Mockingjay is a 2010 young adult fiction book written by American author Suzanne Collins. It is the final book in The Hunger Games series, which includes The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009). The story follows Katniss Everdeen as she helps unite the districts of Panem in a fight against the oppressive Capitol.

The hardcover and audiobook versions of Mockingjay were released by Scholastic on August 24, 2010. This was six days after the ebook version became available. The book sold 450,000 copies during its first week, which was more than the publisher expected. It received praise from critics. The book was later made into two movies. The first movie was released on November 21, 2014, and the second movie was released on November 20, 2015.

Inspiration and development

Suzanne Collins has said that the main idea for The Hunger Games series came from an ancient story about Theseus and the Minotaur. In Greek mythology, Athens had to send seven young men and seven young women to Crete as punishment for killing King Minos’s son, Androgeos. These people were placed in a maze called the Labyrinth, where they were killed by the Minotaur, a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Later, Theseus, the son of the king of Athens, decided to stop the Minotaur and King Minos’s cruelty. He volunteered to join the third group of victims, defeated the Minotaur, and led his group out of the Labyrinth.

Collins has also noted similarities between the Roman Empire and the fictional country of Panem in The Hunger Games. She describes the Hunger Games as "a modern version of the Roman gladiator games, where a harsh government forces people to fight to the death for entertainment." The name "Panem" comes from the Latin phrase "Panem et Circenses," which means "Bread and Circuses." This phrase refers to a strategy used by Roman emperors to calm the public by giving them food and entertainment, as described by the Roman writer Juvenal in his work Satires (10.81).

Like the other books in the trilogy, Mockingjay has 27 chapters divided into three parts, with nine chapters in each part. This structure, which Collins used earlier in her series The Underland Chronicles, was influenced by her experience writing plays. Collins explained that the trilogy follows a "three-act" structure, and she knew from the start that she wanted to write a trilogy.

The cover and title of Mockingjay were announced by Scholastic on February 11, 2010. The cover continues the theme of peace that appeared in the previous books. The title comes from a type of bird called a Mockingjay, which plays an important role in the story. As Publishers Weekly noted, the Mockingjay symbolizes hope and rebellion in the books. Collins compares Katniss to a Mockingjay because both characters were never meant to exist.

Plot

After Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen lives in hiding in District 13, which is the center of the rebellion in Panem. Her mother, her sister Primrose, her mentor Haymitch Abernathy, and her friend Gale Hawthorne are among the people from District 12 who have moved to District 13. Other people from the Hunger Games, like Finnick Odair and Beetee Latier, are also there. Katniss agrees to be the "Mockingjay," a symbol for the rebellion, but only if President Alma Coin of District 13 promises that all surviving Hunger Games tributes, including Peeta Mellark and Annie Cresta, will be safe from the Capitol.

Katniss struggles to act in a studio. She is sent to a rebel hospital in District 8 to film. During an air raid, she breaks rules and joins the fighting. She gives a powerful speech on television. The Capitol tortures Peeta to hurt Katniss. They show interviews with Peeta, who is clearly suffering but warns the rebels about an attack. A rescue team saves Peeta, Annie, and Johanna Mason. However, when they reunite, Peeta tries to choke Katniss. Rebels learn that Peeta was brainwashed using a method called "hijacking," which gave him false memories and made him believe Katniss is evil.

While doctors and friends from District 12 try to help Peeta recover, Katniss avoids him and focuses on the war. She and Gale go to District 2, a Capitol stronghold. There, she questions the rebels' harsh methods. She tries to save a District 2 soldier and is shot on live TV. Later, Katniss is sent with a film crew to record combat in the Capitol. When Peeta, who is still dangerous, joins the group, Katniss suspects President Coin wants her dead. She decides to leave the group and sneak into the Capitol to kill President Coriolanus Snow. After her leader, Boggs, is killed, Katniss takes command. Her squad agrees to help her. During the battle, many of her squad members are killed, including Finnick, who is eaten by genetically modified reptiles. As they reach Snow’s home, a hovercraft with Capitol symbols drops bombs disguised as aid. Some bombs explode, harming children used as human shields. Rebel medics, including Primrose, try to help the injured, but other bombs explode, killing Primrose and seriously burning Katniss.

After recovering, Katniss is deeply sad about Primrose’s death. She learns that the rebels attacked the Capitol the day of the bombing. President Coin, now in charge of Panem, offers Katniss a chance to publicly execute Snow. Katniss confronts Snow, who claims Coin planned the bombing to turn people against him. Snow also says District 13 has used the rebellion to control other districts. Katniss realizes Coin’s bombing tactic is similar to one Gale and Beetee suggested, making her doubt Coin. Coin holds a vote for the remaining victors, proposing a final Hunger Games with only Capitol children. The vote passes, with Katniss voting yes and Peeta voting no. At Snow’s execution, Katniss is supposed to kill him with her bow, but she shoots Coin instead. Snow dies in the chaos, though the cause is unclear. Katniss tries to kill herself with a pill but is stopped by Peeta and arrested.

After the war, rebel leader Paylor of District 8 becomes president. Katniss is found not guilty of murder due to mental distress and returns to District 12 with Haymitch and Peeta. Her mother and Gale live in other districts to help with rebuilding. Peeta slowly regains his memories and begins a real relationship with Katniss. Twenty years later, Katniss and Peeta are married with two children. Under Paylor’s leadership, the Hunger Games are abolished, and the arenas are turned into memorials. Katniss is at peace with her new life but worries about the day her children learn about the war and the Games. She comforts her daughter by recalling all the good things she has ever seen people do.

Themes

Reviews have identified several themes from earlier books that also appear in Mockingjay. A review from The Baltimore Sun stated that "the themes of the series, including physical struggles, loyalty in difficult situations, and dealing with difficult moral choices, continue on a larger scale." In the book, Katniss faces betrayal and violence against others. At the same time, while she inspires thousands of people, she must also guide them into war. Eventually, Katniss learns that she cannot trust President Coin, the leader of District 13.

In an interview with the author, Suzanne Collins, it was said that the series "addresses issues such as extreme poverty, hunger, oppression, and the effects of war." Collins explained that this idea came from her father, who, while serving in the Vietnam War, made sure his children understood the consequences of war. Yvonne Zipp of The Christian Science Monitor wrote that Mockingjay is "the most brutal of the trilogy" and that "Collins does not treat war lightly—her characters discuss the morality of tactics used to fight an unfair government, and they face serious consequences for those choices." Katie Roiphe of The New York Times said, "it is the perfect teenage story with its strong anger toward unfair and cruel power held by adults." In a review for USA Today, Bob Minzesheimer noted that the novel includes hope: "Hope comes from sadness. Even in a future where society is broken, a better future is possible."

Minzesheimer also mentioned a central question in the book: "Real or not real?" This question is repeated throughout the story by Peeta. Susan Carpenter of The Los Angeles Times also highlighted this, writing, "Mockingjay takes readers into new and more brutal and confusing situations: a world where it is unclear which side characters are on, and where people’s loyalties are often changed suddenly."

Publication history

Mockingjay was first released in the United States and Canada on August 24, 2010. The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia received the book one day later, on August 25, 2010. The audiobook version was released at the same time as the print book on August 24, 2010, by Scholastic Audio.

The book’s first print run was 1.2 million copies, which was increased from an original plan of 750,000 copies. In its first week of release, the book sold more than 450,000 copies. After this, Scholastic printed an additional 400,000 copies, raising the total initial print run to 1.6 million copies. Scholastic Trade president Ellie Berger stated that sales "have exceeded all expectations."

The book was also released in e-book format. During the week ending August 29, 2010, the e-book version sold more copies than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which had been the top-selling book since April. Other books in The Hunger Games series also appeared in the top ten, with the first book ranked fifth and the second book ranked eighth. As of March 2012, the book had sold over 9 million copies.

Release

To help spread information about the release of Mockingjay, many bookstores held special events at midnight. In New York City, the official event included author Suzanne Collins. Activities at the event featured a tarot card reader, a magician, jugglers, and face-painters. Prizes such as signed copies of Catching Fire and Hunger Games-themed cups were given away in a drawing. When Collins arrived, she read the first chapter of the novel and explained that she would read with an accent because the story’s narrator, Katniss, is from Appalachia. By midnight, copies of the book were being sold with a signature stamp because Collins had a hand injury and could not sign each book herself.

Before the release, Scholastic created a video preview of the book, started a Facebook page that had more than 22,000 followers in 10 days, and held a competition for booksellers to win a visit from Collins and an online countdown clock to the release date. The book was also advertised on websites like Entertainment Weekly and Romantic Times. The National Entertainment Collectibles Association sold items such as T-shirts, posters, games, and bracelets. Collins also held a "13-District Blog Tour," where 13 winners received a free copy of Mockingjay on August 24, 2010. A tour began at Books of Wonder in New York, where the official party took place, and ended on November 6, 2010, at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Washington.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a special review with a star, saying it was the best in the series and praised its "sharp social commentary" and "nifty world building." Nicole Sperling of Entertainment Weekly gave the book a B+ and said the story had more intense action than previous books. Kirkus Reviews also gave Mockingjay a starred review, stating it met fans’ expectations and would "grab them and not let go." Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times compared the battlefield to Iraq and said the book was as original as the first in the series, ending her review with "Wow."

Nancy Knight of The Baltimore Sun wrote that the book ended on a hopeful note but still showed the sad effects of war. Katie Roiphe of The New York Times said it was a strong story about fighting unfair adult power but noted the plot was not as well-organized as The Hunger Games. Bob Minzesheimer of USA Today gave the book three out of four stars. Yvonne Zipp of the Christian Science Monitor called it "an entirely gripping read."

Some critics said the story felt less exciting between Catching Fire and Mockingjay. A review from The Sacramento Bee praised the action scenes and the battle in the Capitol but said Collins did not spend enough time to wrap up all the storylines, writing that readers felt disappointed as the book progressed.

Film adaptation

The Hunger Games trilogy was made into a series of movies. The actors from the 2012 movie The Hunger Games were in all four films. The book Mockingjay was divided into two parts; Part 1 was released on November 21, 2014, and Part 2 was released on November 20, 2015. Francis Lawrence, who directed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, came back to direct the last two films in the series. Julianne Moore played the character President Coin.