SPOILER (highlight below to read)
Last night as I was reading the last several chapters, I became increasingly frustrated. It got to the point where I wanted to throw the book. I left my job before I finished reading, and I was inexplicably annoyed with everyone who got in my way on the bike ride home. When I got home, I settled down to finish reading, prepping myself for disappointment, because I couldn't see the book wrapping up in any sort of emotionally satisfying way. But, I was wrong, and I ended up in tears(bittersweet ones) by the end of the book. So, by the end, I liked where things had gone, I just didn't enjoy the path the story took to get there.
So, now some specifics.
Peeta being hijacked threw me for a huge loop. I was not expecting anything like that, and it was a HUGE source of frustration for me.
I've always been "Team Peeta." This book freaked me out, because I thought the author was going to force something between Katniss and Gale. Or Peeta was going to die. Or something would happen that made Katniss fall for Gale instead of Peeta. I guess that since we actually got to see Katniss and Gale together more, I felt like he was going to be more important to the story. Well, he was, but luckily not in the way I anticipated. I really didn't want anything to happen between them because I realized he didn't understand the post-arena Katniss.
I couldn't stand Katniss most of the time. I didn't like how she went into those phases where she avoided everyone, disregarded everything, and just wandered around alone. Especially at the end, after she killed Coin and she didn't care about anything else that was going on. If I were her, I would be begging people to know what the heck was happening outside.
In the end, when Peeta sort of returned to normal, I was surprised, but happy, at how easy it was for Katniss to let Gale go. I knew all along that she had to end up with Peeta, but I thought Gale was going to have to die in battle for that to happen.
It took a few pages for me to realize that Prim had died. I thought that should have been made more clear, but whatever. I wasn't really too sad that she died, because she hadn't ever really been too big a part of the story.
I was however, very upset when Finnick died at the hands of the mutts. Especially since he'd just barely married Annie. And mostly because I was upset that he died saving Katniss. I felt like she didn't deserve to live at that point.
Beetee was one of my favorite characters. I loved how intelligent he was, and that he was so on Katniss's side and understood her and wanted to help her.
Ok, my only huge problem with the ending was Katniss's decision to vote yes for the last Hunger Games to be played with the children from the Capitol. I was totally on Peeta's side there. I think it was irrational of Katniss to want "revenge" for them killing Prim, when that mentality was no better than the Capitol's when they first instituted the Hunger Games. And hadn't Katniss had gotten into this whole mess in the first place because she was trying to save Prim from going into the arena? She says something later on in the book that makes me think she finally saw reason, when she says something along the lines that killing eachothers' children wouldn't undo things of the past.
I really wish Cinna hadn't died (he's my favorite character), but I'm glad that he had the foresight to plan her outfit/armor beforehand. I loved seeing his influence cropping up over and over throughout the book. I really thought he would suddenly appear sometime during the book, but, alas, all we got was Effie. ("May the odds be ever in your favor.")
And, finally, I think the cutest line of all time is when Peeta says, "You love me. Real or not real?"
