Not to sound harsh but....

This is a story about war. In war, people you care about die. Even if you can't see why, they sacrifice themselves to the cause.

I would have been mad if no one of importance died; then no lesson would have been learned.

It's sad that people died but it was necessary for this type of work. It's not a Twilight, no one dies, tra-la-la... ending. It had so much substance!

Anyone else think likewise???

The deaths... I anticipated that there would be a lot of them. I knew someone really important would die - the book would feel fake if they didn't. But I thought it would be the fighters - Johanna and Haymitch and Gale. I was prepared for their deaths. I'd spent the whole summer telling myself that they'd be dead. But it wasn't them. It was Prim.

Yup, that's right, folks.
Prim.
Is.
Dead.

I could not believe it. I honestly couldn't, I kept thinking that she would magically come back to life. I couldn't handle it. Prim was the reason the whole series started, guys! If her name hadn't been called at the reaping, there would be no rebellion! I was so sure that Suzanne wasn't gonna kill her. I'd considered it, but I decided it would be too heartless.

Finnick was hard too. Not because he's one of my favorite characters. But for some reason, in my mind, Finnick was immortal. And then the book was all like, "Guess what, he's DEAD! HA!" And I was all like, "Wait a second... he's not supposed to die!! Noooo!!!"

Madge, whatever. I liked her, but after Prim died, I was kinda beyond caring. Not because the book was bad - it was amazing - but I was just numb.

I expected Cinna to die. I never really loved him, anyways.

But there was one character who I was extraordinarily happy to see survive - Buttercup. I loved him since book 1. So what is Madge and Cinna are dead? BUTTERCUP survived, and we all know he's ten times awesomer than all the rest of the characters put together.

But the part when he went looking for Prim broke my heart.

i just finished reading the book a couple nights ago and i thought to myself how unfortunate for certain people and the details were so vivid in some places it was like u were in the room watching them.

Finnick, Boggs, Madge, Prim, the other group of rebels.

Cinna i kinda had figured he was already dead but it was amazing how he had all the time in the world to come up with the designs of Katniss's clothing. It sounded like it took a ton of time to do and we only went through 2 Hunger Games in the 3 books.... ya i guess i could see he had the time.. sorta...

Finnick. The things that happened with Finnick were very off chart for me... as in unexpected. I did not think he was going to marry Annie but it was so sweet how he acted to keep her always in a happy mood. I also liked how he taught Katniss and Peeta the rope tying to keep her mind off of the Games. Finnick i always saw as noble but i did not see him as being slaughtered by the mutts to be noble.

I didnt get how Boggs' leg was blown off. Who stepped on the thing that blew it off?

Madge's and Prim's death were both heart breakers for me.

Poor Madge was probably burned alive in her own home and to just have been told that the whole family was inside it was a little nerve wracking... but i guess it was a "mercy death" to the mayor's wife because she was very ill in the first and second book.

I didnt expect Prim to die. The reason i thought Katniss was running over to the girl was because it reminded her of Prim (like Rue). i kinda didnt catch on that she was dead until Katniss had said to Buttercup that she wasnt there and was gone.

The other things i wasnt prepared for were Peeta's mental issue, Gale, and Mrs. Everdeen, and the death of President Cain.

Peeta's mental issue had me in an emotional wreck. i was ready to kill the Capital myself because they shouldnt have tortured him like that. it was interesting to watch/ read the tension going on between them. The Medical Room. The Cafeteria. On the Mission. i thought the Real or Not Real game was a good idea for settling out the things going on in his head. the ending where he goes " you love me? real or not real?" i thought was sweet as to the whole epilogue too.

i had not expected Mrs. Everdeen to go off to District 4.

I want to know why in heavens name Katniss shot President Cain. That made no sense what so ever.

Gale. I coulda sworn Katniss was going to go to Gale. The kiss in that open area when gathering wood, all the time they spent together, the way they watched out for each other. it hurt when he said the only way you love me is because im in pain. that was like a dagger to the heart. i had not expected him to go to District 2.

the words exchanged between Gale and Peeta before they went to sleep that one night with Peeta saying that Katniss loves Gale i was close to tears. It hurt because he just pushed Katniss aside in a way saying that she didnt. If Peeta could see that she loved him and Gale couldnt then he's blind. But i guess it was a defense thing because he saw K & P kissing and putting on the act. Fiancee. Pregnant. The Beach. its kinda hard to take back things like that without believing them yourself.

but overall, Collins did a phenomenal job with this book. it was a thriller and an on-the-edge-of-your-seat book. Hats off to her! This series is by far the best i have read by anyone. Collins is AMAZING!!!!

Some real spot-on comments here I felt the same things at the end, the whole thing left me totally drained and Hell I'm an older guy, but like someone said you don't always get happy endings, this is about real-life and Collins wrote a pretty gritty one. Some time back I was privileged to read an "alternate" Hunger games trilogy, even it ended pretty much the same, except that Katniss killed Snow with an arrow to the eye, but she also killed Coin as well. The authors of this revision didn't kill off Finick and had Gayle getting married to Johanna and paying Katniss a brief visit, but like the original series Katniss is totally spent.

i love the end. (the real end and the epilogue end)
its really clever how suzanne collins said about 'there are
far worse games to play)