Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

From Goodreads, 

"Six friends who attend Manhattan's elite Hartwell Academy are returning from an end-of-summer camping trip together on a private plane. Everything seems normal... except one of the regular pilots is sick, so there's a replacement; Cassie is starting to get violently ill for no clear reason; and they realize the plane is flying west, not east. Soon it's clear: the plane has been hijacked. But by who, and why? Where are they going? What made Cassie so sick? And even if they somehow make it into the cockpit and overpower the hijacker, could they land the plane? Emotions are running high, and choosing who to trust is a matter of life or death."

Goodreads - Skyjacked

When I selected this book I definitely needed a break from books that are part of a series like the Arc of a Scythe or Hunger Games.  This was in my stack of books to be returned to school.  I decided I would try to get this book knocked off my list so I could get it back in my classroom for students to read.  Let me tell you all, that this cover is a little deceiving, but the book was absolutely amazing. 

After a camping trip before school starts back, five friends, a bodyguard, and two pilots board a private plane to head back to Manhattan.  One of the usual pilots ends up sick and a replacement is sent in at the last minute.  They all take off, but soon one of the girls becomes sick.  As the other four try to care for her, they realize that the plane is flying west instead of east.  They all start to question what is happening in the cockpit and the teenagers start to question the motives of every adult on the plane.  They soon realize they've been hijacked and they must work quickly to figure out why they've been hijacked, where the plane is going, and who did it.  

This book takes place in a very short time frame and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  This has a little bit of a whodunnit feel, but with more suspense, because time is literally ticking away until they either land and survive or crash and die.  The book starts with a list of characters in this story and a very brief background on them.  At first, I didn't like this, but I soon realized it was there to help me try to crack the case and figure out who hijacked the plane.  And I can honestly tell you that my guess changed four or five times before the book finally came out and said who it was.  I think some of my students are going to read through this book very quickly because there is so much excitement happening in it.  

There are some deaths in this book.  And one of them is tragically and painfully heroic.  Also if you have a fear of flying or fear of being hijacked I don't recommend this book to you.  There were no cuss words in the book, but there are a couple "graphic" moments where characters are killed. 

This book was absolutely fantastic.  The book never had a lull or dead spot where I was bored.  I finished this within 12 hours of starting it.  This may easily be the best book I've read in a while.  I give this 5 stars.  I think boys will really be pulled to this book.  Also, anyone looking for a good suspense and thrill book will enjoy this.  

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

From Goodreads, 

"AMBITION WILL FUEL HIM.
COMPETITION WILL DRIVE HIM.
BUT POWER HAS ITS PRICE.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."

Goodreads - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I jumped into this book right after finishing the original trilogy.  I had heard multiple reports that this book was absolutely fantastic, so I was very excited to read it.  Now that I have finished it, I can say that I disagree with those reports and have VERY mixed feelings about this book. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes goes back to the 10th Hunger Games.  Coriolanus Snow is a mentor to a tribute in the games.  Being from a wealthy family he expects to get a good district to mentor, but instead, he is assigned the girl from District 12.  Coriolanus is disappointed, but soon realizes that his tribute Luzy Gray is a pistol and he is determined to play the Capital's game to ensure that she is a victor and that he has a future ahead of him. 

I came into this book right off the cuff of reading the original trilogy.  I didn't know what to expect and knew very little about the book except that it was about a teenage President Snow.  Multiple people I know bragged on the book and went on about how amazing it was.  I can honestly say this book bored me to death.  The plot in this book was absolutely atrocious.  When things should have been heightened or exciting I felt no emotion to what was happening.  There were very brief moments while the games were happening that I got into the book, but things were always shown from Coriolanus's perspective and he was never excited about anything.  The story lacked any kind of excitement and pizazz and as the book progressed I got more and more tired of reading it.  To the point that I would actually fall asleep while reading it.  I don't know what amazing things that people saw in this book, but it just wasn't there for me. 

I will say that I liked the small connections back to the trilogy.  One of my favorites was the song about the hanging tree.  It was really interesting to know the events behind the song and to actually see who wrote it and why.  It was also interesting to see how the games were then and how they have progressed to the grand spectacle they are in the trilogy. 

I really disliked this book and honestly wish that Suzanne Collins would have left the series alone.  This book was uncalled for and was terribly boring.  I give it 2 stars.  If you've read the trilogy you might enjoy this, but it honestly depends on how much of a fan you are of the trilogy.  

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

From Goodreads, 

"The final book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy, this new foiled edition of MOCKINGJAY is available for a limited period of time. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12."

Goodreads - Mockingjay

Awards and Nominations: 

• Andre Norton Award Nominee (2010)
• Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book and for Young Adult Fantasy (2010)
• Children's Choice Book Award Nominee for Teen Choice Book of the Year (2011)
• Locus Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Book (2011)
• DABWAHA Romance Tournament for Best Young Adult Romance (2011)

Buckle up ladies and gentlemen because this review is about to be full of spoilers and character analysis.  Upon finishing the book I immediately started on the two movies that concluded the series.  This review will be packed with spoilers, so if for some reason you don't know how this series ends, I advise you to close this page and read something else. 

Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Katniss is now in District 13 and is aware that her district has been destroyed by the Capital.  Katniss must learn to function, overcome, and heal to be able to be the face of the rebellion.  She is soon in the districts fighting for the Capital to release Peeta.  Eventually, the rebels are able to get Peeta and others out, but Peeta is now a mutt and is out to kill Katniss.  Katniss is upset over this and has her sights set on killing President Snow for all he has done.  Katniss along with Gale, Peeta, and others are soon sent to the front line to be a part of the action, but to stay safe while doing so.  Everything goes wrong and they are all soon propelling themselves into the fight as they try to find President Snow and kill him.  

I mentioned in my review of Catching Fire that Katniss was making a character arc.  She was transitioning into a strong, independent female character that was also learning how to love and be loved.  Unfortunately, her character arc went down in flames in this book.  The games completely screwed Katniss up.  I feel like the first three-quarters of the book she was in the hospital because she was losing her mind or she was injured.  When Peeta was off his rocker crazy trying to kill her she wasn't patient or loving with him.  She never really was until they were in the Capital and were on the verge of being killed.  I feel like Katniss deserved more than what she got.  Her character dramatically flattened in this book as she was in and out of the hospital.  I feel like Collins also tried to redeem her by having her have kids at the very end of the book.  Katniss deserved a better character arc than the one that was written for her. 

I remember this book being released.  My friends and I were all reading the book at the same time but at varying paces and places.  I still remember one of my friends calling me and screaming "ARE YOU TO THE PART WHERE PRIM DIES!?!?!"  I was furious because I was not at that part and she had spoiled one of the biggest dramatic points of this book.  So on that heartbreaking point, let us talk about Prim being killed by the rebels.  Katniss sacrificed herself for Prim so that Prim would be safe.  She had kept her safe for years until they landed in District 13.  Katniss was so out of it at that point that Prim started to take care of Katniss.  Prim took on a role at the hospital and was in training to become a doctor.  Near the end of the book, Katniss is at the President's house and children are being corralled into a pen.  Parachutes are dropped and they explode.  Medics are sent in and Katniss sees that Prim is one of them.  She yells at Prim and makes eye contact at the exact moment that the rebels bomb the area.  Prim is killed.  I am still furious over this death.  Katniss basically sacrificed herself for nothing.  Prim only got an extra year and a half on her life from the 74th games.  It felt like everything Katniss had suffered was for nothing, and even at the end of it, she lost her sister.  This was probably the most uncalled for death in the entire series, Rue included.  

Peeta also caught the short end of the character arc in this book.  He started this book in the capital and was there for some time before he was rescued.  Once he was in District 13 he was crazy and trying to kill Katniss because he had been hijacked and was basically a mutt.  Overtime in the book we see his very slow transition to figure out what was real and what wasn't.  But then everything just stops progressing for him.  We never find out if he was able to revert back to his former self.  We don't find out if he is still madly in love with Katniss.  The only thing we know is that they got married and had two kids.  His character never got a proper closure on his mindset and progress from being hijacked.  I know that in the movie when he planted the primrose for Katniss he was very indifferent.  I really wish there would have been more in the epilogue for him because he was a huge and important part of Katniss's story.  

My final character analysis is on Haymitch.  Even though Katniss and Peeta were in the games during the first two books, he was still present, or at least was presented as if he were present.  He had conversations with them and always had another plan.  He was close to Katniss and tried to keep her in the loop as best as possible.  They both trusted him and Katniss went to him for advice.  But in this book, Haymitch feels very absent.  He is obviously there, but his presence is lacking.  Katniss doesn't go to him for advice on various things and he doesn't seek her out to give her advice.  I feel like as a mentor, he should have been there and offered his support as best as possible.  He had helped them survive two hunger games and I feel he would have been an amazing support.  I also feel that he should have known or did know about Coin's plans and that he should have shared that with Katniss.  If he knew that Coin was just another President Snow he should have shared that with Katniss so that she could protect herself and act accordingly. 

Overall, this was my least favorite book of the series.  It felt rushed and that random things were included to make the book longer and stretch the rebellion out.  The book and the movie were COMPLETELY different.  Effie is present throughout the movies but doesn't show up until the end of the book.  Katniss and Johanna go through training to be soldiers and that never happened in the movies.  The movies should have been closer to the book considering they made two to "fit everything in".  I give this four stars.  It was a good concluding book, but the characters lacked and didn't get the proper closure for the series.  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

From Goodreads, 

"SPARKS ARE IGNITING.
FLAMES ARE SPREADING.
AND THE CAPITAL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Katniss is about to be tested as never before. "

Goodreads - Catching Fire

Awards and Nominations: 

• Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book and Young Adult Series (2009)
• Locus Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Book (2010)
• Golden Duck Award for Young Adult (Hal Clement Award (2010)
• Children's Choice Book Award for Teen Choice Book of the Year (2010)
• Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult (2010)
• Teen Read Award Nominee for Best Read (2010)
• DABWAHA Romance Tournament for Best Young Adult (2010)
• Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2010)
• Soaring Eagle Book Award (2011)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best of the Best (2018)

I clearly remember getting my The Hunger Games book when I was in school.  It was part of the library club as I mentioned last week.  I'm pretty sure that Catching Fire was already released when I finished the first book.  I don't remember any kind of excitement or hype with the book.  And I most definitely remember the long drawn out wait to get the final book of the series and then trying to avoid people who were ahead of you in the book.  I'm so glad I got this book finished and I'm beyond ready to read the prequel to this series. 

Catching Fire picks up just months after Katniss and Peeta won the 74th Hunger Games.  They are trying to settle into some sort of normal now that they are victors.  Katniss is plagued by nightmares and tries to find refuge in the woods and with Gale.  But the Victory Tour is upon Peeta and Katniss and they must pretend to be in love once again.  President Snow pays a visit to Katniss before the tour and warns Katniss that people are rebelling based on her actions of the berries during the games.  Katniss decides to try to protect everyone she can, but then a wrench is thrown into her plans.  The tributes for the 75th hunger games must be pulled from the winning tributes.  This means that Katniss and either Haymitch or Peeta are going back into the arena, and Katniss will be unable to protect anyone. 

Halfway through this book was when I really started to see a change in character in Katniss.  In the first book, she was always portrayed as being a tough girl who didn't need anyone to help her.  She had taught herself to not rely on anyone and to be independent for herself and her family.  But a change starts to happen with her due to her experience in the games.  She is experiencing clear trauma from witnessing deaths and having a hand in some.  She has nightmares and only finds solace in Peeta.  Peeta truly and honestly loves Katniss, but Katniss really starts to make that turn of being independent but also being taken care of.  It is a big arc, but I'm excited to see it wrap up in the final book.  This isn't something you see a lot in books with female leads.  They usually are head over heels in love with someone and the story centers around that or they are so independent that they don't let anyone near them.  I love that Collins shows that you can be a girl and be strong, but that you can also love and be loved at the same time. 

I mentioned in my reviews of Thunderhead that there is the ugly stepchild middle book.  The books are the piece that links the uprising in one to the conclusion in three.  This book is no different.  There is a lot of build-up happening in preparation for the Quarter Quell.  The first third of the book was dull and boring.  The next third was in preparation for the games, and the final was the games itself.  I felt like Katniss and Peeta didn't really play the games like they did in the first book.  We didn't even find out what was in the other sections of the clock in the arena.  It just would have been better with more details on the games or giving other perspectives from the Gamemaker or from President Snow.  The movie gives alternate views and we can interpret and determine what was going on while they were in the arena.  

I've also seen and heard a lot of people saying that the prequel should have been Haymitch's story of being in the 50th Hunger Games.  I felt the same until I reread this book.  Katniss and Peeta watch his tape and his games.  We get a full play by play and learn how he won.  I now don't see any real reason to have a book for him.  His story was told in this book, it just wasn't told from his perspective.  

I did like this book an equal amount to the first.  It was a little dry at the beginning, but the storyline held beautifully and picked up as the book progressed.  I'm ready to get through the next book and finish watching the movies.  I give this 5 stars.  Definitely read it if you are reading through the series.