Parents' Guide to

Mockingjay: The Hunger Games, Book 3

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Exciting, dramatic -- and bloody -- sci-fi trilogy finale.

Book Suzanne Collins Science Fiction 2010
Mockingjay: The Hunger Games, Book 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 13+

Based on 51 parent reviews

SkyeAndKenobi
SkyeAndKenobi Adult
November 13, 2021
age 18+

Hopeless: Please Carefully Consider How This Will Effect Your Mental Health (contains spoilers, but necessary ones)

As an author, I think one of our responsibilities is to leave our readers hopeful and uplifted—and if careful—this can be done even in a book that contains much violence, or doesn’t have the traditional happy ending. I was fine with the first two Hunger Games, but the third takes the darkness too far. There is no hope at the end. There is no light. Humanity is portrayed as twisted, irredeemable, and monstrous. The main character—even knowing how terrible the Hunger Games are—sentences capital children to death in one final match. (I.e. Instead of rising above the people and actions she despises, she’s gradually shaped into the very thing she’s hated and fought against.) Later, she reverts to attempting suicide to escape her pain. She lives on, but even the final sentence reverts to death and despair. I understand that this book is realistic and gritty, but I’m very concerned about the potential messages here. Books should encourage people to rise above horrible actions, not sink to their level. They should bring light, not darkness. They should teach readers to heal and pursue mental well being, not take their lives. (This novel doesn’t encourage suicide, but by reading the main character thinking about and pursuing it, it still plants seeds in the reader’s mind and heart.) I might’ve been here with a shining three or four stars if this novel had been developed differently—I was perfectly fine with the previous books—but again, I feel like the third book goes to far. These are all my opinions, of course, and I have nothing against Suzanne Collins as a person or an author, but I’d ask you to very carefully consider your mental welling before you pick up this book.
7 people found this helpful.
Westyi77
Westyi77 Adult
June 22, 2020
age 15+

The mental health implications

I’m a 20 year old student who reread the hunger games to check its suitability for my younger brother (14) after reading them at age 11. I think it is a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy, however in this day and age it has a huge amount of mental health references regarding the main character Katniss who is ultimately a 17 year old dealing with PTSD. Some of the descriptions can be quite difficult for a young reader to comprehend with references to suicide towards the end of the book. It is a great book with strong characters who overcome huge difficulties but would just be wary about the mental health aspects which tend to be overlooked due to the violence in the book.

This title has:

Educational value
Too much violence
2 people found this helpful.
See all 51 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After Katniss is rescued from the Hunger Games arena at the end of book two, she's safe in District 13 with a group of rebels led by district president Alma Coin. Katniss knows her rescue was orchestrated so that she could become the symbol of the resistance -- the Mockingjay; and, sure enough, she's used to shoot propaganda films that hijack TV sets across the country of Panem as battles rage in the districts and move ever closer to the Capitol. Katniss also knows that her dear friend Peeta is in danger -- tortured, brainwashed, and used by President Snow as leverage against her. Rescuing Peeta from Snow's brutal retribution isn't the only risky plan at play -- Katniss is also determined to assassinate Snow ... whether she has Coin's approval or not.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (51 ):
Kids say (281 ):

Trilogy fans won't return to the Hunger Games arena in this finale, but there's plenty of action to draw readers in and plenty of twists to keep you wondering how it will all end. Plus, Collins continues to add depth to the series, asking readers to consider what's justified in war or to maintain order in societies. She adds so many shades of gray -- how propaganda is used to sway people and what it means to be seen as a symbol more than a person -- that readers will be left with plenty of food for thought.

Katniss is still the tormented, conflicted character who doesn't see herself as a hero figure. This amps up the melodrama at times -- and so does her love triangle. Who will she choose? Team Gale or Team Peeta? And, yes, she does finally decide.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of this trilogy. What do you think has made it so successful? How does it compare to other popular series, like Harry Potter and Twilight?

  • This book provides a frightening look at the future. How does it compare to other future worlds you've seen depicted in movies, books, or video games? What is so appealing about reading books like this? Why is it important to read books set in the future?

  • How does the book portray the media? What role does it play in the war? Can you see any similarities between the way media is used in the book and the role that it plays in our lives today?

Book Details

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