I feel somewhat raw having finished this book now. I don't think I was really prepared for how depressing this book is. Whereas the first two books were relatively action- or plot-packed, Mockingjay spent ages to really get going. Ultimately, it shows that war is ugly, in every facet.

I was very moved at the end, and felt the last hundred pages returned the series to the glory of the previous two books, but I think too much time was spent pre-Capitol, time where the story moved too slowly, was overly depressing, and not entirely captivating. Whereas I couldn't put down the other two books, I was easily able to put the book aside for the first 200 pages.

Overall, I still give it a solid 4 as conclusion to the best series of books I have read in years. Throughout the book, I still cared about all the characters that have grown dear to me, and I am looking forward to what tales Suzanne Collins will be telling next.