Mockingjay is the third (and final, if you don’t count the prequel!) book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It’s about the main character and heroine, of the novels, Katniss Everdeen, following her story as she fights the Capitol to end the vicious gladiatorial games called the Hunger Games. Her lover, Peeta Mellark, has been captured by the Capitol, and now they are holding him hostage, altering his memories of Katniss so he will think of her as a threat instead of an ally. This book has a wonderful blend of action, suspense, and romance (with just a little character rivalry thrown in for good measure), like any other Hunger Games novel, but that’s not all. Mockingjay also has, not one, but two movies to go along with it. Here are my thoughts on the book versus the movies.
#1: First of all, here are some things I think the producers of the movie did well. They did quite a good job sticking to the main plot and including what I think to be the most important parts. Yes, they did add in or change a couple of things, but, in my opinion, the overall feeling of the book was captured in the movie.
#2: Of course, there were some parts that I felt needed to be emphasized more in the movies. For example, the vote to hold another Hunger Games, but with the Capitol’s children, was treated as the big decision that it is in the book, but in the movies, they kind of glossed over that part. Also, the death of Katniss’ sister, Primrose, wasn’t as significant as I’d have liked it to be in the movies. It was like she died, and then everyone moved on really quickly, unlike in the book, where Katniss spends years recovering.
#3: The look of the characters was also changed in the movies. In the book, Katniss is supposed to have black hair and olive skin, while in the movies, the actress of Katniss is a blonde, Caucasian woman. Also, Peeta is supposed to have blue eyes and blond hair, but in the movies, his actor has black hair and brown eyes. However, this is just a minor difference and it doesn’t take away from the fact that the actors and actresses did an amazing job of portraying the characters’ emotions, which is what I think is the most important part.
In summary, I think the book Mockingjay is better than both of the movies, but it’s hard to beat the original. However, I wasn’t disappointed with the movies, because the main plot and feel of the book was conveyed on the screen. In my opinion, the books are usually better than the movies, unless the movie comes out first. What do you think?
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.