Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, is, as probably everyone knows, the final book in the trilogy that began with The Hunger Games.

I’m going to begin with a general assessment; and then I’ll probably need to get into spoiler territory.

The book is an adequate resolution to the trilogy. If you enjoyed the first couple of books, you’ll enjoy this one. As a whole, I enjoyed the trilogy well enough; it kept me turning pages. On the other hand, well…at least the main characters don’t sparkle in the sunlight.

OK, onto the spoilers. If you’ve not read the book, and you think you’d like to, this is where you should stop reading.

The Hunger Games was all about Katniss, and her efforts to survive in the Arena. Catching Fire expands the view to include civil unrest in the districts, and the effect of Katniss and Peeta’s example on the citizenry. Mockingjay is about the revolution and Katniss’ role in it, culminating in the taking of the Capital. Katniss remains the main viewpoint character throughout.

Collins has made an interesting choice, here. Katniss is the figurehead of the revolution. She’s the main character of the series. But she’s not in charge. She’s not aware of everything that’s going on. She’s not in on all of the planning. She’s of use to the leaders, and she has a certain amount of clout (and she uses it) but she’s also a tool. More than that, she’s a wreck emotionally, and this becomes more and more pronounced as the book goes on. She survives, just. She finds happiness…of a modified and minimal sort. She is forever scarred, forever fragile. Like Frodo, she pays a price so that others may benefit.

There are things to dislike in this book. Peeta’s story arc is ultimately unconvincing, and I found the defense of the Capital to be ludicrous. The horrible attacks the tributes suffered in the Arena are referred to by the Game Masters as “pods”; and pods have been installed all over the Capital to destroy as many of the attackers as possible, sometimes four and five of them in one block. I’m sorry; I just didn’t buy it. It’d make a good movie, though.

So…not a classic, but adequately entertaining.