Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read the both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire a couple years back, before Mockingjay had come out and long before this (undeserved) hype had started. I've always been an avid reader, so when I stumbled upon it at the library and it looked interesting, of course I took it home. Like anyone, I found the story fast-paced and compellingly told, but I didn't like much else about it. After I finished the two, they quickly left my mind, making no impression on me. I only just got around to reading Mockingjay last week (I can't stand not to finish a series once I start), amidst the inexplicable amount of excitement about the series and the upcoming movie. Upon finishing it I made the decision, once again, that the Hunger Games is not a good series. I have rarely encountered a character I dislike as much as I dislike Katniss. A comparison that comes to mind is Harry Potter's Professor Umbridge--and even then it's a different situation, because you aren't expected to root for Umbridge, while Katniss is the main character and the narrator of this trilogy. Katniss is cold, selfish, entirely self-serving, oblivious to the kindness of others, brash, vengeful, and truly cares about no one. All this, and in all three books I failed to see any character growth. She badly mistreats her mother, Peeta, and Gale throughout the series (and yet, Peeta and Gale both follow her like puppy dogs--this makes absolutely no sense as she has no redeeming qualities) and, although several times realizes it, does nothing to rectify her actions. Sickening, truly. Perhaps the best example of Katniss' absolute lack of character is at the end of Mockingjay when she votes "yes" for a final Hunger Games. While Peeta vehemently disagrees with the notion, Katniss agrees thinking only of revenge. Way to have some growth, Katniss, it's really endearing of you. To me, Katniss is an empty shell of a person. She is hardly the only person in Panem to have suffered hardship, so she should probably grow up and deal with things as a functioning human would. But Katniss seems to have no soul and hardly any humanity at all--and this is the heroine leading us through this acclaimed trilogy. It's true that the series is fast-paced, compelling, exciting. But if one takes a step back to examine, at least, the first two books, what is it? Nothing but a weak, bare-boned story about a girl surviving in some woods by killing others in devious ways. The story of the revolution is very thin indeed in comparison to the graphic details of kids killing each other in cold blood. In other words...boring, brutish, and barbarian, just Katniss displaying her lack of moral character as she clings to survival. Yawn. But more disturbing, these books offer no redemption, no message of hope. Just blackness. It's unsettling and disturbing...and even more disturbing that so many people are considering this series so wonderful. Yes, I know--the books are deeply symbolic, meaningful, brilliant. But not to me. To me they are nothing but a waste of paper concerning one soulless, selfish, unlikable girl and a whole lot of death. This series will never be anything to me, and the current hype around it is ENTIRELY undeserved. As for me, I'll never waste a cent on any part of this franchise--books, movies, or anything else. Brilliant? Please. If you want to read a really brilliant story, try something with a little more redemption and humanity.