to make her own choices and think for herself. Ultimately, Katniss standing up for the rights of her people (and how she doesn't need to dress as a Mockingjay sex symbol) is what makes her the ideal hero for this dystopic tale. Because most, if not all, dystopian fiction originate from the idea of people being reduced to sheep who weakly obey some manipulative higher power or other.
Of course her love life is also complicated. I've mentioned before how the love triangle in this series is unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But for Katniss as a developing and mature character, it is important - in a way. Like all humans she is in need of comfort and support in times of crisis. But who does she feel most comfortable with? Who can she trust? Gale has been her best friend her whole life, but his heart is full of hate and revenge - similar to how the Capitol started and continues to run. She has been through all her Hunger Games trauma with Peeta, who's kept her level-headed and calm when she needs to be.
I knew from the beginning who Katniss would end up with, so I really didn't care about the love triangle one bit. It's a minor issue for me. Heck, Katniss didn't want to fall in love at first, due to the risk of the Capitol taking advantage and killing that special person, and of her having children who might be part of the Hunger Games in the future. She rightfully didn't want to bring anyone else into her suffering world; though the resulting loneliness could bring her more harm as well...
I'm just saddened that some people think 'The Hunger Games', as a whole, is about the romance. It's not, okay? It just isn't. It should not be made into such a big deal, in my opinion. Despite what readers might think regarding which characters should have done differently from what the author intended, they are fictional.
And they should be judged as their own characters rather than by their relationships with other ones.
My point is this: Katniss should be judged for her actions concerning the deadly revolution she is a huge part of, and not for who and why she loves a partner as an equal in her suffering. And in my view it has nothing to do with her being a girl in need of a boy, as if patriarchy rules her life. No character in this entire series - not Gale or Peeta or anyone - is so easily disposed of or forgotten about just like that. There are consequences, and heartbreaks.
'Mockingjay' is one of the saddest books I've ever read. The ending may show that everything Katniss has worked towards has been in vain. Or show that hope still exists in a world that has given up on that concept. After all the violence, all the death and betrayal, there is a bittersweetness to be found here. It is both beautiful and inevitable.
Also, the poetry that Katniss's late father told her as a child signifies the series' themes in such a lovely and tragic way. I will remember the verses forever. Genius.
So that's it then: my review of a final novel in a trilogy. Is it perfect? Of course not. It's the last in a popular series. Expectations were perhaps unrealistically high, so not everyone is going to be satisfied with the ending.
Only remember that they are far more important things in life than romance. That there are more poignant social wars in the world than shipping wars to make peace with.
(Sorry if that sounds harsh. But I've been meaning to get that off my chest for a long time now. Wow are 'The Hunger Games' and 'Mockingjay' harrowing!)
Series Verdict: Read it. Talk about it. Love it. Hate it. 'The Hunger Games' trilogy is an intelligent and important pinnacle in contemporary young adult fiction. Ignore the shallow aspects pop culture has taken from it (even calling it a franchise makes it sound gimmicky), and the ignorant and insulting movie marketing strategies.
Final Score: 4/5
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