I DID IT!

It’s true! I finally finished a book I was reading. Mr. X was determined that I finish Mockingjay tonight so I couldn’t  disappoint. Sure, it’s 1:30 in the morning. I should be fast asleep and not typing up some celebration post. But things don’t really happen rationally around here.

 

First of all, I am happy that the first book I finished after this long dry spell was connected to dystopia. Although this is my passion, I am starting to worry that maybe I am getting a little burnt out on it. There are so many things racing though my head, most of which are not even relevant and many directly connected with the joy of being over that hurdle. I really felt like there was a road block up there for me for some reason.

 

My feelings are really mixed about Mockingjay and I am trying to figure out the source of this confusion. Is it the genre? The expectation?  I am still not even sure. When I read Hunger Games I had no idea what it was about. It took me completely by surprise. Suzanne Collins complete transported me into this amazingly horrible world. I saw this world fully fleshed out with a strong female character striving for something of so much value. It was paced perfectly and I loved that the character had appeal to both male and female readers.  The haunting concept of the Hunger Games is as genius as it is terrifying and Collins took us deep into the psychology of that world.

 

But for me when I closed the back cover on Hunger Games, that is where the creativity ended.  There was a million ways for the story to go and I think I liked pondering them more than reading one that definitely was not in line with my picture of Katniss’s future.

 

There was so much of Catching Fire that I didn’t enjoy. I felt so refreshed when I read Hunger Games dealing with a new situation and a fresh character. I didn’t like how Catching Fire played up the love triangle issue, which I thought should play a minor role in the story telling. And it didn’t present me with anything new. There were no new and appalling details about this dystopian world that I could really sink my teeth into. Also, as most people know Catching Fire ended with a serious cliff hanger.  Maybe I just wanted paying enough attention but I never could get grounded in the story of Catching Fire. I found it confusing and anytime I thought I had my footing the rug was pulled out from under me.

 

So in a way I guess I kind of wanted to Mockingjay to start in the same breath Catching Fire stopped in. And it didn’t and there was a lot of back explaining. The book was just starting and I was already sick of it. Of the lack of drama. The  lackluster reports of what had happened. Again I am lacking little juicy tidbits of world building. There are a few nibbles but they are mostly tough sinew. The book is a bit of a roller coaster ride. That would be a good thing if I was 5 and riding on one of those train “coaster” kiddy rides. I just didn’t connect with very much sincerity in this book.

 

Really, I could go on and on about why I didn’t LOVE Mockingjay and maybe in another post I still will. But  want you to know I didn’t hate it. It was a decent ending to a trilogy excluding the horrible epilogue, which I guess I am just not into. Finishing a book can be at time about day dreaming what will come next. The end of this book robbed me of that experience a little bit. But as I was saying, I didn’t hate the book and I would recommend that people read the whole series. It is enjoyable, if dark and has some food for thought. Smaller portions as the series moves on, but I think this series would be particularly good to co read parent with child and discuss the world and the characters.

 

Without a doubt I will always highly recommend Hunger Games and leave judgment on the rest of the series to those who continue on with it.  It disappoints me a little bit that the end of the series didn’t ignite in me as much as I had hoped. But, in case you missed it. I FINISHED A BOOK. And that is what this post is really supposed to be about. Every time I try to wrap it up and bring it back to the subject at hand my critical side takes over and starts spurting out issues I had with the book. (Kind of like my first date with Mr. X and the latest Alice movie.)

 

Now it is my job to keep the trend going. What next? Well I am still in the middle of quite a few books. I have to finish at least one more before I can start another book. I am working on Grass on audio and I am so close to being finished I thought it would be the first book I finished reading in who knows how long. I am also in the middle of a handful dystopias and a great little humorous YA?MG novel called Framed. But really I have no idea where I am going next. The wind blows and my inclination changes.

 

In the meantime make sure to tell your friends I finished a book. Give them a link and encourage them to come and celebrate with me. Ready? OK!