Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Summary:
Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games, not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. President Shit has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.
Review:
This book, for me, was a big disappointment when compared to the first two books of this trilogy. I had a hard time even getting through it, where with the first two books I read them in a couple days each, it took me almost a month to get through this one. I really didn't feel like anything was really resolved, and there were only more questions left to answer.
I was really disappointed with Prim's character development and how the author just seemed to discard he'd like yesterday's leftovers. The story didn't even really start to pick up until about three-quarters of the way in.
Rating:

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Summary:

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol...

Review:

Another excellent read by Suzanne Collins. Like the first book, I couldn't put it down! Katniss and Peeta were victorious in defeating all the other districts' tributes, and it seems that their stunt with the berries doesn't go unnoticed by either the Capitol or the people. Its being seen as an act of rebellion and the cause of uprising from other districts. Katniss is then sent into the arena again to battle the other remaining victors of previous Hunger Games.

Sequels are usually hard for me to like as much as the first book, but there are some exceptions (Harry Potter, The Fever series, and now The Hunger Games). I think that this one may be a bit more difficult to read than the first for the younger audience (it is a young adult novel, after all) because its dealing more with government uprising as well as the killings.

Rating:

 

 

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Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Summary:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:

I am in love with this series and the writer's style. I picked this book up two days ago and couldn't put it down. I had a paperback copy, an e-book copy on my computer, phone, and kindle, as well as the audiobook to listen to. I just didn't want to miss a moment where I could finish the story.

The story starts out kind of slow, building up the background of where Katniss is from, and how much she has had to shoulder to take care of her family. But by chapter 3, it really begins to get good. By that point, I was hooked. I don't think there was a point in the book where I ever really got bored. I've already started on the sequel, Catching Fire.

Rating:

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Its Monday! What Are You Reading?

Its Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey. I've got a pile of books that I've been reading, switching out whenever I'm feeling a little burned out, or just want something different for a little while. I've been having a hard time getting through to the end of a book once I've only got 100 or so pages left, so I switch it up, then go back to it later.

Right now, I'm reading:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I bought this book, but have the two sequels, The Iron Daughter, and the Iron Queen borrowed from the library, waiting for me to finish this one. I've only got about a third of the book left, but I'm having a hard time finishing it. Don't get me wrong, the writing is excellent, its got an excellent storyline, its just that I haven't gotten pulled into it the way I have with some other books. GoodReads Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Perfect (Pretty Little Liars #3) by Sara Shepard. I'm slowly plowing through this series. There's quite a few books in this series, so I'm really not hell-bent on rushing through them. I initially picked it up while I was watching the TV show, Pretty Little Liars, and saw a credit stating that it was based on the books by the same name. The books are a simple read, nothing that's going to win a literary prize, but they are thoroughly enjoyable. I'm curious to find out who A really is (I never got that far in the show). GoodReads Summary: In a town where gossip thrives like the ivy that clings to its mansions, where mysteries lie behind manicured hedges and skeletons hide in every walk-in closet, four perfect-looking girls aren't nearly as perfect as they seem. Three years ago, Spencer, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and their best friend Alison were the girls at Rosewood Day School. They clicked through the halls in their Miu Miu flats, tanned in their matching Pucci bikinis, and laughed behind their freshly manicured fingernails. They were the girls everyone loved but secretly hated—especially Alison. So when Alison mysteriously vanished one night, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna's grief was tinged with . . . relief. And when Alison's body was later discovered in her own backyard, the girls were forced to unearth some ugly memories of their old friend, too. Could there be more to Alison's death than anyone realizes? Now someone named A, someone who seems to know everything, is pointing the finger at one of them for Ali's murder. As their secrets get darker and their scandals turn deadly, A is poised to ruin their perfect little lives forever.

Blood Spells (Final Prophecy #5) by Jessica Andersen. I picked up this series way back when only the first two books were published and have been a loyal follower instead. This is different than my normal YA genre as its a Paranormal Romance, with graphic sex scenes (ones that will make your toes curl, I swear). The books focuses on the Mayan Apocalypse end time prophecies which say that the world will end on December 21, 2012. The heroes and heroines of the stories are Nightkeepers, a group of people sworn to protect humans from the demonic forces that are attempting to ensure this prophecy happen. Each book is dedicated to a couple in the series, and Blood Spells is centered on Patience and Brandt, the only couple who were married and/or got together before the series started. They also have twin children. I love Jessica's storytelling. She knows how to weave an intricate tale, and keep you enthralled the whole time. And I need to hurry and finish this one, because Storm Kissed, book 6 is already out! GoodReads Summary: Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Dark forces stand poised to crush mankind. The only hope rests with a secret group of modern magic-wielders called the Nightkeepers. But as Patience White-Eagle and her husband, Brandt, team up as a mated warrior pair, they will face a deadly threat that will test their powers-and their love...

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I've heard so much hype about this book, I had no choice but to pick it up. I'm only into the beginning of the third chapter, but WOW. The first two chapters started off a little slowly, in an attempt to describe Katniss's life, and her love for her sister, which prompter her to volunteer for the games, but once the story actually began, I was hooked. I've had to set this one aside until I finish the rest of the books I'm reading, though, because now that I've started to really like it, I want to be able to devote my full attention to the book. GoodReads Summary: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

What I think so far: The Hunger Games

Ok, so I'm only into Chapter 3 of this book so far, but it has me hooked. It started off pretty slowly, so it took me a while to get through the first two chapters, but once I started the third, I'm having a hard time putting it down! I'll be doing a lot of reading tonight, possibly may even finish it, if keeps going as it is. I will read a full blown review once I'm finished with the book.