Review ~ Catching Fire & Mockingjay ~ Suzanne Collins

     

Will contain spoilers!

I believe these two books need no introduction! After The Hunger Games book and film I was rather excited to read these two books but I was sooooo very disappointed! I have decided to review these two together because well, I was disappointed by both and thought it best to get it over with in one post!!

Now, I try to be very critical with my reviews, if I don't like something I say why and I'm always able to find good points and things I enjoy within a story. However, with these two I'm finding it very very difficult!!

It was obvious Kat and Peeta were going to face repercussions after what happened at the end of The Hunger Games and I kinda like how they were tossed back into the arena with other past champions. But Catching Fire is 472 pages long and I didn't start to really enjoy it until I was 305 pages in. Usually I would give up on a book if I didn't like it after about 100 pages (sooner if I really struggle) but given that the book/series has so much hype surrounding it I had to carry on. So I did, and the last 170 pages were good for me, that's the part I loved and it's those pages that get my 3 stars. Once we're back in the arena things really start to pick up and unbeknown to Kat alliances have already been formed on the outside. The plan is to keep her safe because she is the face of the rebellion, she is to become the mockingjay and nothing can stop that, because without Kat things won't go according to plan! However, she doesn't yet know this.

Things don't go to plan in the arena and eventually Kat and a few other champions are rescued but some are left behind, one being Peeta.

So let's move on to Mockingjay then because all Kat can think about is saving Peeta but as she becomes the people's Mockingjay Peeta is being turned against her, this we know once he has of course, been rescued from The Capitol.

After several 'Mockingjay duties' have been carried out and Kat makes her little videos for the world to see and fights have started and the districts are being crushed, a select few are sent on a rescue mission for Peeta. As I've said he was bought back but he isn't himself, The Capitol have been brainwashing him to hate Kat and well, kill her I guess!! Of all the things I thought would happen in the Mockingjay, that was not one of them! And given the ending we can only assume Peeta becomes himself once more!

I feel Mockingjay sticks out like a sore thumb in this series, almost like we are faced with different characters, or a different author. I also found several mistakes within the book which frustrated me. The problem with a trilogy like this is even when people say don't read book 2 and/or 3 you still will because you need to know what happens. Many people told me not to read Mockcingjay after I had said how I was a little disappointed with Catching Fire but of course I did, and I know you will too if you haven't already because like I said, you just have to know how it ends. I only gave Mockingjay 2 stars and after thinking about the story over and over I really can't budge from those 2 stars.

Another thing I never got was the whole team Peeta team Gale thing that I have seen! The relationship with Gale was only ever stolen moments and honestly I thought them to be to different. I didn't understand how that led to a team Peeta team Gale.

I'm ever so sorry to all the people out there who love this series, I did like The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire was saved by the last 170 pages but Mockingjay just distroyed this series for me.