1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins REBECCA MULHOLLAND Published by: Scholastic Inc. 2012

2. Introduction  The Mockingjay takes place in the future in a dictatorship called Panem.  The Mockingjay is a continuation on the Hunger Games series.  The book begins with Katniss and the remaining survivors from District 12 all settled in District 13.  Peeta, Katniss’ lover, is captured by the Capital and is being tortured.  The rebels are trying to overthrow the Capital with a huge rebellion throughout all the Districts.

3. Protagonist  Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of the Mockingjay.  Katniss is a girl with long brown hair and pale eyes.  She lost her father in a coal mining explosion which caused her mother to lose grip of herself.  This resulted in Katniss having to take care of her mother and younger sister.  She is the face of the rebellion.  Katniss is brave, daring, a good hunter, and never follows orders.

4. Antagonist  The antagonist of the story is President Snow from the Capitol.  He is a mean, cruel, snake eyed man who rules the country of Panem.  He annually hosts a Hunger Games in which kids fight to their death.  President Snow manipulates Katniss by torturing Peeta.  He tries to mentally torchure Katniss to prevent the rebellion which is lead by her.

5. Central Conflict  The main conflict in the Mockingjay is to finally defeat the Capitol once and for all.  The struggle is to turn all the districts to the rebel’s side.  Katniss must fulfill the special position of the “Mockingjay” in order to do so.  The conflict involves the rebels, lead by Katniss Everdeen and district 13, and the Capitol lead by President Snow.

6. Minor Characters  Peeta is one of Katniss’ lovers who protects her through deathly situations and cares about her more than anything. He is used against her by the Capitol which hurts Katniss greatly.  Gale is another lover of Katniss. He protects her throughout the war and wishes that he could have always been there for her.  Beetee is a recent Hunger Games victor who is extremely smart. He helps spread the word of the rebellion by hacking the Capitol’s live broadcasts.  Finnick is also a Hunger Games victor who helps Katniss in the war between the Capitol and the rebels. He is one of the few people going through the same problems that Katniss is going through. Peeta Mellark Beetee Gale Hawthorne Finnick Odair

7. What Critics Said?  Critics say that the Mockingjay is different compared to the other two books in the series. This critic believes that the book is good. It has many surprises that are hard to guess. She also dislikes the book because of its tragic events. It is like a pot of water boiling over, bad things happen.  http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/06/boo k-review-mockingjay.html http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/06/boo k-review-mockingjay.html http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/06/boo k-review-mockingjay.html  Another critic believes that the book is overall exciting. The book brings all the previous conflicts to an end in a gruesome way. This critic also dislikes the ending of the book and wishes that it was left more blankly so the reader can infer and imagine what the end should be like.  http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2 012/05/book-review-mockingjay-by- suzanne.html http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2 012/05/book-review-mockingjay-by- suzanne.html http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2 012/05/book-review-mockingjay-by- suzanne.html

8. My Opinion  My opinion on this novel is that is is exciting, emotional, and breathtaking.  The author does a great job with suspense, keeping the book as interesting as possible.  The story is gruesome and sad but heartwarming at the same time.  I personally enjoyed the previous Hunger Games books better. But I did enjoy the book.  All of the big conflicts in the first two books end up finally being solved in the last one.