Mockingjay

I recently read the Hunger Games series again. The first time I had read it, I remember hating Mockingjay and thought it to be over-rated. I hated that Katniss hardly ever pays Gale any attention and hated Peeta for the amount of time she spent thinking about him and crying over him. But I wanted to read the series again anyways(like I do with most of the books I own). This time around, I had decided to read the book with a open mind and not be such a Gale supporter to see if I could really like the book. It did change my opinion of the book slightly. not much. I think the first 3/4th of the book is completely dragged on. Especially with the Love triangle. The author has wasted too much print on the sob love story and made the war just a background setting. I tried to look at Katniss as a girl who's been ripped apart and reduced by too much sufferings. It helped me like the book a little better in the beginning. But by the time I had reached the middle of the book, it was hard to keep viewing her like that. Especially when she kept breaking over Peeta being hijacked and her closet drama's. I mean yes, when Peeta was being tortured in the capitol, its a given that she is too worried about him to concentrate on anything else. Even if they were not lovers, they protected each other through the games, so yes you expect her to be in that state until he's safely rescued. But once he was rescued from the capitol, I expected her to pull up her socks and be the Mockingjay wholeheartedly, Pay Gale more attention even. But all she did was breakdown again over Peeta's condition and never really became the heroine she is expected to be. I really liked the part when Peeta really sees her for who she is when he's being re-hijacked, even calls her a "piece of work" for leading both of the guys on. I mean, Peeta and Gale worship her too much and that can gets infuriating in this book, especially since all she does is hide in warm pipes.

That being said, my favorite part of the book is the last bit when Katniss and her team decide to go on the mission to kill President Snow. The books picks up then and makes it worth reading. I cannot say that the ending is the best one. But it definitely touched me. By the end of the book, I could imagine Katniss only with Peeta. The author truly brings out the damage Katniss goes through after her sisters death. Her trauma at being the pawn in the entire games comes out here. And you cannot imagine her with Gale then, as she herself puts its aptly that Gale was like fire and she had enough fire in herself, but what she truly needed was peeta who is like a balm to her traumatic state, like a bright yellow dandelion which promises that life can go on no matter how great the loss. It also highlights the fact that, when most freedom struggles are won, the leaders end up being martyr of the struggle who face maximum losses while while power hungry people get to rule the freed state.