MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins

It's over.  The trilogy is finished.  There will now need to be a new series that will have people waiting impatiently from year to year for the next installment.  *Sigh*

MOCKINGJAY begins with Katniss shuffling through the ashy remains of District 12.  Having survived her second Hunger Games, she has recovered enough from her injuries to visit the little that is left of her former home.  Her concussion ravaged brain is still trying to make sense of all that has happened.

When she is returned to the safety of District 13, Katniss must be gradually reintroduced to those from District 12 who survived, and she must find her place in her new surroundings.  Her mother and Prim are busy every day caring for patients in the hospital, and Gale continues his recovery and slowly begins to work for the rebel cause in District 13.  Katniss fills her days ignoring her district required schedule as she wanders from one isolated hiding place to the next.

It doesn't take long for 13's leaders to make it clear that they plan to be the ones to lead the rebels to victory against the Capitol and President Snow.  Katniss is once more expected to be the symbol for that victory.  She knows their goal is to make her the Mockingjay, but she hesitates to step forward immediately.  Does she want the responsibility?  Is she ready for what will most likely be her final living act?

When Katniss finally accepts the role of Mockingjay, she does so with stipulations, two of which are that Peeta and the other Hunger Games survivors most be rescued and she must be the one to end the life of President Snow.  Her demands are met and the preparations begin.  What follows is non-stop action filled with violence, torture, attacks, and destruction. 

After reading HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE, I should have guessed that author Suzanne Collins would not make things easy for Katniss and friends.  She filled this last book with twists and turns as well as her usual direct, "in your face" moments that had me gasping through the first two books.  Without including any spoilers, I'll say I found the ending acceptable and on-course with what I expected from both Collins and her characters.  This is definitely a series that will be enjoyed by readers for years to come.