Just finished the Hunger Games (Includes spoilers)

[LJSDesigns]

As I had mentioned in a previous post, I finally read the Hunger Games and liked the first book so much I rushed out and got the next two. Did anyone else finish the third book and feel disappointed? It wasn't a bad book per say, but I just didn't care for where she took the characters. The way she warped them all made me mad and sad at the same time. I just felt like she did them all a disservice. And how freaking ironic was it that Prim died anyway? That just made me so mad! And I always thought she loved Gale not Peeta so that ending seemed kind too pat to me.

I am still exicted to go see the movie, in fact I talked it up so much at work and home my boss and his wife went to the movie and even though they never read the book, they both loved the movie and now my son has already finished the first book and is working on the second one. We are going to go to the movie together.

I'm really glad I finally read the series, thanks to all of you for recommending it, but I still feel a bit let down. I would love to hear from anyone who agrees or disagrees.

[Libby Pritchett]

Lorie, I agree with you 100%. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to read the next 2. I loved the second one, too, and I was just sure that the 3rd book would blow me away.

Alas, it didn't. I felt pretty "ho hum" about it all at the end. My 14 year old daughter read them all back to back and agreed. She's like completely over-the-top about the other 2, but she was really let down in the last one.

[LJSDesigns]

Do you think she just got too political in the end? My son and I were talking about the first one and all the references to ancient Rome, so an assassination and other political events were not surprising, but I felt she took away all the good guys. The people in District 13 were odious. What she did to Peeta stunk to high heaven. And even Katniss was a far weaker character in book three. In the end I wasn't really cheering for anyone.

[rach3975]

Agreed. I loved books 1 and 2, and I felt like book 3 was the conclusion to a different trilogy. Here's the review I posted on Goodreads right after I finished it.

I finished this a few hours ago, and shell shocked has started to give way to disappointed. The first 2 books in the trilogy were amazing; I can read them over and over and feel for the characters every time. I can't imagine I'll ever be willing to reread Mockingjay. There isn't a lot I can say without resorting to spoilers, but Mockingjay was incredibly dark. Too much violence, too many broken spirits, too much manipulation by authority figures, and too few opportunities for the deep connections between characters that we saw in books 1 & 2. In spite of the way the war ended and the epilogue, I came away feeling like there was no real hope for humanity or Katniss. It just wasn't the right place to leave this series, especially considering that it was written for a YA audience.

Now (1.5 years later) I can say that I am tempted to go back and reread the entire trilogy before I see the movie, but I'm expecting to feel the same about Mockingjay even knowing ahead of time where it goes.

[Jen22]

Yup - you pretty much just said everything I thought! I thought the first 2 books were fantastic. I was so excited to read the 3rd one and have that hooray sort of ending where the world is finally able to heal and move forward from such a dark past/present. Yeah right - it just felt like a broken world, with broken characters

I agree - all of the characters changed in ways that didn't feel right. It felt forced - like she just needed it to end and wanted to have some twists -- but ended up twisting the wrong way, kwim? I was so irked when Prim died - what the heck would she do that for! This whole thing started for the love of her sister (well - it did to me anyways) and then the author goes and kills Prim anyway! And I agree - I always felt it was Katness & Gale. NEVER did I think it was Peeta. Not in the book - and even more in the movie (I don't like the actor they got for Peeta!)....

So yeah - I agree 100% with what you said. What all of you have said! Disappointing for sure!!!! I'm secretly hoping someone will convince the author to change some stuff for the movie - but I'm not holding my breath, lol

[rach3975]

I was rooting for Katniss and Gale, but if it had been done well I could have accepted either couple as the end game. By Catching Fire I was expecting Katniss to end up with Peetah but still hoping I was wrong. By the end of Mockingjay, I hardly cared if she ended up with either of them.

[BrattyMeg]

See I liked the 2nd book least of all..was so much slower to me than the other two. The first one was my favorite and I felt the ending kinda drug out but overall I loved the trilogy. I liked it better the 2nd time I read it too so if you are contemplating reeading it go for it!!

[YepBrook]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

See I liked the 2nd book least of all..was so much slower to me than the other two. The first one was my favorite and I felt the ending kinda drug out but overall I loved the trilogy. I liked it better the 2nd time I read it too so if you are contemplating reeading it go for it!!

Ditto. The second book dragged on for me, too... the third book kept my interest a bit more, so it wasn't my least favorite.

[mariewilcox]

I haven't read them yet but my daughter read the first 2 in days and loved them. She started Mockingjay almost 3 weeks ago and isn't even halfway through it yet - she told me it stinks - LOL

[Freckles]

I agree, the 3th one was disappointing and full of too much suffering. The way she made Katniss suffer and how she described her burning wounds and how she wanted to kill herself... Horrible! And then she went so fast over the end: they grew back towards each other and had kids. The End. What?? I wanted more details! I was also expecting that the pearl would make Peeta remember, lol, but she never showed it to him.

[glumirk]

I think we ready stories hoping for a happy ending, especially when they are as dark as the Hunger Games. I read the 3rd book over Independence Day weekend, and as many things are broken in the US right now, I felt all right because Mockingjay was so much worse.

I think Suzanne Collins must have had her heart broken a million times over and wanted the whole world to feel that way. Build us up with hope during the first two books, then break us down with the last because there is no hope for humanity. Everyone is greedy and power hungry, so it's just not worth it.

[LJSDesigns]

Originally Posted by glumirk

I think we ready stories hoping for a happy ending, especially when they are as dark as the Hunger Games. I read the 3rd book over Independence Day weekend, and as many things are broken in the US right now, I felt all right because Mockingjay was so much worse.

I think Suzanne Collins must have had her heart broken a million times over and wanted the whole world to feel that way. Build us up with hope during the first two books, then break us down with the last because there is no hope for humanity. Everyone is greedy and power hungry, so it's just not worth it.

I so disagree. While the world can be a dark, dismal place, there are always good people and hope for humanity. Each child born into this world is proof of God's love and His hope for us all. And despite the many things wrong with our country, we are still one of the greatest countries on this planet. We represent that hope in so many ways. I think it is even more important in the dark times to remember that.

I think she went wrong in the end with the book and maybe it was because she was trying to convey a bigger message but I think she failed in that respect as well. That much grief, anger, hatred is too overwhelming to convey much except grief, anger and hatred.

[amystoffel]

I wasn't thrilled with the third book. I liked it because it completed the story for me. But there was just too much destruction and pain and sadness in it for me. I did like the very very end though, and the vision of her and Peeta with children in a happier world.

[maryinaz]

I dunno, I liked all of them and was happy with the ending. *shrugs*

If you really want to experience the pain and suffering of a world destroyed, read The Road.

[origami]

This is ultimately a series about war and its impact upon people. Katniss has to participate in the Hunger Games, not once, not twice, but essentially three times. Like a soldier who comes home from the war, only to be sent back, how else was this story to end? It is a story of what war does to people, especially when they are sent back time and time and time again. It's a story of the third world, and suffering, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, and war.

Katniss and Peeta survive, but they really could never be the same again, not even after the first Hunger Games. I think if you take a look at the character of Haymitch, you see that surviving the Hunger Games even once will change you forever. And the thing is, even though they patch them up after the Games, the survivors never really are taken care of spiritually. They're just kind of paraded around as winners and then sent back to their homes. And then they are called back again, when they expected they would never have to return to the games.

[glumirk]

Originally Posted by Loriebug66

I so disagree. While the world can be a dark, dismal place, there are always good people and hope for humanity. Each child born into this world is proof of God's love and His hope for us all. And despite the many things wrong with our country, we are still one of the greatest countries on this planet. We represent that hope in so many ways. I think it is even more important in the dark times to remember that.

I think she went wrong in the end with the book and maybe it was because she was trying to convey a bigger message but I think she failed in that respect as well. That much grief, anger, hatred is too overwhelming to convey much except grief, anger and hatred.

Haha I was writing that as if I were a cynical Suzanne Collins. I totally agree with you, and that's why I didn't know how I felt about Mockingjay. She had built up the hope that I kept holding onto throughout all of the horrible things going on, and then ... I was disappointed. Things didn't really seem that much better, in the end. I was so grateful for our country and felt extra patriotic after reading The Hunger Games trilogy because we do still have that Hope that seemed to be shattered in Mockingjay. I felt like in the end, they were just settling. There was no closure, and things were only marginally better. Almost like there was no "good" side. They all had flaws. Maybe I'm simplistic, but I feel like the purpose of hero fiction (especially Young Adult) is to be able to escape from the cynicism of reality and have good overcome evil in the end, and it just didn't feel that way. The heroes can be flawed, but there shouldn't be so much settling. There should be triumph, and joy. Yes, there can be death and destruction, and disappointment, but in the end things should be good. And that's why I was disappointed. I mean, Harry Potter ended with even Hedwig dying, but none of it was in vain, YKWIM? In the end, good triumphed over evil, and the heroes definitely won.

I totally need to reread this series, after I finish the Ember series. I actually lent the Hunger Games to a friend who hasn't played me on words with friends for 2 days...I wonder what she's up to.

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by origami

This is ultimately a series about war and its impact upon people. Katniss has to participate in the Hunger Games, not once, not twice, but essentially three times. Like a soldier who comes home from the war, only to be sent back, how else was this story to end? It is a story of what war does to people, especially when they are sent back time and time and time again. It's a story of the third world, and suffering, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, and war.

Katniss and Peeta survive, but they really could never be the same again, not even after the first Hunger Games. I think if you take a look at the character of Haymitch, you see that surviving the Hunger Games even once will change you forever. And the thing is, even though they patch them up after the Games, the survivors never really are taken care of spiritually. They're just kind of paraded around as winners and then sent back to their homes. And then they are called back again, when they expected they would never have to return to the games.

I totally agree. I loved the entire series. I was sad some of my characters died, but its ok. Its her story to do with as she pleases to me. I loved that she ended up with Peeta in the end, he's the only one in the world who could understand Katniss completely. Gale never could.

[ryliesmom]

I agree with the OP. I did understand why she took Mockinjay the direction she did, but I was still holding on for more. Just a little glimmer of happiness and recovery for their future. My big disappointment was that Katniss and Gale didn't end up together. I felt like they were really meant to be together and while I did like Peeta, I felt like she should be with Gale. And she really didn't have to kill off Prim.

[origami]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

I totally agree. I loved the entire series. I was sad some of my characters died, but its ok. Its her story to do with as she pleases to me. I loved that she ended up with Peeta in the end, he's the only one in the world who could understand Katniss completely. Gale never could.

I just can't imagine it ending any other way. I thought it was an incredible series.

[LJSDesigns]

Very good points everyone! I think I just felt invested in the characters, which is a sign of how talented Ms. Collins is, and wanted a happy ending and was disappointed because I didn't get it. Happy endings can be a very rare and elusive bird. I would read the series again and I have recommended it to others, even though I still think book 2 and 3 were far weaker than book 1, it was an amazing adventure. I laughed, I cried, I got totally wrapped up in it. I guess I can't really ask for more.

Megan, sometimes I can be very obtuse and did not realize your were being sardonic. I'm glad we are both believers in hope and human kind.