The Fiction Conniption

I'd tried a few times to pick up this book to read. I listened to the first two in the series on audiobooks during cross-country road trips that my husband and I took - so it felt strange to then pick up the third and read it in physical form.

Finally, I got my hands on a copy of the Mockingjay audiobook, and got a chance to find out how the series would turn out. I'll make sure not to include any spoilers for those of you still working your way through the series!

I've read quite a few negative reviews about this third installment in the Hunger Games trilogy, and I'm very happy to report that I don't agree with any of them. It wasn't quite as thrilling as the first two, I will admit. But this final installment wasn't as much about creating conflict and relationships like the first two were, but rather it served the purpose of finally wrapping up Katniss' battle against the Capitol.

I admit, there wasn't as much romantic payoff as I was looking for. After two books, I was waiting to see who Katniss would choose, and when and IF she would finally come to her senses and realize she's madly in love with Peeta. (DUH!)

But, that just wasn't what this one was about. And I guess it would cheapen the whole series, and the character of Katniss herself, to suggest that she would dedicate much time or energy to digging through her confused romantic feelings when she still has a personal war happening between herself and the Capitol - so for that reason, I was okay with the lack of Peeta/Gale/Katniss story line.

Don't get me wrong, there was plenty happening in this one. Lots of explosions, tragedies, a couple points where I definitely felt my stomach drop when something totally out of the blue happened. I found myself actually looking forward to getting to work each day where I'd be able to listen to this audiobook. And it sure made the time fly by!

These days, it seems harder to find a series that stays true to itself the entire way through. And in my opinion, the Hunger Games did just that. Mockingjay was exactly what was needed to end this series, and I enjoyed every minute of it.