Alright, so I just finished reading the book through for the first time. Yes, I took my time with it, for reasons in and beyond my control. And despite my reservations and low expectations going into it, I ended up liking it. Is it my new favorite? No. Do I like it better than Ballad? Not exactly. 🤷🏻♀️ Honestly, I’m having a hard time finding words to describe how I feel about it. 😅 I definitely recommend reading it, especially if you're fan of the books and movies.
…I guess it just wasn’t as inspiring to me as the other four books. 🙃 And I don’t think it’s entirely related to the overall depressing nature of Haymitch’s story. (‘Cause I like dark and depressing things. 😏) Anyway, I am planning to do more of a deep dive analysis next year before the movie release, so I’ll either be able to flesh that out more or revise my statement then.
With that, do read it for yourself! And I hope that some of the themes at play in Haymitch’s story start challenging you to ask yourself about your media consumption and implicit submission. Until next time! 🏹