Mockingjay (21/02/2014)

Ok, I’ve had a bit of a reading surge this week, and I now after reading this final hunger games book feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.

This book, thankfully, is much better than Catching Fire. It has a completely different feel from the first two, which in comparison could be compared to any number of young adult books floating around. I would have been very annoyed if this book had carried on in a similar way to book 2. This one however, throws away all the securities that everything will turn out alright in the end. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t know how without talking about specific parts of the story.

But what I will say is that I am glad the author had the balls to do the ending she did. As many YA authors do, they wrap everything up into a nice little present to take away and look happily at later. I don’t think I can look back at this story in a happy way, this isn’t a bad thing though. I think it would have been useless to create a completed resolved and totally happy ending to a story that essentially revolved around the torture and murder of children. I was left not with a feeling of joy or satisfaction but neither was I left feeling like the ending was out of place or left things untold that needed to be told. This last book was the most impressive and gave me much more to think about than YA novels normally do.

Catching Fire (20/02/2014)

I liked that the story basically carried on where it left off from the first book. No annoying recap of information and other stuff that when you read a series after all are available is just tedious and not at all useful in my opinion. I also liked the general plot based on revolution happening. And before I start on what I didn’t like I just want it to be clear I did like the book (not love it) but liked it.

So on to what I didn’t really like. Have to start with the love triangle, I just didn’t see that need for it. I saw it was going to happening straight away in the first book but really hoped that it was just me and that surely the author wouldn’t descend into another Edward/Bella/Jacob scenario. Guess it was too much to hope for.

The amount of times in the first book that Katniss was explaining how she wasn’t into Gale in that way, and how it was obvious that Peeta had had an attraction to her his whole life. Then add in, that Gale in my eyes isn’t even a main character I just don’t see why there is even a conflict of interest after what Peeta and Katniss went through in the first book. Then I wasn’t really keen and the fact the rules were changed so that they once again end up in the Games. And how it took so long for the story to get their even though hardly anything happened. 

I’ll be honest I would have preferred no love conflictions to be happening as I feel it’s taking something away from the strength this lead female is meant to be portraying. It makes me feel annoyed with her and I really don’t want to be. I’m guessing this book was mostly used to set up the events that I’m sure will happening in the third installment so I will finish the series I just hope the third book gets back a bit of backbone like the first as I feel it slipped with this one.

The Hunger Games (19/02/2014)

So this is my first new read of the year (not including the previous graphic novel) and over all I am very impressed. I haven’t really taken and previous interest in this series having neither read the books nor watched the films. A friend recommended that I give the books ago as she had really enjoyed them so I decided to go for as part of my challenge. So now for my semi review I will attempt not to put in spoilers.

So I thought the book started well although I was slightly confused to start as I didn’t feel it described certain aspects straight away and as I haven’t really paid any attention to watch the story was I only had a general idea of what was going on. It made me feel I had to re-read sentences a couple of times to make sure I had read it right. However, once it was going the book flowed nicely and I was hooked and it really was full of action.

Some people may not agree with what I am about to say next (it is not necessarily a criticism either) but I did find the relationship element pretty predictable. I will say again I have not watched the films so have no idea if I was right but I knew from the start what was going to happen boy-wise. I do like the strong female lead, but I didn’t kid myself that she wouldn’t get a flickering of love.

Like I said I’m not one for spoilers but upon completion of this book I think I know how the love element of the story will happen. And there is nothing wrong with this, in fact it is what has made me thoroughly enjoy this book and means I will be carrying on immediately with the second book! I could go on to look into deeper meanings and political blah blah blahs, but that isn’t why I read any book. I read for the gratification my imagination conjures up, and this book completely fulfilled my needs and I hope the next too follow the high standard of the first installment.