Mockingjay Summary

Mockingjay Summary

            Mockingjay is the final book in the acclaimed Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is a dystopian novel that takes place in the country of Panem, which is located on the continent formerly known as North America. Katniss Everdeen, Hunger Games victor, has been entangled with the totalitarian government ever since her daring move with the nightlock.

             After being thrown into the arena once again for the Quarter Quell, the rebels have rescued Katniss for the express purpose of being the face of the rebellion. At first, Katniss is reluctant to be the "Mockingjay" as she is still haunted by the guilt she feels for leaving Peeta behind to face the unknown horrors of the Capitol alone. However she eventually agrees, and begins filming pro-rebellion propos to aid in the war effort. These propos are immensely successful, and the District 13 hackers are able to air them on Capitol airways. Soon the President has interviews with Peeta televised in an attempt at damage control and the Airtime Assaults begin.

            When a visibly upset Peeta warns District 13 of an attack, the rebels send in forces to rescue him and other victors that were left behind. Katniss is overjoyed to see Peeta again, until he tries to kill her. It turns out the Capitol "hijacked," or brainwashed, Peeta into thinking that Katniss was out to kill him. This latest setback motivates Katniss to throw herself into revenge on President Snow. Katniss begins training to join the fight to infiltrate the capitol, and finally she is assigned to a squadron. However the squadron is blindsided by the news that they will not see many real battles, as they will be the stars of yet more airtime assault propos. Katniss makes a plan to leave the squadron behind at the first available opportunity so that she can find and kill Snow.

            A few days into the squad's mission, Peeta is sent as an addition to the group. Katniss realizes that in Coin's eyes she has outlived her use, and is now a threat to be eliminated. The squad leader agrees with her, and warns her to maintain constant vigilance around Peeta. However in a routine-mission-gone-bad, the leader is killed and Katniss is transferred to leadership. Katniss tells the group that she is on a secret mission from Coin to go Kill Snow. The group moves along farther into the Capitol, hounded by the horrors of the security pods positioned around the streets.

            This made-up mission turns out to be suicidal, most of the group ends up dead and only Katniss, Gale, and a pseudo-reformed Peeta remain. Before any of them can reach Snow, a hover plane marked with the Capitol's seal rains bombs down on a large group of children. Rebel medics pour onto the scene to help the children, and Katniss spots her younger sister among them. Just as the medics reach the children, more bombs fall, and Katniss watches her sister die.

            The Capitol forces surrender after this atrocious event. Katniss has a mental breakdown and lives for several weeks in a haze. Finally she visits President Snow, and he tells her that the rebels, not the Capitol, bombed the children. Coin calls for a final Hunger Games to be held in which the children of Capitol political officials will compete. At President Snow's execution, Katniss realizes that Snow was telling the truth, and Katniss kills Coin instead of Snow. Katniss is declared mentally unstable and is acquitted on those grounds. She returns to District 12 with a few others, and they begin to rebuild. Peeta eventually joins Katniss there, and as the years go by the couple begins to heal and create a life together. They are able to eventually have children, safe in the knowledge that there will never be another Hunger Games.