Book three: Mockingjay
Mockingjay, written by Suzanne Collins, is the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy.
The rebellion has begun and Katniss Everdeen is its symbol. She is the Mockingjay. Rebels from District 13, which was long thought destroyed, have rescued Katniss from the arena of the Seventy-fifth Annual Hunger Games. Her ally, Peeta Mellark, has been taken prisoner by the Capitol.
In response to this rescue, the Capitol’s forces have firebombed District 12. Only a few hundred make it out alive. The refugees find sanctuary in District 13, which is made up of a series of bunkers and underground tunnels. The district is run by President Coin who requires all citizens to adhere to a strict schedule in order to efficiently manage time and resources. The people of District 13 have been living this way for seventy-five years. During that time they have been slipping spies into the other twelve districts and the Capitol itself in order to incite rebellion. President Coin’s goal is to turn Panem into a republic. Until now she could not successfully fight a rebellion and win without a symbol to unite the people. But now she has that symbol in Katniss.
Katniss agrees to help Coin with the rebellion by making a series of propaganda films. At first the films fail to meet expectations because they are being made in a studio. It is decided that a more hands-on approach is required to make the films believable to the people of Panem. So Katniss travels to District 8 with some District 13 soldiers and a film crew. While there she visits a hospital containing wounded rebels. During the visit, the Capitol sends hovercraft in to bomb District 8. With cameras rolling, Katniss takes part in the battle and shoots many hovercraft out of the sky.
District 13 then broadcasts the battle across Panem. The Capitol counters this with their own propaganda, an interview with prisoner Peeta Mellark. Peeta tries to talk both sides into a cease- fire agreement so the war can end now without further bloodshed. But Katniss and the rebels will never surrender! More propaganda films are produced and many more battles take place. District after district is liberated until all that remains is the Capitol itself, which is heavily guarded by thousands of ‘peace-keepers’ and booby traps on every street.
Can the rebels triumph? Will the Capitol fall? Does President Coin really want a republic, or to become Panem’s new dictator? Is Peeta with the rebels or the Capitol? What will happen to Katniss when her services as ‘Mockingjay’ are no longer required?
All these questions and more will be answered in the exciting conclusion of the Hunger Games trilogy.
Read my review of Book one: The Hunger Games here
Read my review of Book two: Catching Fire here
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