Author: Suzanne Collins
When I first read The Hunger Games I certainly hoped the next two books would complete the Katniss Everdeen story, and that they would do so in a manner worthy of that very creative Hero's Journey.
As I said in my review of Catching Fire, I thought Collins did an excellent job of writing her main character as a true teenager. Another characteristic of Catching Fire, which was re-emphasized in Mockingjay, is the unpredictability of life, and the difficulty an individual has when trying to plan against powerful forces.
Mockingjay added one more facet which made this series into something substantial, something more than a typical Hero's Journey -- a realism of the consequences of necessary conflict against facism.
And now I'm afraid I have to finish with a slightly incomplete review, because I don't want to reveal important surprises. And yet, I have to say a little bit more, which doesn't technically spoil anything, but seriously -- do not read any farther if you have not yet read this series. I will try to be obscure.
The final few chapters of Mockingjay surprised me, and more than once. In fact, I was so surprised, I had to back up a few times to make sure I caught what Collins actually wrote, because my mind filled in what I expected, rather than registering the words on the page. And, then, after discussing the end of the book with Sherry, I returned to those final chapters for a more thorough re-reading. I initially thought she had fundamentally changed Katniss, then realized that she had merely carried a key trait, an event, almost a magical talisman, through each of the three books. It is, in fact, brilliant story crafting.
The emotional impact of this final book is draining. What happens to characters we care about makes us sad, but , that doesn't mean we have to be unhappy about the whole story. In fact, it's just the opposite. I am very happy to have read this trilogy.
No comments:
Post a Comment