Akila Nallabelli Hour: 5th 1/3/14

Mocking Jay Book Critique

Suzanne Collinss Mocking Jay is a story about a girl on fire, Katniss Everdeen, who decides to step outside of her comfort zone and fight her worst nightmare. When Katniss gets sent to District 13 after the bombing in District 12, she finds out that her fellow partner, Peeta Mellark, has been captured by the capitol. She is still recovering from what happened to her during the Quarter Quell while President Snow has hijacked Peeta and is treating him with horrors. Soon, Peeta is brought back to Katniss but is desperate to kill her because of the tracker jacker venom. Throughout the story, Peeta starts to become more normal as the venom drifts away and District 13 chooses the mocking jay (Katniss), Peeta, Gale, Finnick, and some other people to fight and eventually kill, Snow. On their journey, they loose many of their fellow partners from their group through the threats that they encounter. They soon reach the capitol. At this point, the only remaining soldiers left in squad 451 were Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. At the capitol, there are many rebels waiting to get a new home because their homes were destroyed by the bomb blew up their homes and the black, oily matter that spouts out like a geyser. The kids were captured and put inside a building with no ceiling and in the middle of nowhere, a hovercraft dropped many presents down to the children. A few minutes later, the presents blew up and killed many of the children. But there were still some unopened present. Rebel medics rushed in to help the children. In that crowd, was Prim. Prim was helping a child just when those remaining presents blasted and killed Prim. Gale was out in the crowd hanging on to a doorknob because the dead people were being dumped into a room and then a guard got Gale and sent him to the capitol. Soon, Katniss was brought back to District 12 to her old home that hasnt been destroyed yet. Peeta soon joins her and they eventually have babies, who learn about the Hunger games that has now came to an end. One aspect of Katniss that makes her one of a kind is that she is brave and never gives up. She also never gives up. In the text it says, Put on your masks. Were going out the way we came in. Instant objections. I raise my voice over them. If the wave was that powerful, then it may have triggered and absorbed other pods in our path. People stop to consider this. Pollux makes a few quick signs to his brother. It may have disabled the cameras as well, Castor translates. Coated the lenses. In this scene, at first, the squad doesnt think Katniss is right. Then, she considers this and explains it to them, which makes them rethink it. This shows that she never gives up.

The best part of the book is when Peeta convinces Katniss that she should keep on going, and Katniss only believes Peeta rather than the others because his reason is the most convincing. In the text, it says, Cressida and Gale go round and round trying to convince me. Pollux nods at their words to back them up. Only Peeta doesnt offer an opinion. What do you think, Peeta? I finally ask him. I think you still have no idea. The effect you can have. He slides his cuffs up the support and pushes himself to a sitting position. None of the people we lost were idiots. They knew what they were doing. They followed you because they believed you could really kill Snow. I dont know why his voice reaches me when no one elses can. But if hes right, and I think he is, I owe the others a debt that can only be repaid in one way. I pull my paper map from my pocket in my uniform and spread it out on the floor with new resolve. Where are we, Cressida? I recommend this book to adventure and action lovers. The message of Mocking Jay is very important to middle school students. So often, students give up on things if they dont get it on their first try and dont realize that they can retry to achieve it. It is good to read a book in which the main character is motivated to carry on and to not give up. In the text, it says, Down in the cellar I pace back and forth, driving the others crazy. Something tells me that not taking advantage of the flood of refugees is a mistake. What better cover could we have? On the other hand, every displayed person milling about on the streets means another pair of eyes looking for five rebels on the loose. Then again, what do we gain by staying here? All were really depleting our small cache of food and waiting forwhat? The rebels to take the Capitol? It would be weeks before that happens, and Im not sure what Id do if they did. Not run out and greet them. Coin would have me whisked back to 13 before I could say nightlock, nightlock, nightlock. I did not come all this way, and lose all those people, to turn myself over to that woman. I kill Snow. The part where she is debating symbolizes that she doesnt want to give up. At the end, I expected Katniss to be with her whole family and her life be back normal again. Loosing Prim and her mom being away caused the very opposite. Also, the ending seemed so hasty. Hopefully middle school students will read this book and understand that you should never give up.