“I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather.”

From Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.

After the terror and then sabotage that took place during the 75th Hunger Games, the world of Panem and the different districts have been turned upside down.  Not only is District 13 not wiped out, they are thriving underground and acting as the headquarters for rebellion against the Capital.  Katniss along with her and friends (except for Peeta and Johanna who were captured) have been brought to District 13 after District 12 was wiped out.  Katniss struggles with her role as the figurehead of the rebellion for two main reasons: she is broken by Peeta’s capture and 13’s leader (President Coin) refuses to let Katniss do any actual fighting.  When it is discovered that Peeta is alive, a rescue mission is put in effect, but the Peeta (and Johanna) that they bring back seems damaged beyond repair.  Even though the Capitol filled Peeta with a pure hatred for Katniss, Coin decides that it is finally time to let Katniss join the fighting; Katniss is placed in a small unit made up of several military personnel, a camera crew, a few old friends, and Peeta.  Their rebellion quickly takes them to the Capitol, where the streets have been laced with murderous traps, just like the Hunger Games.

The final book in the trilogy is an action-packed journey for readers of all ages; every part of this book is filled with some sort of action or preparation for some coming confrontation.  The realness of the characters is really what makes this book so phenomenal.  Katniss’ struggles (physical, mental, emotional, and even moral) are very open and readers can’t help but realize just how much this young girl has been asked to bear.  Every death and setback will rock the reader as much as it rocks the fictional characters.  There is quite a bit of gore in the later part of the book, but it is only tool used to develop the realness of the story.  Mockingjay is a page-turning read that’ll remind the reader that Katniss is just a girl who stands against the wrong going on around her and wants to protect those closest to her, no matter the cost to herself.