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First of all, let me get what I didn't like out of the way:
1.) I didn't like Katniss' lack of agency through much of the book. Yes, I know that was part of the point, that she was used as pawn by the Capitol and then District 13, but the first half of the novel and the failure of her attempt to kill Snow were hard for me to swallow.
2.) The epilogue. Even if it had a zinger of a last line and was pretty much what I imagined her future to be, it was still unnecessary.
3.) Less humor. One person commented that with Mockingjay "if you start crying, just cry and keep reading" and that is is actually an accurate prediction (although no actual tears were shed on my end - I'm exceptionally hard to make cry). Since one thing that drew me to the earlier books with the fact that they weren't depressing despite the depressing subject matter, I was disappointed.
4.) Not enough Peeta/Katniss interaction.
What I liked:
1.) The non-romantic way to write Gale out. It was about who he became and not Katniss picking someone else over him.
2.) That District 13 wasn't a perfect place to be and in some ways was just as soul-killing as the Capitol.
3.) The way Peeta was brainwashed. It was cruel and clever. That said, I wish he had returned in the first part of the book so that we could have had later parts with him and Katniss interacting more as themselves.
4.) That the theme of war/death being televised and entertainment continued, even if District 13 had a different motivation than the Capitol.
Things I loved:
1.) CINNA BEING A BADASS REBELLION DESIGNER FROM THE GRAVE. Oh, Cinna. Oh, Cinna, Cinna, Cinna.
2.) Haymitch and Katniss' relationship. From his introduction this book (so snarky, so aware of Katniss' weaknesses) to all the many times that he was the only one she trusted to give him accurate information. Not to mention the way he would clearly follow her into hell or atrocity. I need to read it again to decide if, when he voted yes, he a.) knew Katniss what Katniss was going to do b.) knew Katniss was going to do something and was following her lead, or c.) he was simply following Katniss' lead.
3.) The interaction Gale and Katniss had. Seriously, through most of the book I was really pleased on behalf of the Gale/Katniss shippers and it was clear to me that Katniss was suffering from ptsd and I just wanted the book to end with her going off to hunt and picking nobody. I must admit, I would have been accepting of Katniss picking Gale until he failed to tell her about Peeta. That crossed a line for me.
4.) JOHANNA AND KATNISS AS ROOMMATES OH MY GOD THAT NEVER STOPS BEING THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER. EVER, EVER, EVER.
5.) The details about how the Capital punished, controlled, and whored out the victors. Oh, Finnick. Oh, Haymitch (and that one line he had about adding twenty-three years of tributes to the memory book may have just broke me a little).
6.) Finnick and Annie. Awwww.
7.) Prim. It was clear in Catching Fire and even more in this book that Prim grew up strong and with a different strength than Katniss, and this proved it. Also, I have much respect for Collins for killing her off. It was harsh and brutal and I don't know how I'm going to handle it when I do a reread of The Hunger Games and Katniss volunteers, knowing that for all her efforts she isn't going to keep her sister alive.
8.) Real or Not Real?
9.) That Katniss returned to District 12 to heal. That's the best and kindest thing that could have ever happened to her and it remained true to the world and the characters Collins built.
1.) I didn't like Katniss' lack of agency through much of the book. Yes, I know that was part of the point, that she was used as pawn by the Capitol and then District 13, but the first half of the novel and the failure of her attempt to kill Snow were hard for me to swallow.
2.) The epilogue. Even if it had a zinger of a last line and was pretty much what I imagined her future to be, it was still unnecessary.
3.) Less humor. One person commented that with Mockingjay "if you start crying, just cry and keep reading" and that is is actually an accurate prediction (although no actual tears were shed on my end - I'm exceptionally hard to make cry). Since one thing that drew me to the earlier books with the fact that they weren't depressing despite the depressing subject matter, I was disappointed.
4.) Not enough Peeta/Katniss interaction.
What I liked:
1.) The non-romantic way to write Gale out. It was about who he became and not Katniss picking someone else over him.
2.) That District 13 wasn't a perfect place to be and in some ways was just as soul-killing as the Capitol.
3.) The way Peeta was brainwashed. It was cruel and clever. That said, I wish he had returned in the first part of the book so that we could have had later parts with him and Katniss interacting more as themselves.
4.) That the theme of war/death being televised and entertainment continued, even if District 13 had a different motivation than the Capitol.
Things I loved:
1.) CINNA BEING A BADASS REBELLION DESIGNER FROM THE GRAVE. Oh, Cinna. Oh, Cinna, Cinna, Cinna.
2.) Haymitch and Katniss' relationship. From his introduction this book (so snarky, so aware of Katniss' weaknesses) to all the many times that he was the only one she trusted to give him accurate information. Not to mention the way he would clearly follow her into hell or atrocity. I need to read it again to decide if, when he voted yes, he a.) knew Katniss what Katniss was going to do b.) knew Katniss was going to do something and was following her lead, or c.) he was simply following Katniss' lead.
3.) The interaction Gale and Katniss had. Seriously, through most of the book I was really pleased on behalf of the Gale/Katniss shippers and it was clear to me that Katniss was suffering from ptsd and I just wanted the book to end with her going off to hunt and picking nobody. I must admit, I would have been accepting of Katniss picking Gale until he failed to tell her about Peeta. That crossed a line for me.
4.) JOHANNA AND KATNISS AS ROOMMATES OH MY GOD THAT NEVER STOPS BEING THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER. EVER, EVER, EVER.
5.) The details about how the Capital punished, controlled, and whored out the victors. Oh, Finnick. Oh, Haymitch (and that one line he had about adding twenty-three years of tributes to the memory book may have just broke me a little).
6.) Finnick and Annie. Awwww.
7.) Prim. It was clear in Catching Fire and even more in this book that Prim grew up strong and with a different strength than Katniss, and this proved it. Also, I have much respect for Collins for killing her off. It was harsh and brutal and I don't know how I'm going to handle it when I do a reread of The Hunger Games and Katniss volunteers, knowing that for all her efforts she isn't going to keep her sister alive.
8.) Real or Not Real?
9.) That Katniss returned to District 12 to heal. That's the best and kindest thing that could have ever happened to her and it remained true to the world and the characters Collins built.
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