Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

3rd book... Man... What can I say?!... It is the worst one of the bunch. It was a pain to read, even though I was kinda racing to see it finished. It lacked substance and vision. I felt happy that it ended  since the entire finale was highly predictable. I am sorry to say this, but that shine of genius from the first book was completely lost on this one.

There is this whole alternation between paces: it is either too fast or too frigging boring. The whole Katniss - Peeta - Gale triangle gets boring after a while. You get to a pint where you think: "bitch make your damn mind already". Thankfully in the end she did it, but it was more of a choice of circumstance. Fuck it, I am going to spoil some of it and say that the revolution succeeds. Big whoop, like you didn't see that coming a mile away.

The entire book seems a bit like a video game: now they run down the street, now they dodge a trap, now they run into a building, not they find a tunnel... Your every shooter game, from Doom1 up to... whatever games there are nowadays.  The entire book lacks substance and feels shallow, there is no soul put into it. I think the book was written in order to publish something and give an ending to two bestsellers. Hopefully, turning this one into a bestseller too.

Will I watch the entire trilogy, if it ever comes out at the cinema? Definitely. Would I recommend the trilogy to others? You betcha. Am I glad that I didn't pay for these 3 books? Absolutely. 

Catching fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching fire by Suzanne Collins is the second book of the "hunger games" trilogy. Since I managed to get all three books for free, I figured I should read them one after the other without taking breaks for other novels. I was a bit worried that the second book would not live up to the first one and in a way it didn't. I felt that the action in the second half of the book was a bit... rushed. Maybe her publisher was urging her to pull out a second book.

Don't get me wrong, there is action galore and Katniss' angst and doubts are there too. In a way this book shifts from the pure animalistic and violent survival, to a more political kind of survival game. I am doubtful that, such a strong presence - the Capitol, was really threatened by a little girl with a bow and arrows. Maybe she really is just a tool of the resistance. The Capitol's shine seems faded in this sequel, though but its armed forces and the dictatorship over the districts begin to surface. 

What can I say? I enjoyed it, but I kind of missed the entire logic behind the survival in the arena, from book one. What I did like, was Katniss and Peeta's tour of the districts and the entire chemistry between the trio: Katniss, Peeta and Gale. As usual, she manages to get everybody in trouble. The title is meaningful, because Katniss' actions manage to set fire to the entire Panem, literally and figuratively.

Since I had started reading the trilogy I have barely had time for any work. I get engulfed in Panem's atmosphere and I tend to dismiss my other duties. I have started book three from the series and I am conflicted because  I want to do other things but I also want to find out how everything ends. I guess this is what a truly good book is: one that you cannot let go.

The hunger games by Suzanne Collins

It's cliche, I know, but everybody kept this book in high regard. It had been a battle inside me whether to read the book or watch the movie. Given the fact that the book was free, I had given it a try instead. I am definitely glad that I did. It is one of those books that you cannot let go and my family can confirm this, since I had spent an entire weekend reading The hunger games. 

Very short summary of the book: in a country called Panem, positioned in the place of North America, there are 13 districts: the Capitol and 12 others with distinct functions. After a rebellion the Capitol had won and as punishment it had implemented the Hunger Games, some kind of TV show that takes a boy and a girl from each district and makes them kill each other in a very elaborate arena. The only surviving kid is treated like a hero and given a chance to live better than the rest but with a mandatory job  to train the next contestants in the games.

The book is great, it felt like a breath of fresh air after my previous reads. It managed to get me out of my own reality and place me in the world of Panem. Ms Collins, i thank you for the wonderful time you had given me! I cannot wait to start the next book from the trilogy, so I can continue the adventures of Katniss Everdeen, Peeta and the rest. I know it is a bit mainstream nowadays and very trendy to read, but it doesn't disappoint.

After looking on imdb.com at the actors playing the characters from the book, I think that Peeta was probably not a good choice, since the book gave me a different image of him. I was thinking he'd be more massive and with a softer face. I will watch the movie and come with an update on differences.