Down with the Capitol!

**Warning - this post contains Mockingjay spoilers**

So here we are, weeks after Mockingjay's big release - Leigh

and myself are finally getting around to the post that was

promised weeks ago. But y'all know us by now,

we're the biggest procrastinators around.

Leigh: *snort* Given the cobwebs growing in the corners of

the Bubble I don't think our followers are

the least bit surprised!

Plus, we've been talking about the possibility of having our very

own book discussion here at the Bubble since we both

love Hunger Games so much. Leigh and I, however,

would have to put our love of procrastinating to the

side if we ever intend on doing so.

With that said, what do you think?

Would you be willing to participate in a

Hunger Games Book Discussion?

Anyhoozle, let's get started on:

Before I even began reading Mockingjay, I can admit that

I was a little nervous. Catching Fire left you with a

WTF JUST HAPPENED feeling, did it not?

Cinna's gone.

Peeta's been taken by the Capitol.

People within the Capitol were conspiring against the

Capitol itself alongside District 13...

WAIT!! WHAT?!?!

District 13 is still alive and kickin'?

Poor Katniss has been through hell and back!

Leigh: I, for one, was totally shocked at the angle Mockingjay took.... I naively thought it would be a little adventure where they rescued Peeta from the Capitol, District 12 would recover, Katniss would get some revenge on Snow and then live with Gale happily ever after... You could imagine how my jaw dropped pretty much from page one!

Of course there were parts I loved (Katniss killing Coin, the relationship between Katniss and Finnick, Hamish's loyalty), and parts I hated (Katniss' ignorance and naivety at basically everything!, the exclusion of Gale at the end of the book - are we really suppose to believe he turned into this war machine who had no contact with Katniss?!), but overall it hooked me and that's always a sign of a really great book.

I would like to focus on the ending for a second. Did anyone else sit and stare at the back page not believing it was over?? (marie: *raises hand*) I was totally thrown by the choice of Peeta and the inclusion of the kids that I wanted a whole book of that alone! (marie: *raises the other hand*) It was like 'yeah she went on to live a life, but she's still totally fucked up and always will be'. I'm not sure it gave the closure I needed, but I guess it was suppose to make you feel as broken as Katniss did - and if that was the goal - it completely succeeded.

marie: Leigh pretty much hit the nail on the head. Except, I knew somewhere deep down that Katniss and Peeta were meant to be together. Somehow I knew that she would find a way to save him. Don't get me wrong, I did have a soft spot for Gale, but Gale only grew up as Katniss' hunting buddy. Peeta and Katniss went through too much together during the Hunger Games. And when you're left in a major fight or die situation as they were, it's impossible to ignore the bond that had obviously formed between the two. Peeta protected her in more ways than Gale could have ever imagined.

When you honestly think about it, who can Katniss NOT live without? My first instinct was to say both of them, but as the book played out, Gale revealed more of his true colors. I know that he loved her, but I also noticed Gale made critical decisions that lead him to choosing other things over Katniss. I feel that if Peeta had had a choice, without the Capitol's influence, he would have chosen Katniss over anything and everything. Of course, that's just my opinion.

As for the way Suzanne Collins ended the book with Katniss, Peeta and their two kids, it kinda through me for a loop because Katniss and Peeta were obviously still living and dealing with their demons of the past. However, there did seem to be a pinprick-sized light at the end of the tunnel. I think the author was trying to show us that even though these two lived through a lifetime of traumatic experiences, they still found someway to move on with their lives - no matter how slow that progress may be.

Mockingjay was emotionally draining. So much so, I felt absolutely numb by the end of the book. I was literally sitting there staring at the wall for what seemed like forever - I needed time to digest all that had happened. This was no novel filled with love and butterflies and roses - it was filled with war, death and destruction. But ultimately, I loved the book! And the Hunger Games books will forever be one of my all-time favorite series, no matter how many boxes of tissues I went through while reading them. True story.