First read November 2011, 4 stars.

***

May 2014: still 4 stars.
Things I remember thinking the first time round: 1. I prefer the first 2 in the series. 2. (After the first movie was announced) they will make the 3rd book into 2 movies because that's what Hollywood does now and that's stupid because this does not need to be 2 movies.

I have changed my mind on both points. Re. the movie(s): Mockingjay is actually rather neatly divided into 2 halves, 1 half about Katniss's recovery/rehab, slow integration into District 13, and the relatively slow/late reveal of how the rebellion is organized/functions; and 1 half about katniss the warrior, both in training and in the Capitol. Whereas I feel like the interesting political stuff got edited out of the 2nd movie to make room for the action packed arena scenes, by dividing MJ into 2 films, we might actually get to see, in more detail, some of the political stuff that makes THG more interesting than your typical YA romance/adventure.

Re. My preference for books 1 and 2: I no longer have that preference and may actually prefer 3 to 2--whereas 2 is (sort of) a rehash of 1, 3 is different enough from 1 and 2 to feel genuinely worthwhile.

My other (disorganized, unedited) thoughts about MJ this time through:

1. I know this is a teen romance and the love triangle has been shoved down our throats throughout ("oh gosh HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT GALE? HOW DO I REALLY FEEL ABOUT PEETA? WHY DO THEY LIKE ME SO MUCH?" And "oh gosh this kissing thing is so weird, sometimes I feel so good when I kiss them and WANT to kiss them but sometimes I just don't, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" And more of Gale's smoldering looks and Peeta's "she just doesn't understand what she does to guys"). But because this is the last book in the series there's an inevitability about the love triangle that just wasn't there before--it's a given that Katniss must end up with 1 of them, and Gale and Peeta even say as much, but that's kind of dumb, really: they're still just kids, most people don't marry their high school sweethearts, there are other guys around, and frankly I feel it would be more in character for her to choose to be alone. But instead we get the easy option (she chooses between them) complete with the "trust me, this is TRUE LOVE, y'all" epilogue set in the future in which they're still together.

2. MJ does a great job of showing different types of psychological breakdown--how it's different for different people, and different for the same person given different stimuli; it captures especially well the emotional flatness, lack of motivation, and aimlessness of depression, and shows just how easy it is to end up on a path to drug abuse and addiction, because who wouldn't want to numb that kind of pain?

3. Katniss is a Tough Girl: self-reliant, intelligent, physically strong (and emotionally stunted and distrustful of people, but I will leave that alone for now), but it doesn't matter: she is, basically, always powerless and always a pawn, no matter which side she's on, an accurate reflection, I think, of getting caught up in any political game, intentionally or otherwise.