Synopsis: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding. -Goodreads

This review has minor spoilers from the previous two books…

Review: So, we have reached the conclusion of what is, without question, an intensely good series of books. Hunger Games and Catching Fire were mindblowing. Mockingjay… was just pretty good. Still a great book, but when the bar is set so high, sometimes it’s just not possible to maintain that level.

This was still a really good read. I am so enthralled by the entire world that Suzanne Collins has created. So many dystopians these days are just that, but in these books you can really see where these people tried to create a utopia for themselves and failed. In the end creating a world where no one really wins.

I went into detail about what bothered me about this book in this post, but what it comes down to is lack of closure. I wanted more from the ending, even just another chapter would have done the trick. I also found the pacing to be a lot slower than the previous books. Nothing wrong with that pacing, but it just wasn’t what I had come to expect so I still found myself a little disappointed, even though I was ready a fantastic book.

The characters are as great as ever in this final installment of the series. Katniss is pretty kick-ass and you can finally see some growth. She’s come a long way from the girl who volunteered to take her sisters place out of love. She’s the face of a revolution and there is a lot of responsibility that comes with that, not all of which is all that palatable to her. The supporting cast manages to be exactly that, support and guidance for Katniss. They’re all still well thought out and individualized.

One thing this final book did lack for me was an emotional aspect. There was one part that should have been insanely heart-wrenching, and for me… it just wasn’t. I know these books have the power to make me cry, so I was surprised when such a vital moment was rushed through and lacking in substance.

All that being said, I’d still give this series as a whole a five out of five. This is story telling at its best.

Rating

Second Opinions
@ My Hunger Games
@ Shelf Life
@ Book Aunt