Lights! Camera! CUT!!! Are you finding yourself hating that movie based on the book? Wishing it never came into existence? Here I present to you, Mockingjay: the last book in the Hunger Games series, and the best. Although I was ready to appreciate a final ending to the dreadful Hunger Games, Miss Suzie totally pumped up her game on this one. To make it short and sweet, Katniss is now the face of the rebellion: the Mockingjay. In order to end all chaos and war between the districts and the Capitol, she must lead the rebels to victory in the rage of battle, no matter what the cost. To tell you the truth, the novel was hands-down the better of the two. Absolutely.

     The novel should have stayed a novel. By making a movie, not only did they confuse readers and fans, but they killed the whole purpose of making films based on books. There was a huge difference in vibes given between the film and book. As the book was set in a war filled with the stench of dead bodies and riots breaking out everywhere, the movie made all of that seem so colorful and exciting; or at least that?s what I felt. In the movie the “Hanging Tree” song turned from an old forbidden tune to an upbeat pop melody. Effie also magically appeared in the movie while she was not even in existence in the novel. Seriously, was the crazy makeup-artist so important that you had to bring her back and only said a couple of lines? Or was she going to end the war by giving haircuts and makeovers? The book had a much more mature theme than the previous books, as kids fighting to the death in arenas isn?t something most adults could find much connection to or interest in. Whereas in Mockingjay, a war with rebels against a force with more power sounds easy to connect to. We hear and see those things all the time from like old American colonies against Britain, third world countries against their dictators and governments, and probably even Star Wars. In my opinion, the making of the movie was a waste of time because all it showed was Katniss being a crybaby and Peeta overdosing on his meds. The movie “Mockingjay: Part 1” should?ve been based on the Part 1 of the novel. Yet the director, Francis Lawrence, decided to extend it three more chapters after the original “Part 1” ended, making the ending of the movie downright upsetting and disappointing with Peeta bouncing up and down in his bed like it?s a bouncy castle. Try reading the novel before you make a movie, Lawrence.

     There are a lot of options I would give to my peers on how to see the Mockingjay. But my main recommendation is to watch the movie and then read the book to see why Francis Lawrence is a failure. No I?m just kidding. I suggest you read the novel then watch the film to see the differences of what you like and dislike between the two. Who knows? You might love the movie and hate the book! Or even vise-versa. It might not be the exact same storyline, but it is definitely the same Mockingjay.