Finishing The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games Trilogy

     I finished the Hunger Games trilogy! I have to say that it was a great series; something I haven't been able to find since finishing Harry Potter. As the series continues it becomes much more mature in content and I'm not just saying in the violence spectrum either.The story in itself is a brilliantly thought out idea of what happens when materialism and worldly attitudes takes place of humanity and justice.

     Katniss becomes a much more confusing and complex character as the story evolves, sometimes making it difficult to gauge where her understanding of revenge and justice lay. As well as her difficult love triangle between herself, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.

     There are several conclusions I have come to while reading the books:

 I'm madly in love with Finnick Odair

Primrose Everdeen is a badass

Peeta has to make my wedding cake

If something happened to my family, I would want Haymitch to take care of me

I wished Gale's story ended differently

     There is only one part at the very end of Mockingjay that I found myself strongly disagreeing with. I'm just going to lay it out.

Katniss Everdeen "The Hunger Games"

      The Capitol has fallen and the rebels (Katniss and those against the Capitol) now have complete control of Panem. The only problem is that they don't know what to do with the Capitol residents. Do they kill them all off or do they make general selections of who lives and who dies? The alternative to complete annihilation of the Capitol is to hold one final Hunger Games involving only the children of the Capitol. So the decision is left to the final seven victors from the Hunger Games that are left alive, which would be Haymitch, Katniss, Peeta and the others you meet in the sequel. 

     Peeta and two Victors give an immediate no, while two other victors give an revengeful yes. Now, it's down to to Katniss and Haymitch. By this time, Katniss has lost almost everything. District 12 and other surrounding districts have been destroyed, many friends died protecting her, but the ultimatum is the death of her younger sister, Primrose who is killed in a bombing raid. After she sees Prim killed, as well as falling victim to the bomb herself, Katniss goes through a hellish recovery. She is burnt everywhere and she temporarily loses her ability to speak. Now she must decide whether or not to hold another Hunger Games that involved the lives of innocent children that are made to pay the price for the crimes that their parents and generations before them committed.

     After realizing that there is always going to be death and loss of innocent life (and the unspoken fact that she still wasn't mentally stable) Katniss, much to my sickening surprise, agrees to hold the final Hunger Games in honor of Prim. Haymitch agrees with her and the deal is settled.

There will be one final Hunger Games celebration 

only involving the children of the Capitol. 

Afterwards the Hunger Games will be nothing more than a dark history

 for children to read about in school.

      As you can imagine I was very surprised at this twist in the story. For Katniss, who has been the embodiment of humanity and goodness, to agree to a final Hunger Games that involves children who have done nothing to deserve it, was very aggravating for me at first. Yet, I was also reminded how so many times in the Bible how God punished generations for their wrong doing even though there were those who had committed no crimes at all.

     So, I am rather torn about what to feel about such a turn the book made, but it's not my story and I'm not the author. While I wouldn't say that the series had a happy ending, the epilogue gave a glimpse of a hopeful ending and redeeming future.

Katniss Everdeen "Mockingjay"

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Trailer for Catching Fire