August 27, 2010

Thoughts on Mockingjay

Frustrating. Heart-stopping. Unforgettable.

If you were expecting a cheerful ending, think again.

All of Collins' greatness is present. Her groundbreaking words that make hearts stop with her non-stop action, and her unpredictable twists, and her unique pace, and even the thirst for fame that she exploits giving us Katniss' power with Katniss' remarkable voice, and Katniss' everlasting courage.

No one else can bring a character to life in such few words like Collins can. The number of characters involved, and yet well developed and unique, is shocking. Everything about this book screams five stars.

*Spoilers ahead*

But I have to be honest. Something is missing that the other two books have.

BALANCE.

Just like Katniss finally realized, Peeta was balance. I could endure all cruelty, all deaths, all heartbreaks if at the end of the day the goodness in the world was still represented in one sweet form: Peeta.

This book lacks love and kindness.

It's empty of Peeta. 

He provided the delicate balance thread by which the story wove into perfection. That thread got stolen or 'hijacked' along with Peeta's memory. It breaks my heart. Even worse, the only other person who slightly provided this balance was Prim. So, yeah.

So even though Collins is a genius and she managed to write a shocking and satisfying finale,
I needed balance.

Balance is necessary. Real or not real?

6 comments:

  1. I agree about balance. I felt almost betrayed by Peeta and the "hijacking." He was the balance. I guess, like you said Prim did balance it a bit...but she wasnt in it enough to really balance out. Prim was more the voice of reason. Really, after Peeta was "hijacked" Katniss took a turn, trying to forget Peeta, and that I did not like.

    I wasnt really satisfied with the ending either. I felt Katniss lacked emotion. She explained things yes, but void of all emotion. Maybe after loosing Prim and Gale she has a right to be, but still...

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  2. A wonderful way to put it! She dragged us through hell, and I just really needed more at the end. I was still so upset when I closed the book, and maybe that was intentional on her part, I don't know? So we don't forget that war is hell? But I wanted more. And maybe the point is that in our own lives, we must do everything we can to make more.

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  3. I could only scan it as I haven't read it but I'm happy to read that it hits the mark! I'm waiting for my teenager to finish it.

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  4. Since writing my review some of the allure has worn off. I still think it was great but I was displeased with a lot of things too. My husband hated it...he really did. He have been having extensive discussions about it! I have a few theories on why this book had such a different feel, and Peeta's absence was definitely a factor. My husband and I and a few other bloggers are planning a discussion post for sometime next week and I can't wait to get into it!!

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  5. I missed the good Peeta too. He was one the main reasons I loved the first two books so very much.

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  6. One of the best book I've ever read ! But I don't really know what to think about this end...When I closed the book I was so frustrated...

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