Mockingjay *big sigh* … We finally got together to talk. In Nancy’s backyard at midnight no less. We laughed and Shannan cried. In the end, it was 5 STACKS all around!
**SPOILERS abound and as always you can find us on iTunes, just search girlsinthestacks.com**
February 6th, 2012
January 27th, 2012
Well, wouldn’t you know it…we need help! Like lots of help (no, not that kind of help – we have therapists for that). THE AD: We’re looking for someone that would be willing to do back-end, non-glamorous type things. You know, like changing our sidebar content out (it’s quite simple), uploading pictures, scouring the internet [...]
April 27th, 2011
Are people thinking about the first Twilight movie like we were while watching Beastly at the movie theater? It’s a love story with a bit of paranormal thrown in, so we should love it, right? That’s our thing. But hello, could we giggle anymore throughout this beast? – Pun intended. And we felt like old women saying [...]
February 1st, 2012
Hello fellow book lovers! I have the daunting task of picking six and only six books out of the (literally) dozens that are coming out each month that I’d like to read. So naturally I picked seven. Go figure. I’m a rebel that way. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton Release date: January 31 [...]
Are you guys serious ? Mockingjay was a HUGE disappointment for me and everyone else that I know that’s read the book.
I don’t agree with your review and I find it bias with you guys and those books. And yes it’s your opinion and I’ll let it go.
I wouldn’t even recommend the series anymore just based on that book. What a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT and me and my sister are still trying to sell our books at the local bookstores but I guess I’m not the only one doing it.
Thanks for your reviews anyways.
It was, it was..
It was bloody and horrible, and amazing and great. I can’t get over the story, the writing, the descriptions–I should probably stop crying every time I talk about it… but I don’t think I can.
Holy crap. That’s how you tell a story.
Sia –
I understand how you feel – I can only tell you how I came around to my opinion, because my immediate reaction right after I finished this book was huge disappointment too. But after thinking about it and talking about it, I realized that the reason I was upset was because despite the horrors Katniss had faced, I was naively expecting a cheerful happily-ever-after ending – and that’s not what this series was about. I may not have liked how depressing the story was but I cannot deny that it was powerful and it moved me. And while it ended up being more of a melancholy-ever-after, I felt this book delivered because it challenged me to think about the bigger picture (and also because she still ended up with Peeta *grin*).
Keep on trucking Sia – we appreciate your opinion, and you are right, there are many out there who did not feel how we felt. I am looking forward to reading Clockwork Angel next…
- Nancy
Jamie – I agree. Holy Crap.
So true! I cannot get this book out of my brain. It is a great book for discussion. It is crazy that I love and hate it at the same time.
Lovely review ladies. I’m one of the ones that didn’t like it though… The longer it has been since I read it, the more I’m disappointed. I still love the first two books though and I have all the respect in the world for Suzanne Collins. For me, it wasn’t even how dark it was because it’s war and I knew people would die. My comment will be way too long if I share all my issues so I’ll share a few (hope you don’t mind, lol).
I wanted Katniss to CHOOSE Peeta. She didn’t. Personally, I believe she loved him, always did and would have chosen him anyway, but the way the book was written she didn’t have to. The end felt like, “Damn, I’m mad at Gale because he completely changed. I’m in a deep depression. Peeta keeps coming around and won’t stop. We grew together and had kids because he wanted them. The End”. Just nonchalant to me. I would have LOVED if when they were leaving Tigris if she would have thought, “Wow, someone got beat to death for looking like Peeta. he has pills to kill himself in his pocket. I’m going to a mansion where people want to kill me. After everything we went through together. How much he would sacrifice for me. How much I would sacrifice for him. Damn I LOVE him. I can’t imagine being without him” Even if she didn’t run to him and profess her dying love for him because I don’t think that is Katniss, I wish it would have felt like an actual choice rather than settling and just how things went. Again, I think she would have ended up with him anyway, I just wanted it to be a real choice of love on her side.
I know war changes people. I do, but in regards to Gale, I kept thinking, “who is this guy?” His whole character felt like he did a 180. In some ways, I felt that was the easy way out of a love triagle. And I wish they could have still been friends.
I felt Katniss was a different character too. AGain, the girl has been through unimaginable stuff. I GET that, but she spent half the book drugged or in the hospital. Where is the fierce girl I loved? Even though she got played by people the first two books, she was still strong. Now she’s getting played and weak. It bummed me out that the whole series she spent doing things other people wanted. Snow was her puppetmaster the first two, Coin the third and then Snow again in the end by getting her to kill Coin.
Snow’s death bummed me out. I felt it was too easy. he died, laughing (though choking on his own blood) but laughing he played Katniss one more time by getting her to kill Coin (though I hated Coin and I’m glad she killed her.
Minor issues. I get that people die in war and I’m not upset that Finnick died, but I think he deserved a better death. After everything he’s been through, he deserved to go down fighting or trying to protect someone or something rather than just running and a mutt swooping in and biting his head off.
I didn’t get to listen to all your podcast because the kids so forgive me if you said any of the same things I did. I ejoyed the part of the podcast I was able to hear and as always love your site and listening to your views
Sorry that was so long. I tend to get wordy, LOL
This was storytelling at it’s best! It drew you in, connected you with the characters, and made you laugh, cry, shout obscenities and even throw the book across the room. Isn’t that every authors dream and true for readers too?
I agree whole-heartedly with Nancy. I had to read the ending 50 times to find peace with the book. However, I did know going in someone was going to die and that a HEA was probably not going to happen.
Kelley I agree 100% with the ending regarding Katniss and Peeta. I felt she was void of emotion.
I know
It bummed me out. I wish there could have been more there….
You can’t please everyone though and while I personally was disappointed, I know others loved it. It’s always going to be like that with any huge book, I think.
It ended the way I planned it to…so i wasn’t let down..I didn’t feel that Gale would get her because…he was her “friend”…and let’s face it…a lot of times when guys get put into that category..well, they just stay there…Peeta i felt cared and loved her more..Gale realized he loved her through jealousy..Peeta’s realization was beautiful.
She had children (which you knew she would have), and loved Peeta back. They grow old together while still dealing with what brought them together in the first place.
I hate that Finnick died though…I grew to love his character..his egotistic ways became somewhat of an escape to him (by flaunting and flirting). He hated what Snow had made out of him and while he was at it, he made sure he got what he wanted out of the deal also “secrets.” Those secrets became very valuable (which i’m sure Finnick knew before hand).
I loved this series…I love things that keep me interested like that…the only thing that has kept me waiting like this is..the TV show..LOST…which by the way had the best ending in the world…and Mockingjay’s was up there.
@alicia – FINNICK!!!! He was one of the biggest disappointments to me. He grew on me and then *bam* she kills him after he gets his happiness. However, I love his dedication and willingness to die for the cause.
No doubt this is a great book!
@Kelley – I totally agree about the let down but the story telling was primo even though I cry when I think about the book and I think I will seriously not see this part of the series on the big screen. It hurts me too much!!
*SNIFFLE*
@Shannan, I agree. I have nothing but respect for her. The woman can write and she weaved a tale that affected millions of people. The last book just wasn’t for me.
Just listened to all of the podcast… I felt betrayed by the Peeta storyline too! It killed me. I hated seeing him that way. It hurt my heart.
And with Gale, I think the reason they lost contact is because he embraced the war instead of just dealt with it. He almost thrived in that enviorment and she only was there because she had to be. I wish it had been different though.
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I read this series back-to-back-to-back within after Mockingjay had already come out. One thing about waiting for the final book in a series to come out is that you’re waiting and anticipating and excited for the culmination of a story you love, but you’re also building it up in your head to be exactly what you want and need it to be.
Problem is, those things aren’t the same priorities for the author. She’s finishing the story in her head, not the one in yours.
So for me, not having those expectations or needs, just wanting to find out what happens next without the wait, everything was wonderful and new and just the next part of the story. It ended the way it ended, just like in real life. All of it was a surprise to me, and just as captivating as everything other word in the series.
Most of the deaths in book 3 took place while I was reading in the middle of the night in bed, so they seemed so surreal and dreamlike and at the same time awful to me. But that’s just what happened. The end was the end, nothing but the next part of the story – Katniss was a wonderful heroine regardless of whether she held up under the ridiculous pressure of being the symbol of revolution for some and destruction for others.
The choices Suzanne made were the result of the rest of her choices … Rue was a horrible death too. Every death was heartbreaking, but part of the story. I can’t question a single one of her words – her brain is a superior thing.
OK, that’s my 2 cents.
@Suzanne – I agree! It would be so wonderful to have read them after they all were out. What an awesome experience! Yes, we all love Suzanne Collins and think she is pure genius! Thinking about the deaths still make me sad. That is the power of an author to make you feel so much for fictional characters. Thanks for writing us. I appreciate your comment!!!
At the end of the book i felt so emotionally drained that i had to put down the book and think about what has happen to Katniss from the beginning of the series. in the first book she is this young girl who had to grow up a little to take care of her family, and she didn’t want to love Peeta because she would have to kill him in the hunger games.
while in the second book, she is trying to sort out if Peeta is playing his love to keep with the facade of the games or if he really feels this way about her. throughout the second book she emotionally distraught and really has no idea in her mind if she truly loves gale or Peeta.
while in the third book, she goes from this young girl who has been through 2 hunger games and is so torn apart ny the idea that Peeta is being used to break her down, that she really has no feelings of love anymore, but a feeling of loneliness.
i think that’s why in the end i felt so shaken because i was thinking to myself, what else can this poor girl go through? how much more can she take, from her father dying, to rue, then to president snow threatening her loved ones, then to having to go through ANOTHER hunger games, and to find out in the end that the boy you love who has been through it all with you wants to kill you? if anything, she desurves some form of a happy ending, and she got it. a little late mental wise, but in the end she got the guy, the kids, and the crazy cat.