It’s here – the day so many of us self-professed dorks have been waiting for: the release of the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Mockingjay, the third and final book in the wildly popular Hunger Games series.
Much like the bespectacled wizard that previously captured the hearts and hours of many a young reader, the characters and world Suzanne Collins created in this trilogy have captured my heart. It’s exciting and thrilling and entertaining all at the same time. It features a kick-ass female heroine who can take care of herself and, more often than not, is the one doing the saving. Katniss is no damsel in distress, thank you very much.
In many ways, it’s also a classic story: good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath, the little guy bringing down a corrupt government in favor of the rule of the people (hello, Star Wars similarities!).
So, in anticipating of finding out exactly what’s going to happen to our much-adored heroine, I’m making my own predictions.
Note: there aren’t any major spoilers here, but if you haven’t read the first two books, you might want to stay away, just in case. Also – these are just my own personal opinions on what might happen. (In fact, I’m writing this post almost a week before it will publish, so I really don’t know what will happen).
Without further adieu:
Death. And lots of it. This is a rebellion, after all. As much as I’d love for all of my favorite characters to go riding off into the sunset, happily ever after, I know that’s not going to happen. Collins has never shied away from making tough choices before (exhibit A: Rue), so I think she won’t hesitate from killing off a lot of people. I’m pretty sure we’re saying goodbye to quite a few. My money’s on at least half of the remaining victors (Finnick, Johanna, Haymitch and/or Beetee) and probably a lot of minor characters as well.
Reading between the lines (as well as some interesting online theories), I think there’s a lot more to Cinna and Madge Undersee than we’ve been told. And for good reason – since we readers only get Katniss’ perspective, we miss a lot because as kick-ass as she is, she’s also incredibly unobservant. Still, there’s more than meets the eye with those two. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pop up in District 13.
Okay, now for the unpopular prediction: Peeta and/or Gale will die.
Before you flay me alive, hear me out. Both of them can’t survive, at least not in my opinion. They both have a tendency towards self-sacrifice and they’re both in love with Katniss, so you just know one of them isn’t making it out alive. Either something will happen during the rebellion (in which someone else kills one of them), or – and I think this is the more likely scenario – Katniss will be faced with having to choose between them, not in the romantic sense, but in a “life or death” sense: she’ll have to make a choice to save one or the other, but not both and, as a result, one of those guys will die.
I know it’s not a popular idea, but it’s exactly the sort of thing I can see Collins writing. Up until this point, Katniss hasn’t been able to think through her feelings for Peeta and Gale because she’s been so concerned with staying alive. I can clearly imagine that choice being forced by putting both Peeta and Gale’s lives in danger.
If, by some chance, Peeta and Gale do both survive, I think I’d like it if Katniss ends up by herself. I’d like to see a girl heroine stand on her own two feet and not need a guy to have a happy ending. While the series does weave the romance into the story, in my mind, it’s more about the evolution of Katniss and the overthrow of a corrupt government. We don’t necessarily need a romantic happy ending to end the story.
I’m torn as to whether or not the rebellion is successful. Traditionally, dystopian books don’t always have happy endings, so I could see Collins potentially having the rebellion fail. But I do think we’ll end up with a something that classifies as success, though it will come with the price of personal loss and/or tragedy for Katniss (see above, re: potential Gale/Peeta deaths).
Okay, bookworms – your turn: what do you predict will happen in Mockingjay? (And if you’ve already read the book, please don’t spoil anything for other readers.)
[Photo Credit: Amazon.com]
