Mockingjay... or should I say Mocking-joy?

I finished reading Mockingjay just a few hours after watching The Hunger Games at the theater. It wasn't that I was feeling inspired to pick up the book and begin reading the third in the Hunger Games series just because I'd seen the movie, because frankly, I'm not THAT fast of a reader. Instead, the movie just happened to coincide with the free time I had leftover from my Spring Break. Before giving the run-down of the third book, I can say that yes, the movie did do the first book justice. There were only two issues I really noticed with the movie: 1. Madge was cut out, so the mockingjay pin was located at the black market and 2. Peeta wasn't so severely wounded to the point where it'd be believable for him to need a prosthetic. With these thoughts out of the way, just how was the Mockingjay? Awesome.

I'd heard from some students and my colleagues that the third book was a different style from the Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I'd been told that it was slower and not at good as the other two. I can firmly say this is simply not true. Was the third book fast paced? Yes. Was there still the love triangle? Yes. Were the characters developed and interesting? Yes. Heck, I even feel like Katniss might have been battling some drug issues (strange, but true!). I love that Collins continues to show character flaws because it creates the depth necessary to connect and like the characters. They aren't perfect or fake feeling because they also have feelings and do irrational things just to prove they aren't robots. Unless the robots are programmed for irrationality..?

Nonetheless, this book does justice to the series. What's the basic gist? Katniss has decided to become the "Mockingjay," which is basically the rebellion's posterchild and media-face. She's dressed to impress and it thrown into seemingly inane situations to "get some good footage" in order to inspire the rebellion further, but she longs for more. Katniss creates drama and can't let others be. She's compelled to get involved and the people love her for it. She walks the fine line of media-sweetheart and uncontrollable brat. She refuses to be controlled by the rebellion's leaders, even though she knows she needs to work with them to get her revenge, so she works with them just enough.

Finnick, Gale, Peeta, and Prim all reappear in this novel and we're able to see their characters evolve as well. Finnick becomes a doting husband. Gale seems to be emerging as the rebellion's male leader from District 12. Peeta becomes a pseudo-spokesperson for the Capitol, in that his sound bites support the Capitol's agenda but they are also seemingly coerced-- which makes for an interesting dynamic in that many rebels aren't sure what to do with Peeta's media force. Lastly, Prim seems to come into womanhood by caring for the sick and she even mentions to Katniss that she's planning to train as a doctor.

Katniss, on the other hand, seems as confused as ever, and while she continues to narrate the story, plays up her diagnosis as mentally confused as needed. She's erratic and seems to enjoy hiding in storage closets, but she's still a very logical force for the most part. It's an interesting juxtaposition because the reader is forced into the role of "feeling crazy" for wanting justice. Katniss becomes a modern day Joan of Arc and it's hard not to miss the parallels. I was convinced her life may have even been threatened by being burnt as a witch, but Collins choose not to go this route. I was relieved for the sake of creativity.