'I'm moving in towards the camera now, carried forward by my rage. "President Snow says he's sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that?.....Fire is catching!.....and if we burn, you burn with us!"'
It took me some time to actually get around to finishing this book. I started university, just after reading Catching Fire, most of my time was spent on my course and passion for photography. So I left it half read, until the holidays when I knew I would have plenty of time to immerse myself once more in the world which Collins had created.
I wasn't expecting much out of the ordinary at first, but from chapter 7 onwards I found myself drawn into the story so much so at times I felt I was actually there battling and fighting on, alongside Katniss and the Star Squad.
From then on it's pretty much action, action, action. I liked that, at every turn there was something Katniss had to deal with, whether it be collecting allies and making propos or fulfilling her role as the Mockingjay. Then there was her constant vigil over the ones she loved her private mission to assassinate President Snow.
Once the war started to kick in and take effect on the Districts, the story line turned bloody as expected. The killing increased with many characters meeting their end in the space of just a few chapters. After a while the killings do take a toll on you and with every chapter, every hurdle, every trial you're constantly awaiting the next victim.
I think Collins really wanted to dig deep into our emotions, she certainly kept digging into mine. It was hard at times to see any possible positive outcome to this book, this trilogy, after everything.
I personally didn't enjoy this book.....I loved it. Most of my friends and other readers seemed to have found it disturbing and difficult, as their beloved characters are thrown into the worst of their horrors. I think to myself how could I love such a book that is so gloomy, doleful and at times grotesque. But I did, every bit of it, there were times where I wished a character I loved didn't have to die, but they did and it was for a good cause.
Would highly recommend 'The Hunger Games Trilogy' to anyone who is wanting to learn how life could be like and how lucky we are to have what we have.
We are even so lucky, to play such childish games that end up in fights, moaning and squabbles. After all there are much worse games to play!
Review by Katie Johnson (Given 5/5 stars on Goodreads)
It's taken me a long time to process my thoughts but I'm finally ready to write this review. So here it goes.
I was in total shock. The amount of violence was too much to handle. It's just so gruesome, I wanted to throw up. Don't get me wrong the book is brilliant! But I just couldn't handle the gory bits.
I cried a lot during the process of reading it. It was pretty much non stop. I felt like I couldn't be happy at all, I was so consumed with pain and heartache. It's like I was there, it was my story they were telling.
Whenever someone died I would break down and ask why. Why would they do that? Why did they have to kill him/her off? I've come to the conclusion that their deaths were necessary.
I kinda did and didn't like the ending. I'll go with like first: I liked it because Katniss and Peeta finally settle down and have a family. They live out the rest of their life's in peace.
Didn't like: Katniss didn't end up marrying Gale.
Which sucks. :(
Review by Katie Ellis (given 4/5 stars on Goodreads)
