story was so compelling
question: How is the opinion?, context: After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event.Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership.The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating.  By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war.Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation.I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way. 
How is the opinion?
Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book.
After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event.Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership.The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating.  By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war.Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation.I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way. 
Reading Katniss's <hl> story was so compelling <hl> that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book.
After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event.Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership.The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating. By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war.Reading Katniss's <hl> story was so compelling <hl> that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation.I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way. 
After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event. Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership. The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating. By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war. <hl> Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. <hl> My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation. I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way.