Two’s Company, Three’s a Trilogy – The Hunger Games

Let’s talk about trilogies.  I have a confession, before we really dive in.  I have a serious issue with not finishing trilogies.  The reasons vary but it’s usually because I don’t want the story to end.  If I read the last book, there’s nothing else to read.  But now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s talk about trilogies.  Please note, I have finished the below series.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

1. The Hunger Games ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Catching Fire⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Mockingjay⭐⭐⭐

This series started out so strong.  I loved the concept of the first book.  I hate to admit this, but I think it could have been a really good stand alone story.  I don’t really have much to criticize here.  I liked the story line and the characters.  The Hunger Games created a unique world with rich characters that I could easily see myself reading more about.

By Catching Fire, I was excited about the ending of The Hunger Games and that momentum carried me into book two.  I enjoyed it, but it felt a bit like a carbon copy of the first book.  It was the same premise, go back to the arena and fight, only this time, fight against people who’ve already won instead of inexperienced kids.  I liked the competition setting and storyline, however, I was somewhat disappointed in how much of the same there was in both books.

Mockingjay was my least favorite.  By a large margin.  I hated the transition from a political story (Katniss representing the people as a political symbol of freedom) to literal warfare.  And the camera crew.  While I liked their characters, I thought it was a strange way to make it feel less like a war zone.  In my opinion, book two, Catching Fire, didn’t effciently bridge the gap between books one and three.

Overall, I thought this series faded with each installment.