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Summary:
After being rescued from District 13, Katniss struggles to deal with the responsibility that comes with being the figurehead for an entire revolution. While the rebels are waging war, district by district, Katniss is filming propaganda videos to air in the capitol, encouraging people to join their cause. The Capitol is airing its own films featuring interviews with Peeta, who wasn't able to escape in the District 13 hovercraft with the others. Katniss is unable to sustain her role as the Mockingjay knowing how Peeta is suffering at the hands of President Snow, so another rescue mission is launched and returns successful. But President Snow has one more surprise for Katniss: he's brainwashed Peeta into thinking she's evil.
Response (Spoilers):
I can honestly say that the end of this novel made me cry like a five year old with a skinned knee. Suzanne Collins does not shy away from the harsh realities of war and I commend her for that. There is also a certain amount of hope for the characters. That part that made me cry, the death of her sister. It could be because I have such a close relationship with my own sister and could completely understand what Katniss must be feeling, but I also think Collins does an excellent job of portraying her character's grief.
I was glad to have a little more interaction between Gale and Katniss in this novel. It helped to develop that friendship/relationship for me and I honestly believed she was torn between her feelings for Gale and Peeta. Though, I have to maintain that Gale's affection for Katniss seems to always be motivated by jealousy whereas Peeta's comes from a genuine place. Even in the end, when Katniss has completely shut down and can't function, Gale abandons her for a shiny new job in a different district while Peeta is the one who comes back to be with her.
I wish there had been a little more conversation about Katniss' decision to kill President Coin, or even President Coin's true motives. I will agree that the decision to continue the Hunger Games, but with only Capitol Children this time, was a huge motivator for Katniss' actions. It really made the point that President Coin wasn't looking for a total revolution, just a change in power. But we don't see the trial where Katniss' fate is decided, just her continued breakdown after the death of her sister and abandonment by her mother.
Overall, I think this was an excellent end to the trilogy. I think a few additional chapters would have tied it up even better, but I wasn't disappointed in the ending. The series, as a whole, deals with difficult subject matter and I wouldn't recommend it for young children without some sort of conversation or guided reading. But it is an excellent way to teach younger generations about the reality of war and freedoms. Always an entertaining read for those of us who are older. I was captivated by the story and cared very much for the individual characters.
Showing posts with label Suzanne Collins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suzanne Collins. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Summary:
A regular life, after surviving the Hunger Games, is no longer possible to Katniss Everdeen and her faux beau, Peeta Mellark. There are certain lines that have been crossed and things will never be the same. First of all, her friendship with Gale has been strained since her romance with Peeta must be maintained in front of the Capitol's cameras. Then a visit from President Snow indicates Katniss' actions in the Hunger Games has set off a chain reaction even she can't begin to understand or control. Increased security and the rumor of rebellion in other districts are only the warning signs. President Snow declares that in honor of the 75th Hunger Games, the contestants will be chosen from the remaining victors. This means that Katniss will definitely be returning to the arena with either Peeta or her mentor, Haymitch. Not willing to sacrifice either of them, Katniss strikes a deal with Haymitch to make sure Peeta survives at all costs.
Response (Spoilers):
I kind of feel like Katniss hasn't been allowed to make any of her own decisions in these two books. Obviously there are a few things she chooses, like volunteering to take her sister's place or mourning Rue. But Peeta's revelation of Love has sort of trapped her in a relationship for which she never really asked. President Snow's do or die bargain has her forced into an engagement she never wanted. She has been plucked and polished to fit an image created for her by the Capitol. Then Peeta manipulates the audience to believe she's pregnant with a child she would never have had in an effort to save her life even though she's determined to save his instead. Even in entering the second Hunger Games, Haymitch has made all the decisions without informing her. He has decided they will have allies whether she wants them or not, the rebels have decided there will be a jailbreak, and District 13 has decided she's the figure head they need to rouse the rest of the Panem nation into revolt. Really, where is her say in any of this?
I would even argue that her decision to take her sister's place was one she didn't have complete control over. The government being what it is and the Hunger Games bring what it is, the entire society is engineered to manipulate and control its citizens. So really what choice did she have when they pulled her sister's name out of the bowl? Now she has been whisked away to lead a rebellion she doesn't really support. Everyone else is thinking about the greater good of society while she's worried about the individuals around her. I think all of this is driven home for Katniss when she discovers that District 12, her home, has been destroyed. Her family has managed to survive, but it's not clear who else made it.
Again, I would recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I still feel that the author is really reaching with her love triangle, though. I thought we would get a little more face time with Gale, but he's still MIA even though they're back in the District for half of the book. It makes me root for Peeta because I don't really have the emotional attachment to Gale that Katniss supposedly does. This could be the author's intention, however. Still, I had to go right into the third book just to see how it ends.
A regular life, after surviving the Hunger Games, is no longer possible to Katniss Everdeen and her faux beau, Peeta Mellark. There are certain lines that have been crossed and things will never be the same. First of all, her friendship with Gale has been strained since her romance with Peeta must be maintained in front of the Capitol's cameras. Then a visit from President Snow indicates Katniss' actions in the Hunger Games has set off a chain reaction even she can't begin to understand or control. Increased security and the rumor of rebellion in other districts are only the warning signs. President Snow declares that in honor of the 75th Hunger Games, the contestants will be chosen from the remaining victors. This means that Katniss will definitely be returning to the arena with either Peeta or her mentor, Haymitch. Not willing to sacrifice either of them, Katniss strikes a deal with Haymitch to make sure Peeta survives at all costs.
Response (Spoilers):
I kind of feel like Katniss hasn't been allowed to make any of her own decisions in these two books. Obviously there are a few things she chooses, like volunteering to take her sister's place or mourning Rue. But Peeta's revelation of Love has sort of trapped her in a relationship for which she never really asked. President Snow's do or die bargain has her forced into an engagement she never wanted. She has been plucked and polished to fit an image created for her by the Capitol. Then Peeta manipulates the audience to believe she's pregnant with a child she would never have had in an effort to save her life even though she's determined to save his instead. Even in entering the second Hunger Games, Haymitch has made all the decisions without informing her. He has decided they will have allies whether she wants them or not, the rebels have decided there will be a jailbreak, and District 13 has decided she's the figure head they need to rouse the rest of the Panem nation into revolt. Really, where is her say in any of this?
I would even argue that her decision to take her sister's place was one she didn't have complete control over. The government being what it is and the Hunger Games bring what it is, the entire society is engineered to manipulate and control its citizens. So really what choice did she have when they pulled her sister's name out of the bowl? Now she has been whisked away to lead a rebellion she doesn't really support. Everyone else is thinking about the greater good of society while she's worried about the individuals around her. I think all of this is driven home for Katniss when she discovers that District 12, her home, has been destroyed. Her family has managed to survive, but it's not clear who else made it.
Again, I would recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining read. I still feel that the author is really reaching with her love triangle, though. I thought we would get a little more face time with Gale, but he's still MIA even though they're back in the District for half of the book. It makes me root for Peeta because I don't really have the emotional attachment to Gale that Katniss supposedly does. This could be the author's intention, however. Still, I had to go right into the third book just to see how it ends.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Summary:
In a post-apocalyptic future, there is a Country called Panem. Panem is located in North America and consists of a Capitol and 12 surrounding districts. District 12, where we meet our heroine, is located in the Appalachia region of North America. Panem is gearing up for the annual Hunger Games where one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are selected from each district, though not from the Capitol, to participate. It is an annual competition designed to remind the surrounding districts of the power the Capitol holds over them. Devised after a rebellion 74 years ago, which resulted in the complete destruction of District 13, the Hunger Games require the participants to fight to the death. If you are able to survive, you will be given a monthly salary, a new house in your district, and you will be safe from being chosen again.
This is when we meet Katniss Everdeen. At age 16, she has been providing for her family since her father's untimely death in a coal mine explosion five years ago. Hunting with her best friend, Gale, who lost his father in the same explosion, she is able to keep her 12 year old sister and mother alive. Katniss volunteers to go to the Hunger Games after her sister, Prim, is selected as the female competitor for District 12. She is then whisked away to the Capitol with her fellow contestant, Peeta Mellark. Strategies for survival are devised and Peeta makes a very exciting, very public, revelation.
Thankfully, Katniss has many hidden talents and one very well developed skill to give her a fighting chance in the competition. Though when it's over, is it really over?
Response (Beware of Spoilers):
I have to say that I am currently upset with Miss Katniss Everdeen. I've come to the end of the book and she seems entirely confused by her emotions towards one Peeta Mellark. There is this Gale character from back home with whom she seems to have some sort of potential romantic tension, but as a reader I only know what she tells me about him. As a reader I have been shown the lengths that Peeta is willing to go to in order to protect her and to show her how he feels. I have been shown how his feelings for her are obvious to everyone but her and I sort of want to shake her and tell her to get over whatever it is that's causing her emotional constipation.
That being said, having finished the first book and knowing all the trials she had to face in the arena, I can sort of understand her reluctance to begin a romantic relationship with anyone. There are so many things that get tied up with that and her biggest concern is never having to see her child go to the Hunger Games. I wonder how the outer districts have been able to not revolt against their government, seeing their children offered up year after year for this terrible ritual. How badly did the Capitol destroy District 13, some 74 years ago, that has put all of these people into a comatose state when it comes to their own health and well-being? They don't like the Hunger Games, or the way things are run, but they accept it and do nothing to change it. What happened to them, as a culture, to just make them roll over like that?
A great commentary on society as a whole. We have the starving, struggling districts around the gleaming capitol where people alter their bodies for cosmetic reasons and have no concept of how the world outside is suffering. A place where the sacrifice of children is seen as the latest in entertainment and it is watched willingly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in an entertaining story. Though, I will say, up front, that this is YA fiction and one should remember that while reading. I've read that one of the influences for the novel was the Greek Myth about Theseus and the Minotaur and I have to say I am very glad it was handled as well as it was.
In a post-apocalyptic future, there is a Country called Panem. Panem is located in North America and consists of a Capitol and 12 surrounding districts. District 12, where we meet our heroine, is located in the Appalachia region of North America. Panem is gearing up for the annual Hunger Games where one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are selected from each district, though not from the Capitol, to participate. It is an annual competition designed to remind the surrounding districts of the power the Capitol holds over them. Devised after a rebellion 74 years ago, which resulted in the complete destruction of District 13, the Hunger Games require the participants to fight to the death. If you are able to survive, you will be given a monthly salary, a new house in your district, and you will be safe from being chosen again.
This is when we meet Katniss Everdeen. At age 16, she has been providing for her family since her father's untimely death in a coal mine explosion five years ago. Hunting with her best friend, Gale, who lost his father in the same explosion, she is able to keep her 12 year old sister and mother alive. Katniss volunteers to go to the Hunger Games after her sister, Prim, is selected as the female competitor for District 12. She is then whisked away to the Capitol with her fellow contestant, Peeta Mellark. Strategies for survival are devised and Peeta makes a very exciting, very public, revelation.
Thankfully, Katniss has many hidden talents and one very well developed skill to give her a fighting chance in the competition. Though when it's over, is it really over?
Response (Beware of Spoilers):
I have to say that I am currently upset with Miss Katniss Everdeen. I've come to the end of the book and she seems entirely confused by her emotions towards one Peeta Mellark. There is this Gale character from back home with whom she seems to have some sort of potential romantic tension, but as a reader I only know what she tells me about him. As a reader I have been shown the lengths that Peeta is willing to go to in order to protect her and to show her how he feels. I have been shown how his feelings for her are obvious to everyone but her and I sort of want to shake her and tell her to get over whatever it is that's causing her emotional constipation.
That being said, having finished the first book and knowing all the trials she had to face in the arena, I can sort of understand her reluctance to begin a romantic relationship with anyone. There are so many things that get tied up with that and her biggest concern is never having to see her child go to the Hunger Games. I wonder how the outer districts have been able to not revolt against their government, seeing their children offered up year after year for this terrible ritual. How badly did the Capitol destroy District 13, some 74 years ago, that has put all of these people into a comatose state when it comes to their own health and well-being? They don't like the Hunger Games, or the way things are run, but they accept it and do nothing to change it. What happened to them, as a culture, to just make them roll over like that?
A great commentary on society as a whole. We have the starving, struggling districts around the gleaming capitol where people alter their bodies for cosmetic reasons and have no concept of how the world outside is suffering. A place where the sacrifice of children is seen as the latest in entertainment and it is watched willingly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in an entertaining story. Though, I will say, up front, that this is YA fiction and one should remember that while reading. I've read that one of the influences for the novel was the Greek Myth about Theseus and the Minotaur and I have to say I am very glad it was handled as well as it was.
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