Posts Tagged 'revolution'

Reached by Ally Condie

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  512

RAC:  Book

In the final installment of the series, Cassia is back with the Society working as a sorter when the Rising takes control and produces a cure for a mysterious plague that the Society was trying to keep quiet within city limits.  Xander is working in the clinic as a physhic and was well aware of the plague and is thrilled when the Rising takes over simply because he was always on their side and now they can cure these people.  Ky, meanwhile, is working as a pilot for the Rising and his job is to deliver the cure to different locations.  They all end up coming together, but the virus mutates and threatens to wipe out the entire civilization.  Will Cassia choose Xander or Ky?  Will they all even survive the plague?  How will the Rising govern better than the Society did?

This ending was satisfying, but slow and a bit underwhelming.  The first book in this series was so interesting and raised so many questions about society in general and what is considered “normal.”  It seems like the second two books in the series lost their way a bit and struggled to recapture that spark the first one had.  It’s not bad, but just not as good as Matched.  Die hard fans will enjoy seeing what happens, but many readers will find this book tedious and cumbersome.  There are still some unanswered questions as well and the ending, although satisfying, is definitely realistic which hopefully readers will appreciate.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Genre:  Futuristic Fiction

# of Pages:  390

RAC:  Yes

In this third and final installment of The Hunger Games trilogy Katniss must deal with the aftermath of her actions, and those of some rebellious friends, at the Quarter Quell.  As she recovers from her injuries she cannot help but wonder about Peeta, who was not rescued from the arena.  Her worries are founded when Peeta appears in a Capitol broadcast in which he appears to be on the side of the Capitol.  As Katniss struggles to find her place in this rebellion she is asked to be the symbol or Mockingjay for the entire fight for freedom.  Does she have the strength to be the Mockingjay?  If she becomes the mockingjay will it endanger her friends and family?  Will she ever see Peeta again?

This final installment accurately portrays the difficulty of starting and carrying out an overthrow of government.  Circumstances continue to get worse and with every person lost in the fight Katniss feels responsible.  The action and suspense are good, but maybe not quite as good as the arena action and suspense.  The character development is wonderful and amazing considering the extreme pressure these characters are under.  It would be hard to to portray them as truly human as Collins did.  Readers should be satisfied with the ending, especially after some reflection.  A nice ending to an unforgettable series.  Highly recommended.


Archives