Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay

Medium: Print (Novel)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Country: United States

Released: 2010

Consumed: June 20, 2012

Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction/YA

Rating: 4.0/10

Yeah, I totally wasted my time reading this one. The Hunger Games, after a couple chapters was all propulsive momentum, momentum, momentum. It's sequels have been anything but, and they've been boring because of it. Katniss is a strong-willed, smart character, but she does and says some dumb shit in the service of plot.

If you paid attention to the first book, you knew Katniss was ending up in District 13 at some point. Kudos to Collins for making District 13 anything but what fans would have expected. End of Kudos.

Just don't read the end. Just don't. Spoilers! It's not that it's anti-climactic (it is), or that it kills off a character (it does) that you should love (you don't). It's just how it happens and is executed that will make you so mad. End Spoilers!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire

Medium: Print (Novel)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic

Country: United States

Released: 2009

Consumed: June 16, 2012

Genre: Dystopian/Science fiction/YA

Rating: 6.0/10

This is written for teenage girls. I kept having to tell myself that while reading Catching Fire. But even with that excuse, this isn't near as compelling as its predecessor, The Hunger Games. 

Katniss remains as frustrating as ever, but the problem here is the plot. After not much happens in the first half, we're Spoilers! thrown back into the arena. So we get a rushed version of the first book, but this time people seem to be helping Katnis and Peeta survive. I wonder why. Could there be a plan to get them out? For a rebellion against the Capitol? Probably. But Katniss sure as fuck can't see anything past her bow string. End Spoilers!