Book Review: Mockingjay

About the Book

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games #3
Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: August 24, 2010

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian

Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.

My Review of Mockingjay

Out of all the horrible things that happened in this series, I would have to say Mockingjay took the cake. I knew with the darkness that surrounded the last two books, the final book was not going to be easy or full of sunshine and rainbows. Even with all the tragic events, Suzanne Collins still makes it another addicting read. There is a certain realism in all the darkness and loss, in a war, not everyone is going to survive unscathed. 

Katniss has escaped to District 13, but she is more broken than ever before. Peeta is in the hands of the Capital. To everyone in charge she is just a pawn in a war she never wanted to fight. Even treated as just a symbol, Katniss’s instincts are usually better than the Politicians who are running the rebellion. Katniss in Mockingjay is a realistic portrayal of someone who is suffering with PTSD from the events of the previous Hunger Games.  Those elements made this book seem more realistic and sadly direr. 

I loved the Hunger Games series and I am glad I finally finished it. I know that I cried while reading each book, but Mockingjay was in its own league of making me cry. I am sure, when I get to see the movies, I will cry all over again. I know that I am late to the game on this series, but it is truly well done. It is a book that I am sure will continue to be popular for many years. 

For those who have not started this series or have only watched the movies, I highly recommend reading this series. Even though the movies are very well done, the books have so much more to them that just does not fit into a movie format. It is defiantly worth your time. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf purchased this book**

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Waiting on Wednesday: Defy

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Title: Defy

Author: Sara B. Larson

Series: Defy #1

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Length: 336 Pages

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Why am I Waiting?

I love a good fantasy where a girl has to pose as a boy, because you just know she is going to be found out but still be badass! That is at least the way this one sounds. I am interested to see how this story turns out!

What are you waiting on?

Make sure to let me know in the comments!

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Excerpt of Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

About the Book

Title: Fire & Flood

Author: Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: Feburary 25, 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Length: 320 Pages

Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe. She's the author of THE
COLLECTOR trilogy (Entangled Teen) and the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic). Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Follow Victoria

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 FIRE & FLOOD by Victoria Scott

Scholastic, February 2014
First Excerpt Reveal

I drove across the US of A, left my family without an explanation, and now I’m either too late or there was never anything here to begin with. F my life. Rearing back, I kick the door as hard as I can. Then I wrap both hands around the door handles and release a noise like a wild banshee as I pull back.

The doors swing open.

I’m not sure whether to celebrate or freak out. I decide to do neither and slip inside. As I walk around the inside of the museum, listening to the sound of my footsteps echo off the walls, I imagine I am moments from death. It’s sad, I think, that this is all it takes to break my sanity.

Two curling flights of stairs bow out from the first-floor lobby, and red and white tiles cover the floors. There are gilded picture frames everywhere. So many that I think the placement of the frames — and not their contents — is the real art. Everything, absolutely everything, smells like wax. I mosey up to an abandoned reception desk and leaf through the glossy pamphlets littering the surface. I hold one of the pamphlets up to my nose. Yep, wax.

I glance around, having no idea what to look for. Will there be a sign like at school registration? Students with last names A–K this way?

On my left, I notice a long hallway dotted with doors on either side. Nothing looks particularly unusual. But when I glance to my right, I spot something. There’s a door at the end of the corridor that has a sliver of light glowing beneath it. I’m sure it’s just an administration office, one where someone forgot to flip the switch. But I’ve got nothing better to go on, so I head toward it.

I pause outside the door, wondering if I’m about to get busted for B&E. Then I turn the handle and find myself at the top of another winding staircase.

You’ve got to be kidding me. What is this, Dracula’s bachelor pad?

I’ve watched a lot of scary movies, and I’ve learned nothing good is ever at the bottom of a winding staircase. Pulling in a breath and preparing myself to be eaten alive, I head down. My shoes are loud against the steps. So loud, I imagine they are intentionally trying to get me killed.

When I reach the final few stairs, I ready myself to look around the bend. My heart is racing, and I secretly pray the worst I encounter is an angry janitor with a wax addiction. I turn the bend — and my eyes nearly pop from my skull.

The enormous room is perfectly circular, dotted with candles to light the space. Surrounding the walls are rows and rows of dark, rich mahogany bookshelves. A large round table stands in the center of the red-and-white-tiled floor. The room is spectacular, but what it holds is so jarring, my ears ring.

Across every shelf, every spot on the table, every tile on the floor — are small sculptures of hands. And in a few of those hands — the ones still performing their duty — are eggs. There are only nine eggs left, it seems. For a moment, I imagine how amazing it would have been to see each hand holding an egg, but it’s enough just to see these nine.

The eggs seem to dance in the candle flame, and as I move closer, I realize why. The surfaces of the eggs are almost iridescent, their colors changing depending on how you look at them. They are different sizes, too; some as big as a basketball, others as small as a peach.

I don’t need the device in my pocket to tell me what my gut already knows.

This is the Pandora Selection Process. 

Who is excited now for Fire & Flood?

I know I am because I love Victoria Scott's writing and I want to see how she uses my home state of Montana!

What do you think of the excerpt?

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Waiting on Wednesday: Undead

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.
I am waiting on:

Title: Undead

Author: Kirsty McKay

Series: Undead #1

Publisher: Scholastic

Expected Publication: September 1, 2012

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.
The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.
Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.
But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.
Combining the chill of THE SHINING, the thrill ride of SPEED, the humor of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and the angst of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Kirsty McKay's UNDEAD is a bloody mad mash-up, a school-trip splatter-fest, a funny, gory, frighteningly good debut!(From Goodreads)

Why am I waiting?

Zombies of course, and the cover with the cheerleader and the bloody ax. 

I am going through zombie withdrawals right now, especially since I have to wait until October for the Walking Dead to come back. This sounds like this book is right up my alley, and I cannot wait to enjoy. 

What are you waiting on?

Make sure to leave me a link!

And as always

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