Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

           The first Suzanne Collins book I read was Gregor the Overlander and I have been reading her books ever since. When I picked up Hunger Games I was surprised and challenged to figure out what it was about this dystopia that made it so different from the rest. The last book in the series gives me the answer, the Heroine of the piece does not win and take control and become president. In today's modern world, that is unrealistic, rebel leaders rarely keep their position for long, they get killed by the next rebel leader.
           Katniss, topples the Capitol but does kill her enemy, instead she kills the enemy of the people and it is not who you expect. She recognized a danger few do, that one monster dictator is most often replaced with another and safely delivers her people from another dictatorship into the chaos that results in a hasty election, but still an election with a leader who did not expect the job but is perfectly capable.
           Then Katniss has to make her choice, Gale or Peeta. I felt like the choice was made by the men, she is not the type to just let her love go but she decided to wait and see who showed up. After her trial Katness is quietly "exiled" to district 12 and she watches her community begin to rebuild. And she tries to rebuild herself, knowing her family will never be the same. So who appears to help her with her grief, well you have to read it. However, he does the right thing for her even though she does not like it. She hates even the smell of roses but her sister's name was Primrose. He helps her rediscover her love for her sister's namesake and thus recover from a bit from her trauma. Could her other beau have been as understanding of how to force her to heal?