Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Ratings:
Ease with which to read/enjoyable author style 4.0
Suitable ending 3.5
Personal favoritism 2.75
Poetic language 2.0
Memorable 4.5
Original, creative plot 4.0
Original, well-developed characters 3.5
Probability of recommendation 3.0
Ability to "move" emotionally 3.5
Literary value and/or educational value 2.5
Total: 33.25

Final Rating: 3 1/2 stars

4-sentence summary:
Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games- twice- and has been rescued by the mysterious District 13. She is left to mourn Peeta's fate and help the rebellion by being their "Mockingjay"- the symbol of the rebellion. District 13 rallies the other Colonies to fight against the Capitol, and the world changes forever.

Critique:
I read a review on Amazon.com that really stuck with me, and really sticks to the point: "I lost count how many times she woke up in the hospital while the story unfolded around her but always without her." The problem with this story is not Katniss' 15-page-long lamentations about how she has failed everyone around her, but how she fails to act at all. There are moments in this book where the plot is moving forward, moving forward, about to climax, and then Katniss gets knocked out and the plot moves forward without her. It is as though the author couldn't figure out how to get Katniss to act the way she wanted, so just wrote the plot without her in it. Katniss was a likable character in The Hunger Games- she is no longer likable. She spends this whole book whining about how she is too numb to go on, somehow gets the credit for everything good that happens, and then causes the deaths of thousands of people without any blame or repercussion.

The villain, President Snow, is so poorly developed it's laughable. Though he is involved in several plot twists at the end of the book, the plot was so heavily focused on "war is bad" that the "evil government" took a back seat for the majority of the book: missing the point of the first book entirely. The singular goal of "Kill Snow" misses the point as well- where is believable motivation in this book? President Coin, the other President, is also so poorly developed you have no idea at all who she is. Both characters could have been eliminated from the book and nothing would really be missing.

Finally, the real bummer about this book, is the love triangle between Peeta, Gale, and Katniss. Twilight, anyone? In case you're wondering- yes, the love triangle is resolved on the last page of the book. And it makes no sense at all! The plot would have been better served if Katniss fell in love with Buttercup, the cat, for all the reason and emotion behind her final choice. So the one resolution that I actually looked forward to in this book fell very flat.

Overall, I would heartily recommend The Hunger Games. That book is a 5/5 stars in my mind. But Mockingjay does not even come close to the passion, excitement, and innovative plot of the original. This novel falls flat of every hope and expectation, or even of any reasonable plot line or likable character. A true shame; this plot could have been fabulous.

I choose to rewrite this plot in my head so that it ends with a bang: something this plot and these characters truly deserved. Feel free to read this book out of curiosity- but then come to me and we can rewrite this story based on its epic foundations and make sure it truly comes to life.