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Looks like I was in the majority on these questions. I really enjoyed the poll, girlfriends. Thanks for doing it and for posting the results. It would be fascinating to interview the author and ask why she did what she did. I'd love to hear her thoughts. You're right about one thing, though. It's always great when people are reading books and discussing them. Have a super day ladies:)

Interesting survey. I'm not surprised with the result. I was talking about the book with my middle grade daughter and her friend (a boy) and they had similar reactions.

I still think Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer. And this just shows that if you have a popular series, there are heavy reader expectations that you may or may not fulfill. She wrote another great series GREGOR THE OVERLANDER-more middle grade--that people might want to check out.

Interesting pole ladies. I love to see the reactions of other readers, especially to a series that is so in demand.

I think you summed it up. As a reader, I was more disappointed and almost bored with Katniss' character by the end. I didn't care who she ended up with but she had no choice in her ending. And we hear all the time that we have a responsibility to our reader...Great poll!

Other than spending her days in sector 12 (and that was her punishment, in a way), I think Katniss did have a choice. She turned her back on Gale because of what happened. That was her choice. And it wasn't like she rushed into Peeta's arms when he showed up in sector 12. I had predicted she wouldn't make a choice at the end, and I was right. She had to fall into love with Peeta. Until the ending, I didn't feel like she really loved either of the guys. Maybe that's why I was sitting on the fence which one she should pick (though I was leaning more toward Gale until part way into Mockingjay). In the end, Katniss and Peeta were perfect together. They were both broken. They needed each other to heal. Gale couldn't have done that for her. Like I said. She had choices. She didn't have to turn to Peeta. But she did.

Thanks for posting the survey. It was interesting reading. :D

Great pole! This has been very interesting to discuss and very satisfying to talk about. I do think that there is a margin of responsibility to the reader, and that Suzanne Collins is lucky that her writing itself is so strong because people love her books even when they hate them. A writer not as strong, nor as already successful would likely have bombed after this sort of ending to a trilogy.

I think, in retrospective (I LOVE that I just keeping thinking and reevaluating things after reading Mockingjay) that at least part of my issues with Mockingjay are due to the fact that I've been querying a Dystopian YA (written before Hunger Games was released) and although all the agents have passed on it, they've done so while saying my writing is very good. Their problem seems to be that my MC is not 'sympathetic enough to the public' even though she's realistic. I can understand this, she isn't likeable at all sometimes. But in lieu of those sorts of responses to MY character, I was abhorred that a beloved, strong character like Katniss was thrown under the bus while millions read on. There was definitely a feeling of betrayal (besides the one pertaining to Katniss herself) from the standpoint of 'I can't write an unlikeabe/unmarketable character because I'm not yet successful, but it's okay for someone like Suzanne because she's so established.' That's an oversimplified way of putting it but it's something I feel. Sometimes I think that it's almost too easy for established authors to 'do what they will' without considering how the public might react. Not that they must tailor their writing for public comsumption, but it would be nice to think that they thought of the people who eagerly stand in line at 12 am to buy their books. I'm certainly not accusing Suzanne Collins of being ungrateful. She's an amazing writer. I'd just love to know, like many others I'm sure, how she made the choices in writing Mockingjay that she did.

I agree with you and Melissa, I just knew any minute she was going to stop passing out and waking up drugged in the hospital and pull something magnificent out and be the hero again, but was disappointed. I loved the book but after the first 2, I just expected more from her.

I wanted to come back (after thinking even more on things) and touch on the 'Gale going to the dark side' subject. It seems that quite a lot of people feel as though Gale chose a different side than Katniss.

I never really thought of Gale as 'choosing sides' so much as simply choosing to be an active part of what was going on. At one point I did question his actions, but in the end, I believe that he just chose to DO something, rather than have things happen to him.

As for the way he and Katniss came apart, I don't think they were ever really viable as a couple. There was potential, but no substance. Not on Katniss' part. I felt like, throughout ALL the books, Katniss never loved Gale 'that way' until she couldn't get to him/thought she'd lost him forever. But each time she was face-to-face with him, and given the chance to act, she just stood there. I feel as though Gale came to see that Katniss was never going to love him, and we were allowed to see that understanding. Then he just waited for her to prove him wrong. And Katniss never did. She just let things go. And worse, she let herself think it was everyone around her pulling away from her rather than her withdrawing. Even within that final bit between her and Gale where he throws it down, that she's going to blame him regardless, there's a chance for Katniss to relent. But she does nothing. She agrees that she's going to hold him accountable for Prim's death whether or not he actually is. Meanwhile, she never gives any thought to the fact that SHE CHOSE TO COMMENCE WITH THE PUSH. That final push to the president's house was Katniss' choice, one of the only ones she makes in the entire book. And people die because of it. But she never sees that. She never owns it.

I felt as though Gale saw Katniss as a partner in life, potentially in love. An equal. While Peeta (I did love Peeta even though I rooted for Gale) saw Katniss as the thing he loved unconditionally and eternally, regardless of how she felt about him.

Anyone who thinks of Gale as 'going to the dark side' feel free to explain. I'd love to know why you feel this way.

This is so interesting to me. I was especially disappointed by the deaths of Finnick and Prim. I think I could live with the rest, but their deaths felt unnecessary. The big push to the capital ending with her waking up burned in a bed was disappointing - as though the whole purpose of the push was so she could kill Prim.

I would still recommend the book and still consider this to be one of my favorite series.

I think people turn to books for heroes and heroines, to get inspiration on how to solve problems and overcome overwhelming obstacles. Don't we do that for our characters? We throw an arsenal of conflict and stumbling blocks in their paths, and show how they make it through.

True, not all books end triumphantly. It's just inherent in my own personality to do so in all my novels. I love victory! (But perhaps because I don't do heavier themes of devastation and war, and those themes may indicate different endings.) I tend to think that if people want examples of negativity and giving up, they can look to real life instead. Writers have the opportunity to show people how to rise above the disappointments and horror of real life.

Katniss was never a likable person. She was heroic as all get-out, but if she had not stepped in to take Prim's place, no one would have wanted to hear her story.

Also, as a person who meant so much to Katniss, we wanted Prim's death to be important and larger story event. As a character, Prim never developed much and was a very minor player, so she didn't command the screen time for a bigger death.

Suzanne wrote the book she always intended to write. From the very first words of Hunger Games, the story was always about surviving. Not thriving, not living happily, but living to see another day. Suzanne stayed true to that. If she had suddenly given us a neat, happy ending, it would have been a betrayal to the narrative she created.

My take on Katniss agreeing to the final Hunger Games is that her agreement was a lie, part of a trick. Especially when Haymitch follows up by saying something like, "Whatever she said." I agree with some of the commenters who said that Prim's death could have been more powerful. It seemed more like a symbol than anything else. But I thought that Katniss did make choices, did choose between the two boys, and that the tone, readability, and pacing of Mockingjay was very similar to the preceding books. Overall, I was very happy with the series conclusion. I think it's very realistic that characters who have been through such traumatic events would always be marked by it and could not have a hearts-and-flowers romance.

*scrolls down quickly*

Just stopping by to say hi, but I haven't read it yet so I'm leaving...quickly!

Fascinating survey! I agree that I was at first shocked that Katniss would agree to the Final Hunger Games, but quickly realized it was some sort of duplicity on her part (whether she even really realized it, in her state, I'm not sure).

Overall, I really couldn't love the series more than I do, and I think the fact that everyone's dissecting it is AWESOME. :)

I was SO GLAD to see this post. I read all three books in the last week and I've been dying to dissect them with others.

First, let me say I think Suzanne Collins is a very courageous writer. She did not step away from making difficult choices and "killing her darlings."

Also, I thought the love triangle ended perfectly and in a believable way. Gale was a part of Katniss' past, which is why she held on to him, but they were both inevitably, irrevocably changed by the events surrounding the hunger games. Peeta loved the Katniss that went into and came out of the arena. I personally felt she loved him all along and just finally let herself realize it and act on it in the end. I didn't look at it as she didn't make a choice. She chose to let Gale go, and she chose to let herself love Peeta.

That said, I WAS disappointed that Katniss was so passive in Mockingjay. I kept waiting for her to OWN the Mockingjay and not just the outfit, but she never did. She spent half the book lamenting all of the people that were losing their lives because of her instead of realizing that she had the chance to save so many if she would just get out of her head and into her own power.

Although I commend Collins for making tough choices and having the courage to be ruthless with her characters, I thought having Prim die was gratuitous and contrived. I was upset about Finnick, but I could live with that because I could see the parallel to the arena again and we need to see how war is blind when it comes to who gets killed. But the whole thing with Prim was just too much. I understood that Katniss would be damaged after the war, but not rendered mute and powerless. I just didn't think Prim's death was necessary to the plot beyond shock factor. Also, I do not believe Katniss would EVER approve another Hunger Games. Seemed so out of character for her. Then the whole subject just got dropped.

All that said, I loved the series and I do not believe the author "owes" anything to the readers. In the end, she wrote the story she wanted to tell - not necessarily the one we wanted to read.

It'll be interesting to see the responses to this. Even with the things I checked I was disappointed with, I still loved the series. And I'm glad to see how excited the kids, including my daughter, are about it. She's re-read the books a ton.

Interesting survey. Given the expectations people had for the last book, after reading the first two, I wonder if any ending would have been satisfying to readers.

I think there could always be a satisfying ending no matter what the expectations. There would def. be some naysayers but there could be plenty of people saying, it was sad but good. My problem was not that it was too violent or not a happy ending. Now with a couple weeks since reading it, I was most unhappy with the fact that Katniss because so insane. I thought that was exagerrated to make a point. It pulled her out of the story all together. And wasn't fully believable to me.

Great survey!

*Spoiler alert*
I've read Mockingjay twice. The first time I just wanted to read, the second time I wanted to ponder.

I was satisfied with the ending even if it seemed a little rushed. I was happy that Katniss was given a life and a family. I wasn't happy with Prim's storyline which I thought was used for emotional impact, and I was equally unhappy with Finnick's.

Katniss had been through a lot which, I suppose, counted for her withdrawal, depression (I thought she sounded depressed) and tiredness. The only real problem I had was her agreeing to another Hunger Games – there’s no way she would ever agree to this – again, this makes me think she was emotionally unstable.

Overall it was a great, great book and in my
mind Katniss’ story has been told.

Natalie and Andrea, it's interesting to see that the results are coming in all over the map, but that there is (so far) a common denominator in lack of believability on some elements. I wonder how that contributes to the overall satisfaction. It's still a wonderful book, but I think that for a writer, it is going to prove invaluable. It seems to me, Collins took some risks you don't normally see in a commercial work.

Laura, I have spent a LOT of time thinking about this. My stepfather was a concentration camp survivor and experienced many horrible things. I've known war refugees, soldiers, bombing survivors... And withdrawal isn't common. Yet clearly, Collins anticipated this in the first book with her mother's withdrawal. I find it ironic that Katniss abhored in her mother what she herself became. Does that make the book better or worse for me? I have to say, that made it more horrible to read. (Not a lesser book, not a less well-written book, but a harder book filled with more horror.) If that was what she was going for, she succeeded brilliantly.

Martina

Janice,

I agree that she was depressed. The trouble I had with this is that we knew from her mother's situatin that depression was treatable in that world. Katniss herself knew this. Her mother certainly knew this. Wouldn't someone have helped her?

Martina

@Janice The only real problem I had was her agreeing to another Hunger Games – there’s no way she would ever agree to this – again, this makes me think she was emotionally unstable.

Ah, see, I see Katmiss' agreeing to another Games as a calculating move. We don't see her thought process, which I believe was deliberate, and she and Haymitch lock eyes for a moment. My take on it is that Katniss and Haymitch have both realised that Coin is as bad as Snow and that Katniss needs to go along with her plans to be in the right position--within shooting distance of both Snow and Coin.

Katniss taking Prim's place in the Games was what started everything off, and with prim's death I don't think Katniss would have agreed to another one unless she needed to avoid Coin's suspicions.

I haven't read yet. MUST NOT LOOK!

Martina - I agree, she became what she most loathed in her mother. No one seemed to care about or notice Katniss' depression.

Helen - let me take a quick peek at that bit again...ok read it...you might be right ;) I'll have to ponder a little more.

Prim had to die. I was disappointed in the ending, but I'm still wrapping my head around the reasons why. I felt really let down at the end of Mockingjay. Perhaps because I felt that Katniss was damaged instead of victorious.

Interesting thoughts and questions. I felt ending was too rushed. And I was sad for days after reading this. No way Katniss would have agreed to another hunger game. Where was her fire, her spirit? It was sad to see that go. It was like she was kicked one too many times and was just blah. Anyway....

I need to read it a second time to be sure of my reaction, but I don't think Katniss had any choice but to agree to another Games. I think it was calculated. Her spirit was still on fire when she turned her arrow on Coin. How many would be brave enough to do that? She was a victor, but it was the hollow kind of victory that comes with war.

I tend to like happily ever after endings. I know, life is NOT all Cinderella, but...in part, the happy endings are why I read! To find out how people become victorious, solve their problems, overcome amazing obstacles, beat the bad guy, and thwart evil. Sometimes a sadder ending works, but not if it feels contrived or unfair.

Great poll! Really interesting to see what others thought.

Like Helen, I thought her agreeing to the games was deliberate mis-direction. Pretending to go along with it.

I found the story a bit of a downer, but then war is a downer - it destroys people and Katniss was completely destroyed emotionally and physically. I thought the defense pods were a bit over the top, but what bothered me the most was Gale's switch to the dark side.

Thanks for the poll, that was fun.

Helen, Janice, SJG: If it was a calculated move, then doing what she did with Coin ran the risk of having the Hunger Games continue even after Coin's death. And she didn't seem to give it another thought. Nor was it discussed later in the book, was it? Did they occur? If it was a calculated move, I would have liked to see a follow-on to it. To me, the eye-contact between Katniss and Haymitch was a setup for a storyline that wasn't developed. I was looking for a follow-on, and it never happened. Not, I might add, that every storyline needs to be perfectly delineated, nor does Katniss have to be perfect in her thought processes. But it does seem like a hole in the plot--something that would be too important to Katniss for her to drop. I can't see her throwing kids away like that.

And, might I add one more thing--the fact that we are discussing what Katniss would have done or thought this clearly shows the brilliance of the first two books. Her thought processes were clear in those and she was so well portrayed. Does the stepping-back in the third book strike you as a calculated move on Collins' part, another method of showing the mental break-down?

Stephanie, why did you feel Prim had to die? Just curious?

SSG, was it clear to you that Gale switched to the dark side? Because to me, it wasn't clear at all, and it didn't seem clear to him either. Even Katniss didn't seem sure, but then she never investigated. Gale let it go very easily, but maybe in order for Katniss to stay depressed, he had to be out of the picture.

Buffy, I missed her fire, too. Still, I wonder if that might have been the point Collins was trying to make--that it was easy for Katniss to judge (for all of us to judge) someone else's reaction to the burden they bear, and what they will or won't do when faced with catastrophe and heartache. She decried her mother for her lack of spirit, and then ended up coasting through the rest of her life. A negative character arc is so rare in commercial YA that maybe I just wasn't prepared for it?

Carol, I prefer happy endings too. But I wonder if they are overdone. I don't think there was a completely happy ending possible in this trilogy. But I would have liked to have Katniss--and Peeta, frankly--end up with a little more than they got. Still, life isn't always fair. Maybe that was another point she was trying to make?

I assumed when Coin was killed the plan for a final Hunger Games was killed with her.

With the eye contact between Haymitch and Katniss, if it was calculated, perhaps Collins could have had them discuss it on the journey back to district 12? I’m still not sure if her agreement was calculated or not, but I know in my heart that the whirlwind that was Katniss would never have agreed to, or allowed another Hunger Games.

Did Gale go to the dark side? I don’t think he did – in fact where did the real Gale go? I know he got his fancy position in Sector 2, but is that what the Gale from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire would have wanted? Was it a convenient to wrap up his story?

Maybe two broken people, Katniss and Peeta, can/could make each other whole? Does that sound too cheesy? I do like a bit of cheese. ;)

I’m interested in the poll results. So far 58% of people wanted Katniss to keep fighting for something at the end – for what? As far as we know peace had been restored, the districts were being treated equally – what else could she fight for?

Wow, it surprises me how many people thought the trilogy would have a happier ending. I had absolutely no expectations of that. I figured it would be grim and possibly depressing. I would have also thought a happy ending to be unrealistic. After war, things aren't automatically sunshine and roses, especially for heavily involved people like Katniss. Maybe that's why I wasn't as disappointed with Mockingjay as others have been?

I have to say I didn't read any of the trilogy until this past weekend, when got all three books at once in the mail. The Hunger Games was unputdownable, Catching Fire was compelling but not as much, and Mockingjay even less so.

As the pages to be turned diminished, I kept hoping against hope something would happen to inject the overall story with some good. I wanted to be inspired at the end, to be sure.

I too had trouble with Katniss's motivation in the final book. When she said she'd agree to another HG, I was pulled out of the book like many others. If she was communicating with Haymitch, it did not come across, esp. since the whole book it is clear Katniss has no idea what's going on behind the curtain.

Someone brought up the point that Katniss's withdrawal mirrors that of her mom - which I didn't connect until now. That does justify the downer ending a bit more for me, because you don't always realize how much you have grown into the person who raised you. While this is a realistic take for the ending, I feel a more inspirational one would've had a bigger emotional payoff for readers. A traditional HEA would have been inappropriate but by not having an ending something with a bit more hope seems like a missed opportunity. But I do not know Collins's intentions in writing this series...and I'm sure she had a reason for writing it the way she did, regardless with how I wished the outcome differently.

Bottom line I thought Katniss was a strong female role model at the start. Although I questioned some of her actions/reactions in CatchingFire/Mockingjay, I held out hope for her kickassery to reemerge. To learn that she was only human with human limitations is disappointing. To me.

Wow it's really interesting to read everyone's opinions! I've been chewing on Mockingjay for a few days now since I finished reading it.

I love Suzanne Collins' writing, so that makes it easy for me to like the book even when I didn't like the book (although I did like Mickingjay on the whole). You know what I mean?

I found Katniss' withdrawal and depression a bit tedious and with too much drug use, and I agree that she became everything that she loathed in her mother. I also thought that her withdrawal was a bit foggy. I mean, there were innuendos about post traumatic stress and whatnot but usually that has to do with specific incidences. For example, someone kept confined in a small space would maybe have an episode whenever forced into an elevator. In Katniss' case, she ran and hid in closets and other tiny areas, and then hated being underground where she was confined and got claustrophobic. Her symptoms and presentation seemed to be at cross purposes.

I never expected a 'happily ever after' ending, and I'm happy to kill off characters in my own writing. But I did feel that the deaths of Finnick and Prim and even Boggs, were unnecessary and overboard. War is awful. People die. But the entire first 3/4 of the book was spent endearing us to Finnick and Prim (and alienating Katniss herself to some extent) only to slaughter our new character friends and leave Katniss alive, depressed, medicated - again - and drifting.

My largest issue, though, with Mockingjay, was the love triangle. It's not that I wanted Katniss to pick either boy (although I'm a Gale fan myself), frankly I half expected that she wouldn't choose Gale OR Peeta. And that's where the rub comes in. I felt as though a very great deal of Mockingjay was spent focusing on how Katniss was being used as a pawn, about how Katniss felt about being used as a pawn and about how unfair it was that she was being used as a pawn. And yet, Katniss never stands up and puts an end to being used. She never once takes control of her own destiny. She lets Gale walk away, and yet she doesn't run TO Peeta. She just lets whatever happens happen. For such a strong character, I feel gypped that Katniss didn't own herself, her actions or even her heart. She just stood and let the world move passed her.

I know the end/epilogue was supposed to 'wrap things up' but mostly what stuck with me was 'Peeta says they'll be fine' 'Greasy Sae says' 'Haymitch says' Everyone 'says' but Katniss never tells us 'This is what happened and why I feel like I do and where I think things are headed.' I wanted to know about KATNISS, annoyed as I was at her. I didn't want to know what 'so and so said' about what happened.

I LOVED this series, but I was disappointed at how rushed the ending was. I wish she would have explained more and made Katniss a more active hero in the end. There was so much that was disappointing because it wasn't explained enough, but otherwise, I really loved it and other than a few small gripes, I wouldn't change a thing.

I had a hard time answering the questions because some of them weren't the right questions, I thought. (Though I love the poll idea.)

I think SC is a good enough writer to do whatever she wants with characters and bring us along for the ride. What I disliked with this book was not the sad ending but that Katniss was absent through much of the book. People died and there was no emotional impact for the reader because there was no emotional impact for the POV character--she was either too busy or she was drugged and doing some kind of stream of consciousness stuff. Then the climax came and the POV character wasn't there for it.

What was Katniss' inner conflict and what was her outer conflict and what was the climax of the series? The climax for Katniss had to be her sitting in the chair for however long without ever changing her clothes (ugh) and then deciding to stand up and change her clothes, I guess. Or was the climax when she killed Coin? I don't remember any dark night of the soul, or conflict, or agonizing over a decision. I don't know, I'll have to go back and read it again, but at this point, if I can't remember any climax...it's pretty odd that the climax of a major trilogy like this was not apparent to me on the first read.

I love SC's work. loved Gregor. And love this trilogy. It's not the sad ending that bothers me but the lack of an active pov character.

I'll give SC this--any way she went she was bound to upset some. I appreciate that she didn't go the easy route and kill one boy so the other two could name their son after him and live happily ever after. She tried to do something very big and in my opinion she didn't quite pull it off, but it was not a horrid book and certainly not a one-star book. That's just silly to give it one-star.

Janice, I agree. If the intention was to suggest a complicity between Katniss and Haymitch about some possible future resistance, then I would have liked to see at least one small additional breadcrumb to help lead me along that path. If it was there, I missed it. Everything that Katniss had done up to that point was well-motivated and explained. This seemed a departure to me. There is no disputing that both Peeta and Katniss were broken, but I didn't see much from her to help heal Peeta or make it up to him. Even something as small as going out to help him when he was planting the primroses would have given me some hope. What could she fight for? Happiness? Peeta's happiness? Her community? There was a reference about her having a gift for healing. She could have tried that, despite her initial reluctance, in Prim's honor. She had a talent for singing. She could have used that to some end. She could have fought to find out what really happened when Prim was killed. She could have tried to ensure that everyone responsible was out of power. She could have fought to help rebuild her district. It wouldn't have mattered to me what she fought for. But I would have liked to see some sign that she was going to go back to fighting for something.

Claire, I agree that things aren't sunshine and roses after war, and I'm delighted that Collins didn't diminish the work by trying a HEA ending. But some hope would have been nice.

Bluestocking, that's what's so fascinating about this arc. She started off as human with human weaknesses. She ended as less, for me, because she seemed to give up.

A. Grey, I'm right there with you.

jasouders, I agree. If she had been more active, and if her motivation had been explained, the same outcome might have felt more satifying to me. I would have liked her to be more present in her own life after the war, and throughout this book. It was like reading about a different character than the one in the previous two books.

Sally, I agree. I still love the series, and I think Suzanne Collins could write about the adventures of toilet paper and make it fascinating, but I missed the amazing character that was Katniss in the previous novels. Collins took a huge risk, and I give her credit for that. For me, personally, it didn't quite pay off, but it doesn't diminish the fascination of the book. And the fact that we are discussing it in this kind of depth may mean it actually paid off far more than a more satisfying ending would have. Her sales figures certainly suggest that there's not much wrong. :D

But while I think one-star reviews are weird (I mean, come on. Shadowmancer is a one-star book. There is no way this book was as painful to read as Shadowmancer.) I think the starred reviews in PW, Booklist, and Kirkus are strange, too.

AiCP- re: Gale going to the dark side. I agree, it was all very vague.

I guess what sealed it for me was his reaction to Prim's death. He didn't blame himself, even though it was one of his traps that did it. He merely said to Katniss, "you're going to blame me for this, aren't you?" And then he leaves. That was so un-Gale to me. And I had been rooting for him in the first two books.

I've read Mockingjay three times now and I always wonder why I am so devastated at the end of it. One of the reasons I think, is the way the author broke Katniss and Peeta. I feel like Peeta was robbed of his potential when he was tortured by the Capitol. In the first two books, his future was so promising but Snow took that away from him and I think that was one of the cruelest things to do. I always saw that the Mockingjay symbol was really the combination of both their talents. Removing Peeta from the picture forced Katniss to move into that position of Mockingjay all on her own and the emotional withdrawal seemed inevitable as well as being a product of her age. She is only 17 after all, and so alone in her journey.
It was excruciating watching Finnick and then Prim die and I know in YA, there's a 'rule' that says when there's a helpful character, the writer should either incapacitate or kill them off. Still it was hard to read and I think it's what got Katniss to rock bottom, so she was able to kill Coin without caring for her own future.
As for Gale, I would have liked a bit more explanation. I think he was written off to easily. I could see even through all three books that the author was leaning towards Peeta and in the last book, it became more and more obvious that Gale and Katniss were working at cross purposes for the rebellion. But still, it would've been nice to have resolved in a little more detail.
One question I had through the books was whether the life in common that Gale and Katniss shared would be stronger than the trauma of the Games that Peeta and Katniss shared, and I think the author answered that in the last book.
Overall, I loved the series and it is always, to me, the author's perogative to write it the way she sees it and to be true to the heart of her vision. That's why it touches people and that's why I love it.

Thanks so much for posting this poll! I finished Mockingjay last night, remembered seeing the poll the other day, and came right over so I could vent some of my feelings about the fate of these characters. I agree with everyone who felt disappointed with the fate of Gale's character. He was one of my favorites, and he disappeared out of Katniss's life so quickly after being by her side until the very end. I feel he and Katniss became darker, colder, violent versions of their former selves by the end of the war, but only he seemed to be portrayed as unforgiveable. I was troubled by Katniss's decision to approve a new Hunger Games after she had just expressed her horror at watching the Capitol children dying. I'm guessing the new games didn't happen after Coin died, but that subject seemed to fizzle out in the aftermath, and we never learned if Katniss was relieved or disappointed that they didn't take place.

That being said, I highly commend Suzanne Collins for writing a trilogy that could be so hotly debated by young and old alike. There's no doubt she succeeded in showing readers the twisted nightmares of war and its devastating effect on the young.

Kelly! Oh, my word! So happy to see Big A pop up in Bloglines.

Word up, girl.

(I haven't read Mockingjay.)

How wonderful to hear from you. Seriously, I was thinking about you recently. I'm not making that up.

I haven't read Mockingjay, either. I couldn't get through the second book.

Thank you for running the contest! It was fun, and I think all the entries were great!

mary-j,

Congrats. The wirewolf was awesome. I loved all the creative thought that went into it.

Raven

I'm Team Katniss, since I'm a guy. But Peeta bakes bread and is a stud. Go Peeta!

Team Gale! WOOT!

Have to admit I dont read any of the book yet and I just received the first two books copy. But I would absolutely Katniss!

Team Peeta! He has gone through so much. Thanks for all the links.

Team Peeta :)

I'm holding it in my paws and dying at this moment haha such a geek!

I'm a follower of this blog + in twitter (@precious_shusky)

Team Peeta!

Thanks!

[email protected]

Peeta, all the way!!

TEAM PEETA FOR THE WIN!!! I love him so hard!

I follow your blog and on twitter (@Lena1xoxo)

Thanks for hosting this! *huggles*

addicted2novels(at)gmail(dot)com

Team Gale!

But I can totally understand Team Peeta as well.

Note: My answer might change depending on whom they cast in the moives, lol.

Team Peeta as of book 2.

Peeta for sure. Who can resist a man who bakes?

I still can't decide! I keep flipping back and forth - right at this very moment I'll say Peeta - in 2 minutes it might be Gale. *sigh*

oooooo, thx for posting Suzanne reading the first chapter. Now, I really-really-really can't wait for my pre-ordered book to arrive! *looks in mailbox*
Gale. I've always felt they were emotionally mated.

I used to say Peeta, but on the second Catching Fire read I think she loves Gale more. So (sigh) Team Gale.

AND what is with the accent? I mean, there was never any indication that Katniss had a southern accent. I mean, I kind of figured she was from the southeast or northeast what with the forest and the coal mines...but now I'm going to have to reframe my whole Hunger Games reading mode. Oh dear.

Team Peeta!! I am a follower on twitter and your blog!

[email protected]

I'm a follower of both!
I've got my copy from the library and will be getting off the computer to read. As soon as I enter your lovely contest and ship the kids off to friends :)

TEAM PEETA!

I'm on Team Gale...He's much more Katniss's style. And he's her homeboy. And I think that I have a small crush on him!

mrsderaps @ hotmail . com

I follow you EVERYWHERE! #notastalker

:P

I am Team Whoever-Katniss-Chooses.

I get very into the main character's head, so when she's feeling closer to Peeta, I'm Team Peeta. When she's feeling closer to Gale, I'm Team Gale. I have trouble going against the character's feelings. Is that weird?

I was a little surprised by the accent also,l though I had pictured the Seam as being in West Virginia and they have a twang up there. And does anyone else think of the Seam folk as being descendants of American Indians? The was Katniss describes her coloring and eyes, that's what I thought.

Anyway, team Gale. Except Katniss and Peeta shared some pretty powerful experiences...no, Gale understands her better. And I have a hard time going against first love.

Team Gale!! He's a manly man. I can't wait to get a copy of this book!

Team Peeta! :)

Yes, I'm a follower here & on twitter.

Thanks for doing this great giveaway!

ohhhh! I'm jealous. I'm trying to figure out when I can squeeze in some time to go out and get a copy for myself!

Enjoy!

TEAM GALE!! Though, I'd feel really bad for Peeta.
I'm a follower on both. Great contest.

Definitely Team Peeta. He genuinely cares about her. So excited for this last book. MAN!

Team Gale for Gail!!!

I follow here and on twitter @throuthehaze

Team Peeta!

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Team Peeta!

I don't twitter, but had to leave a comment. Peeta is not an option!! Yes, we love him but Gale is the one who makes my... I mean Katniss' heart really pound. Peeta's like the good guy you should've married, but Gale is super sexy and just plain awesome.
And I thought the Seam was some Appalachian location-- isn't that consistent with mining?

I follow your blog! I am just getting on the Hunger Games wagon.

art at racheldillon dot com

And I just Wikipedia-ed Appalachia and found out that term covers an area from the southern part of NY all the way into the deep south.
But my image of the Seam somehow was Western NC or Tennessee.

The first chapter sounds intriguing ... I haven't read ANY of them yet (I think I may be the only one!!). :-)

Team Peeta right here. :) Following your blog and your Twitter! (I'm @kstineee there.)

Yayy!

I now follow you via GFC and via twitter, @my_twitraccount.

...can I be Team Cinna? (I'm not really Team Peeta or Gale, really. I think she'll feel guilty if she chooses either of them.)

Thank you very much for the giveaway!

anthy_stl [ATT] yahoo [DOTT] com

Go Gale, Go Gale!!!

OMG I haven't got my copy yet ahhhh! I have to know what is going to happen!!

Peeta, Peeta, Peeta all the way! I love him! He'd be perfect for Katniss!
I follow your blog and on twitter @KailiaSage

twilightforever.edward at gmail dot com

I follow you here and on Twitter (@rosieanabelle).

Team Peeta!

Thanks! :)

I'm going to break up the teams and go for a menage et trois. I like both young men, so why not give her the best of both worlds? Hey this is 2010. Who says she has to pick just one?

Thanks for the contest!

jlansky(at)comcast(dot)net

Team Gale

Erica

wittlewansky129(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'm Team Gale. :D

Following blog & twitter @cc9309
Thanks for the fantastical contest!

cc932005 at hotmail dot com

What if I don't tweet? :-(

Well, even if I don't get an entry, I'll still say that I'm Team Peeta all the way!

I'm totally team Gale. He's bold.

I don't know what team I have not read them yet but I hear alot about peete. I heard great things about them so now I have to read them. Thanks for the great giveaway and for the chance:)
Im a follower blog and twitter.
tishajean@ charter.net

Oh man oh man, I have to say Gale. Oh why do we have to choose?

Are you done reading it yet? Everyone seems to have flown right through it!

I'm getting my copy tomorrow! And uh, Team Gale, all the way. :)

I'm Team PEETA ! :)

A follow via GFC and on twitter (@becunique)

uniquas at ymail dot com

I was team whoever before I read it. Now I'm team Suzanne. :) She's pretty much brilliant.

Great contest idea, shame it's US only :( Good luck to everyone :) SO EXCITED FOR MOCKINGJAY =]

I was thinking of a Bobcat/Lynx hybrid called Bnyx xD

It's symbolism is secrets both hidden and secret :)

I was thinking a RattleCrow. A rattle snake crossed with a crow, all black, with wings. It's eyes would be black on black, with a head like a crow, and a tail that came to a point that could be used to lash out at enemies and inject venom.

Instead of singing like a bird, it would make a low hissing noise like a rattlesnake about to strike.

It's symbol would be a coiled black snake with two black feathers on either side.

h. Raven

I was thinking of a PeetaGale. This is obviously a meld of the two love interests from the books.
The powers of the hybrid are the ability to love like Peeta, and the ability to be loved like Gale.
This is the perfect solution to Katniss' predicament.

The wirewolf. In the 21st century, distressed by humankind's enduring hatred and fear of wolves, the brilliant geneticist Victoria Frankenstein collaborated with the biologist Nate Kipling to fit a small pack of Alaskan wolves with voiceboxes that would translate their howls to human speech. The pack survived, in spite of this interference, because non-engineered wolves were clearly impressed with the beauty of the wirewolves' howls. Gradually, the subspecies mingled with unaltered wolves and spread eastward. Today, the beautiful nightly howls, in full operatic voice and four- part harmony, can be heard as far east as Michigan, with rumors of wild wirewolves in New York and New England. It should be noted, though, that, even though they may howl in human words, these are still wild animals and should not be treated as pets. If you are fortunate enough to come across a wirewolf, give it space and observe it quietly.

Oh - I blogged the contest, as well as cross-posting my entry.

(Thought of armored toads, too, and also armored sqirrels - now that's a scary thought)

Great, thank you!

You're welcome! I left symbolism out of my original post, and can't edit, but I added a paragraph to my blog.

What about a Winged Fox, called a Boxwing? (a cross between bird and fox...box) They would be airodynamic with bird bones, wings air sacs and whatever, and have a fox's insulating fur, smarts and fluffiness!

What about a winged fox, called a Boxwing? (bird...fox...box) it would be airodynamic and light like a bird, and smart and furry like a fox, so it could evade predators and be insulated against cold wind...also, it would make a good predator

anonymous was me...it said it wasnt going through, so i did it again...how weird, Sorry!!

How about a liger... oh, wait. That's been taken.

How about a porcuphant. Imagine a smaller sized elephant (large dog sized) with quills. Though super cute, they aren't very cuddly. The quills make catching them for circus' a little difficult.

Thanks, Jen

Tweeted about the giveaway.

http://twitter.com/StuffSmart/status/22231025754

The doveskunk flies gracefully and has the beautiful markings of a skunk. This animal is extremely discerning unleasing his stink on those who disobey God's laws. Somedays the world is a very stinky place.

Hi Karen,

now that you put the covers next to each other, I find the choice of colors very interesting!

Interesting how the colors - bleak, black to fire red to a hopeful blue. I’m thinking it may be clue.

Since I’m Team Peeta, I’m also hoping that Katniss finally realizes what a catch he is. He’s a great communicator, cunning and ruthless when needed plus he can bake. What else does a girl need?

I like the image of the 3 of them together - you’re so right - it’s a progression of hope. I least I hope it is