Hello! Good morning! This is Jennifer from Literate Housewife. I read very few series. When I do, it’s more often than not completed. The Hunger Game series by Suzanne Collins was different. Whe
n Catching Fire came out with so much buzz, I couldn’t resist. I began the series in audio but, not caring for the narrator, I switched to print for Catching Fire the very day after I finished The Hunger Games. With everyone else, I eagerly awaited Mockingjay. In fact it was my first preordered eBook because I wanted to get started IMMEDIATELY.
Sheila, get your Spoiler Alert button ready:
I selected Mockingjay as the title for this Morning Meandering because Sheila had the reaction I wanted to have. She ♥loved♥ it and as I read her review I got a kick out of her “I Love Mockingjay” picture. While I wouldn’t say that I had the opposite reaction, I was deeply disappointed by the end of this trilogy. Neither Peeta nor Gale impressed me at all. That I ever preferred either of them felt irrelevant because they were at best poor imitations of the characters they once were. Then, when Pru was killed anyway, I had to restrain myself from throwing my eReader across the room. I mourned the Mockingjay that wasn’t and, in lieu of a full review, I recapped my thoughts in a six stanza haiku poem.
Now that I’ve pointed out that Sheila loved Mockingjay while I did not, don’t think that there will be a Team Book Journey / Team Literate Housewife thing happening. We agree more often than not and its differences like this that make the reading world go round. But, if you were to pick sides on Mockingjay, which team would you be on? Is this a love/hate kind of book?
Book Journey 
It’s always so interesting how people can have such different feelings on a book. always good to have both perspectives
The author clearly did something right if people can love a book and hate it in equal measure. She clearly hit on something.
Fun post, Jennifer. I can’t weigh in on Mockingjay (didn’t read it) but of the books Sheila and I have in common we tend to agree 🙂
Now you have to read the book, Mary! I typically agree with Sheila, too. 🙂
I wasn’t a fan of Mockinjay either. I felt that all the characters had become shells of themselves. The things that made me want to root for them was gone. That being said, oddly I felt the two characters that held close to who they were in books 1 and 2 were Peeta and Gale. I wasn’t team either (I honestly wanted her with neither) but the boys I think were true to their individual journeys. The women though—she just hallowed out.
I like what you said about them being shells of themselves. Even more interesting is that you thought that for the women and I did for the men. Say what you will about this book, it hits people in many different ways.
Team Book Journey. It’s my favorite in the series. I thought Prim’s death (it’s not really a spoiler, is it?) was both bold and an accurate picture of what happens when your immediate world is ensconced in war. The same goes for Katniss. You can’t kill dozens of people in the Games plus go through that kind of revolution without it changing you.
One of my friends has said nearly the same thing. With enough distance maybe I’ll reread it and see if I can see things differently.
OK, at the time I read MOCKINGJAY, I was a bit disappointed. I thought that Katniss was a mere shade of herself. That being said, when I say the movie version a couple of months ago, I was less annoyed. I didn’t even think that I would see the movie Mockingjay, but since I had dragged my husband to the other movies, he wanted to see the series end. I told him he might not like it (and we’ll keep an open mind in that regard), but I think the movie Katniss was pretty good. So, I guess I’m on the fence. MOCKINGJAY was not my favorite of the books. Let’s leave it there. 🙂
It’s interesting that you bring up the movies. My husband and I watched the first two movies and I was bored. I don’t know what it was. I don’t plan on watching the Mockingjay movies because splitting that book into two seems like torture to me. Still, if it helps to redeem the book…
I haven’t read Mockingjay but I’d probably be on your side since I didn’t care for The Hunger Games.
Thank you, Kathy!!!! 🙂
I don’t like The Hunger Games books. I only read the first one and couldn’t continue.
Nice post, Jennifer.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Blog
I can understand that. If you’re not moved to read the second book at the end of the first, you made the best decision.
I was on the fence about the third book; there were parts I liked and parts I disliked.
Very diplomatic. 🙂
I’m with you, Jennifer, on this one. I really loved the Hunger Games, because I guess it was so different from anything else I had read. The second one, eh…and the third one, definite meh. However, I’m still interested in seeing all the movies. I think they’ve made a Peeta a little more likeable, at least in the first two, than in the book. I didn’t like him in the book.
I remember liking Peeta, but I can’t remember why now. LOL! I am not a fan of making the last movie based on a series of books into two movies. Let’s say I loved Mockingjay. I don’t want it drawn out over two movies and as many years. Good grief!
I haven’t read any of the Hunger Games books, but did see the first movie with my granddaughter. I am not a fan. But I enjoyed your post, Jennifer.
Thank you! I was bored by the first movie myself. I would say that I don’t like film adaptations, but I really enjoyed the Gone Girl movie.
Great post! I read Mockingjay shortly after it came out and was disappointed. I would like to reread and see if my response is the same.
People’s commentary on why they liked the book is intriguing, isn’t it? I need a little more distance because just hearing the name disappoints me. 🙂
Pop in of the day – spent the morning and early afternoon touring where they make the Lord Of The Rings movies- so cool! Mockingjay was my least favorite of the series – too political, but I was still impressed with the books overall and have been enjoying the movies. 🙂 Thanks Jennifer for the fun post 🙂
Thanks for having me, Sheila! I just had fun reading and responding to the comments. People certainly have feelings about this book. I am jealous of your trip!
Jennifer,
Thank you for filling in for Sheila, and for for your take on this popular book! I haven’t read this trilogy, although we have the books (my youngest daughter loved them), and I saw Hunger Games in the theater soon after it came out.
I have never read these books, and after watching the first movie, I’m almost positive I never will. For whatever reason, the first book always sounded as a riff on Shirley Jackson’s ” The Lottery” and she is one of my favorite authors of all time. When I watched the movie, the idea of watching kids kill each other kind of turned me off, and I never had an inkling to go any further with the series. And truth be told, YA tends to not be for me.
Jennifer, I actually loved the Hunger Games series. I don’t remember feeling disappointed by it. I guess it depends on our expectations as readers? I’d be curious as to what you would think of the “Legend” series by Marie Lu. Loved that trilogy!