Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2012)
ISBN: 9789792278439
Pages: 432 pages
Original Published Date: 2010




"I was watching you, Mockingjay. And you were watching me. I’m afraid we have both been played for fools."

The last book of Hunger Games trilogy. This is not a review. Just a nowhere chats and nags while still remembering, but full loaded with spoiler, so read by your own risk if you haven't completely finished the book.

"Katniss...he’s still trying to keep you alive.."
"I’m going to be the Mockingjay.."
I loved the initial pretensions. Peeta in Capitol, truce; Katniss in Distrik 13, win the war. Two opposite sites, two different gesture. But the main priority still the same, the safety of loves one. Unfortunetly, the development of the story was sliding away form these pretentions.

"Whatever it takes to break you.."
"She’s figured out how Snow’s using Peeta."
A sadistic strategi you could learn here was when a hostage was captured, not only mean you can use him as a bait, but it could also meant using him as an impingement as well as a teror. A clear message that as long as you fought back, the meaner the torment your lover will get! Snow truely recognises how valuable Peeta was for Katniss mental condition (the same way as Berry tricks Katniss used to him in the first Hunger Games), so in one point it got to the place that Peeta's racks could paralizing Katniss more then Peeta himself. When that wasn't enough, let's back to the older and classic way.... brainwashed and secret weapon. *boooorrrinng*

"No, Katniss! No! You can't go!"
The most annoying thing from this story was when the Capitol finally crumble downed, it wasn't even a moment for Katniss. It was the time when she collapsed so deep, she couldn't do anything but suffer. Yeaahh... let us be honest, Katniss did not do much in this book, other than put her face on TV broadcast (oh yeah, and walking around vagrancy). Even if you shift the climax to when Coin and Snow's death, Katniss' role was important but was not sorely.
Gale's characterization was far more promising, but way under excavated. Gale... Warrior Hero. Handsome, smart and unadorned, yet he hides a bleeding heart! *haaalaaahh!*
Or even Peeta with all his struggles and upside down brain damaged. These should have more lime light, right here.

"Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can’t survive without.."
That's what Gale said. I think, whatever happened, Katniss will choose a man, that without her, he can’t survive. And that was Peeta. The only thing that made Peeta 'superior' than Gale was, Peeta was not safely beside Katniss when almost everything happened. If Peeta was saved along with Katniss after the second Hunger Games, Gale's chances with Katniss was up in the roof. But then again, everything was made certain with the uncertainty whether the bombs that killed Prim were made by Gale or not. With this plot, any little tiny bit possibility of Katniss-Gale relationship comes to an end.

"We hold another Hunger Games using Capitol children."
Snow or Coin. Capitol or Distrik 13. Similar institutions almost symetrical. Just like the identical Capitol's buildings which were build as training ground in Distric 13. Their primary game was to gain highest power of all.

Actually I really like the big idea behind these trilogy, but I still couldn't pass the detail of under-age-gladiators thingy. Change the ages to 17-21 or something older...please... 13 years old girl never meant to be in a killing field. Why it should be so barbaric!! Add to it a visual description of brutal tormentation that scattered in every part of the story. Not to mention the used of morfin that was vulgary displayed. Last time I checked, it still a book for YA readers. Last but not least, I think Prim's death, just like Rue's, was a final excuse to squeeze readers' tears. Yes... fighting for freedom has its own expenses!

Panem and Hunger Games. Real or not real?
Not real.

***

Previous books: