While Amazon tortured me by withholding my (pre-ordered!) Mockingjay, Sarah sent me a little something to tide me over:

my own mockingjay

(Thanks, girl!)

Fortunately a coworker lent me her copy of the book (which she pre-ordered and then picked up from Barnes & Noble) and I read it yesterday. Folks, I was WRECKED after I finished that book.

If you want to know exactly how I felt about it, good and bad, check out JJ’s post (warning: MAJOR SPOILERS). She pretty much hit every nail on the head for me.

(There are some great discussions going on in the comments over there too.)

But if you’re not spoiler ready, or you just don’t care that much, let me talk about the book in broader terms. Truthfully, it was my least favorite of the series. I didn’t feel fully prepared by Hunger Games or Catching Fire for what Collins wrote in Mockingjay. The first 2 books were “adventure” stories; this last one was war. In Mockingjay, Collins took every good thing and broke it. She broke Katniss. And that was so, SO hard to read.

But the good kind of hard, you know?

Overall the writing in MJ was solid, and just as un-put-down-able as HG and CF. The pacing was a bit off, like she could have used 4 books instead of 3… But the twists, the characters, the way she brought things full circle from earlier books and scenes — that was all impeccable. Collins has a gift, and I hope I can reach that level of storytelling someday.

Maybe I would have done a few things differently, but as a whole, I think the trilogy is spectacular. Similar to Harry Potter, in some regards. (That’s another series I need to re-read…)

And if nothing else, Hunger Games has really opened my eyes to what a book can do. What a writer can do. What I could do. It has inspired me in so many ways for my next manuscript, Mountain Girls. (That’s a project name, not a real title.)

Now it’s just a matter of sitting down at the keyboard and making. it. happen!


12 responses to “Mockingjay thoughts (no spoilers)”

  1. Sonja Avatar

    I don’t have much to comment here about HG as we’ve been emailing about it already! I’ll just say that it is fun to have a book (a series is even better) that you can’t put down.

  2. Sarah Avatar

    I thought that bird looked familiar! :) I read JJ’s post and all the comments…I feel so greedy for what everyone thought because I am distraught that it’s all over. Somehow, by talking about it, it keeps it all fresh for me! I won’t spoil it for anyone, but this book slayed me. You are right, the first two were “adventures” and the last was “war,” but that is so good. HG and CF were like practice for the third. MJ wasn’t perfection, but I didn’t have a problem with that. I have so much to say and so much that I even want to keep to myself–my own personal set of reactions.
    I am with you. I want to write like that. We will make it happen! (just might take me longer than you.)

  3. Kristan Avatar

    Sonja-
    I hope I can create a few of those in my lifetime! ;)

    Sarah-
    HAHA did you really forget already?! No worries, I feel the same way, greedily soaking up every bit of Hunger Games discussion that I can. (And aww, thanks!)

  4. Angie Avatar

    Can I borrow when it arrives? And I’m writing from the iPad lol

  5. Kristan Avatar

    Have you read the first two?? I can lend you the whole series, at some point.

  6. Samantha Bennett Avatar

    Haven’t read it yet! Thanks for the lack of spoilers… can’t wait! I’m saving it as a treat once I finish revisions–hopefully this week. :)

  7. Rachele Alpine Avatar

    I’m glad you felt satisfied with it, despite the difference from the other two. I’m trying to read it slowly right now to make it last, but every time I try to put it down, I pick it back up! I’ll probably be done in a few days…and then I’ll be sad because it’s over! You know, kind of like when you get a big plate of fries or ice-cream and life is good when you’re digging in, but oh so sad when you’re done!

  8. Pseudo Avatar

    At the teacher conference that I went to this summer, there was a lot of table talk about the popularity of the Hunger Games series. Now my list grows longer….

  9. Kristan Avatar

    Samantha-
    Hurry on the revisions! How can you stand it?!

    Rachele-
    Mmm, fries and ice cream… Oh wait, what were you saying? :P

    Hehe, more seriously, I’d be curious to know what you think when you finish, particularly as someone who writes “grittier” YA.

    Pseudo-
    I think you would like these books… although 3 is rough. So maybe I think you’d like 1 and 2, and I don’t know what you’d think about 3. But honestly, I think Amy Tan is more up your alley at the moment.

  10. Kimberly Franklin Avatar

    I think we’re all a little inspired by Collins and her Hunger Game trilogy. I know I was. And I agree, war is such a hard subject. But I loved the whole trilogy!!

  11. M. Dominic Avatar

    I haven’t read this series yet, but, it’s posts like this that make me think I should…

  12. Kristan Avatar

    Oh I highly recommend it!