First off:I've read a few spoiler-free reviews, and some people said they hated it. I've read (and watched) a few reviews with spoilers, and I'm not really sure what to think.
Part of my doubt springs from the fact that sometimes when I think books are really perfect, I tend to treat them as the CANON of all canons, and as such it is Sacrilegious for anyone to critique it. This also happened with Deathly Hallows, I am ashamed to admit. I say: "How can you hate the Epilogue?? This is the book of all books; this is the one we have waited our lives for; how can you accept it as being NOT TRUE? JKR has dictated it, and so it shall BE." And so forth.
It's easier for me to take a step back and be objective with books that I'm not as emotionally invested in. I actually have to be suspicious about the book first, before I'm able to be objective. In this case I have so much faith in Suzanne Collins to keep it superb, that I don't doubt her writing at first.
Right. The point. The real review! (Finally. This crazy devotee has calmed down.)
Regarding the plot and the killings, my first impression of it was that it was a freaking bloodbath. Gory, intense. Collins doesn't spare any details, nor underestimates how much YA readers can handle. At one point I even doubted the categorization of Mockingjay in this genre, because it has more violence than any other YA book I've read. Because of this, Collins puts you in a state of perpetual suspense, because anyone can be killed at any moment. Although predictably, when you think that everyone has died, Collins strategically leaves Katniss' family alive, as well as Peeta and Gale in the renegade squad. With all the deaths, sometimes you just know that certain people cannot die--without whom the novel cannot proceed. In this sense it's a bit unrealistic when you see 8 people die in a day, and all of the 8 *happen* to not be Peeta or Gale or Katniss, despite the fact that these three have less military training compared to the District 13 soldiers.
However, I understand why Collins has to keep Peeta and Gale alive till the end, because eventually when Katniss has to make a choice, it can't be a "default" choice, i.e. "Katniss chooses Peeta/ Gale because the other died." Katniss can't settle for either just because the other is gone. It wouldn't be real if Katniss didn't have to justify why she picked Peeta instead of Gale.
To a certain extent, I think the violence and hyperrealism of the series is what sets it apart from other YA novels. Especially in the Hunger Games, where we are displayed the Capitol's excesses and luxuries, and introduced to the concept of pitting children against each other in an arena. It's not very far from what our generation considers entertainment, especially when you consider reality TV shows Lost and Survivor. Heck, whenever I watched the TV spots for Survivor: Heroes vs Villians, I thought of Catching Fire. It's unnerving when you realise that Katniss's world isn't that far from ours. Fox News is famed for turning political moments to sensationalism; from making politics entertainment. To a certain extent most TV viewers are just like Capitol viewers when they begin to think what happens on E! Entertainment is far more interesting and important than local news.
Back to the violence! Collins kills so many people in this book and puts in so many suspenseful twists that towards the end, you're kind of numbed. When everything is moving smoothy in the sewers for a while, you kind of expect something to happen. It becomes abnormal to NOT have a twist at the end of a chapter that you expect something anyway. At the end you have the feeling that Collins has done herself in because there is little more she can do to surprise the reader, as Katniss has already lost so much.
Actually, I think this kind of numbness is symbolic because it reminds me so eerily of the way we are numb to the devastation we see every day in the news. We've seen so many deaths because of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the like, that the announcement of a suicide bombing in Palestine doesn't bother us anymore. Collins forces us to think about our reactions (or non-reactions) to the news, and inspect the way we respond to natural disasters or civil violence.
Things I liked! A hardened, angsty Katniss, and her initial rejection of her role is something that we all can relate to. The characterization of seemingly minor characters like Finnick and Johanna. Prim's growth throughout the series. Katniss and Haymitch's relationship. It's so fascinating to look at the exchanges between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Unlike other YA novels, where characters often try to hide the truth from each other or lie, (Alan Ryves!) Collins knows that these characters don't have a lot of time to waste. After seeing everyone else drop like flies, Peeta and Gale know that their conversation in Tigris's basement is the only chance they'll have to talk to each other before someone dies, and they are really straight with it. Katniss, too, is aware of this, and is particularly truthful when meeting Peeta in the hospital ward. This is no time for lies, or the explaining of them afterwards. There is no time for regret. That's why Gale is so frank and Katniss doesn't stop him.
Not masking the truth is an underlying theme in the series; we are shown that most characters in this book-- adults and teenagers alike-- are never entirely good or evil. Like in real life, they all have their own agendas, and Collins doesn't shield us from it. She tells it as it is, however how harsh the truth may be. No one is foolishly idealistic or impossibly brave, and this might be a relief for adolescent readers swamped by the volume of "perfect" protagonists in YA.
In all: Mockingjay would definitely sell, given the buildup and anticipation. I liked it! It was a satisfying yet powerful end. Action-packed, emotionally intense-- it keeps you on the edge of your seat. There haven't been book release parties for a book that takes itself more seriously than Twilight, and if they had one at my bookstore, I would have attended. Oh, and if you want to start the series, it's seriously addictive. Pun not intended.
